WHY WOLVES HUNT DIFFERENTLY FROM BIG CATS

Unlike large cats, which apply a fatal killing bite and then eat the dead prey, wolves will disable their prey until it is weak enough for the pack to begin feeding on it. Because of the long struggle, the moment of death is more difficult to determine. While a wolf’s long narrow snout reduces the amount of pressure it can bring to bear on its prey, lions and tigers have significantly more biting power. In addition, over time a wolf’s 42 teeth wear down with use and lose their sharpness. Wolves are also slower than the ruminant animals that serve as their most important prey. While a white-tailed deer can run about 30 miles per hour, wolves can sustain only about 25 miles per hour, although they can reach 35 for short bursts. They also lack the sharp powerful claws that cats use to firmly hold on to their prey. When they are hunting, wolves rely on their powers of observation as well as the shared intelligence of the pack: Hunting is a team effort. In pursuing a herd of animals, wolves are on the lookout for any perceptible weaknesses. Limping or another sign of illness leads them to choose an older, weaker animal. Wolves also take weather and terrain into consideration. They like to pursue their prey across deep snow, where their wide paws give then an advantage over hoofed animals, which can flounder in a snowdrift.

Wolves coordinate their pursuits: Quicker, lighter females herd the ruminants and try to separate them so the slower, more powerful males can bring them down. Younger wolves generally watch and learn from their elders. Sometimes a hunt ends badly: Far bigger than its hunter, an elk can shatter a wolf’s jaw with its hooves— clearly hunting is risky business.

for defense. With the wolves around, herbivores begin avoiding the areas where the raspberries grow—which up until that point had mostly been home to the thornier blackberries— and the raspberries flourish.

And what about the forest animals? Does population density drastically decline with a new predator in the area?

It’s mostly a myth that predators wipe out entire species. They normally can’t do that—there are too many animals. In Germany, for example, each square mile of forest is home to roughly 150 to 200 mammals that are the size of a deer or larger. There are few places on Earth where the density is higher. And that still holds true even in those areas where most of the wolves live. Wolves require a fairly large territory: If they always stayed in the same part of the forest, the other animals would simply move out. And their increased caution would make it much harder for wolves to catch anything. Figures from the lower 48 U.S. states show that wolf territories can sometimes be less than 100 square miles, but in Alaska and Canada a territory can be 1,000 square miles or more. It’s worth noting, however, that wolves did wipe out all of the mouflon that had been imported to Germany from southern Europe. The wild sheep were adapted to living in high mountains and were unsuited for living at lower elevations. In their new home they didn’t have the steep slopes they need for fleeing from predators. So, in fact, the wolves have restored the area’s original balance.

Are wolves a threat to domestic farm animals? Do we have to erect thousands of miles of fencing to protect the pens and pastures?

The analysis of thousands of fecal samples from German wolves has shown that 99.3 percent of their prey are wild animals. Not even one out of a hundred is domestic. The latter apparently do not taste as good to a wolf. In any case, a low electric fence or a guard dog is generally sufficient to protect against damage by wolves. By the way, farmers are compensated by the state for any animals they lose. This fact stands in sharp contrast to rodent damage: In one year mice may destroy up to 30 percent of a harvest, but farmers must simply tolerate it as an irritating but immutable fact of life. We should ask ourselves a question: Do we want nature, or not?

But how can wolves be kept under control? It’s unsettling to imagine fencing off a neighborhood or arming yourself for a walk in the woods.

What most of us actually fear is the unknown. For the past 100 years or so we have not had any experiences with wolves living in the wild, so fears and rumors have multiplied about the dangers supposedly posed by these animals. Legends and fairy tales have stimulated many of these fears. But the fact is: We are just not on a wolf’s genetic menu. This also applies to the supposed danger posed by wild boar: A 200-pound boar would certainly be a threat if it wanted to attack a human. However in the 30 years that I have been working in the woods, I’ve never heard of that actually taking place. We’re simply not on their list of prey. Still, it is extremely important not to feed wolves so they do not become accustomed to us. Our fears are really just a question of attitude. Every year about 15 fatal hunting accidents take place in Germany—sometimes more; in America, the figure is closer to 100. But does this discourage people from walking in the woods? According to a U.S. study, in America a person is bitten by a dog about 4.7 million times per year. Does that stop people from keeping dogs as pets? It is high time that we changed our attitude toward wolves. If you should be lucky enough to encounter a wolf in the woods, do not panic. Just take out your camera or mobile phone and let the wolf know you are there by waving or making a noise. The wolf will vanish in a flash. I, for one, will be warmly welcoming the newcomers to my territory.