by Evelyn Blaken

Created on: October 28, 2008   Last Updated: October 29, 2008

Introduction

Canis Lupus is the scientific name for the Grey Wolf. It has been 400 years since wild wolves roamed in the woods and valleys of the UK . They were viewed as vermin from the twelfth century onwards and slowly eradicated in Wales, England, Scotland and then Ireland. Yet despite the time lapse, on a walk throught the countryside it is still very easy to imagine how the wolf once inhabited these areas.

There are approximately 150 000 Grey Wolves in the world, much of this is because they can inhabit a variety of places, so long as there is adequate food. This includes habitats as diverse as the Arctic circle, around deserts, and on the outskirts of towns and villages (Wolf Trust UK).

Feeding

Wolves hunt as a unit, each wolf performing a specific task to help accomplish the kill. Though mainly meat eaters, they are opportunistic feeders, and will eat just about anything they can catch within their territory. Their main large prey are herbivores- red deer, elk, reindeer, moose and bison, though they catch smaller animals, like boar, beaver, hare, rodents and birds. They will also scavenge carcasses and eat insects, nuts, grass, berries and leaves to supplement their diet.

Their prey is located by scent, sound and sight (including scenting their prey's urine or faeces). They can also smell the signs of infection, and if an animal is injured they know that it is easier prey. They deliberately look for weak, old, sick, or young animals and once identified, the pack will split up into smaller groups and surround it, by first stalking from a distance and then closing in, then ending with a sprint (so long as cover suffices). If their prey is very large, like a moose, they will test it to determine if they can kill it successfully. Large prey is killed by surrounding the animal and attacking it's rump. If it does not outrun the wolves, or prove otherwise that it is unfit to kill, it will eventually tire out (though this may take a long time), or it may collapse from sheer exhaustion, be taken down by the wolves, die from blood loss, or even die from shock. Most hunts will be unsuccessful though and only one in twenty hunting attempts end up with a kill.

Once the prey has been killed the alpha pair will eat first. They will have the choice of the best parts which are the liver and other entrails. These are the most prized and eaten first, as they have the most nutrients.

A wolf can easily go without eating for a week and then ingest a big meal of up to 10kg (22 lbs),

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