Wolves (
Lupus) are the origin of the
domestic dog (
lupus familaris). They are in the same family as foxes,
coyotes and dingoes but they are a lot rarer after farms were created. Once
wolves lived with humans, helping them to hunt and
guarding property, they became the hunted once farmers domesticated animals onto farms and found wolves to be a threat to their livestock.
The
timber wolf, the native wolf became extinct in Britain in1680 (Although some stories indicate that the last wolf was killed in
1743 but this is unlikely as one wolf cannot live for 63 years) and recent reintroduction schemes have also failed in the Scottish
moors. Britain is not the only place to be killing wolves off. America has pushed the once wide spread population of wolves through out the States back to ranges in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Canada. Wolves are also suffering in the eastern world except in Russia and
Siberia where numbers are constant.
Wolves have a pack system that every wolf in the world seems to abide by; the alpha pair eats first and always lead the pack when relocating.
The beta pair step in to the alpha’s position if something happens to the male or both of the wolves, they eat second and act as protectors for the alpha whilst they eat and put any wolf challenging the alpha back in line. The last of all of is
the omega, this wolf is very timed and acts as a look out whilst the other wolves are eating and when they leave, they may eat the remains (usually stomach content.)
Wolves tend to hunt and feed on rabbits,
elk, deer and sometimes on buffalo and moose. There has never been a report of a wolf that had not been suffering from health issue attacking a human, if wolves see a human they will always run. However, there have been reports of wolves eating humans that have died of other causes.