Wolves howl to communicate with one another. They locate members of their pack and often engage in a group howl before setting off to hunt. The howl is a warning to neighboring wolves to stay away. The chorus of wolves howling is beautiful.
In 1996, the third week of October – Wolf Awareness Week – became a national event. It’s goal is to dispel misconceptions about wolves and create awareness about the important role wolves play in our ecosystem. We’re reminded to keep an open mind to all sides of wolf recovery and management, and to view wolves with the same healthy respect due any potentially dangerous animal.
Wolves are the largest members of the canid family, from which our pet dogs were domesticated. The different types of wolves include the gray, red, Arctic, Indian, Himalayan, Ethiopian and Eastern wolf. The grey wolf is the largest member of the wolf family and has the ability to adapt to a wide variety of habitats.
Wolf packs can range from 2 to 36 wolves, depending on the available prey and territory. Territory size depends on prey abundance, the nature of the terrain, climate and the presence of other predators including other wolf packs. In most regions where wolves live, each wolf pack has its own territory in which it lives, hunts and raises its offspring.