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One of eight Timber Wolves at the Witter Wildlife Refuge.
Photo by Author
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Words For Wildlife
by State licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator, James Orr
SMART WOLVES
We have eight Timber wolves that live permanently at the Witter Wildlife Refuge. They were rescued by the Hot Springs ASCPA and cannot be released to the wild as they are a nonnative species. There use to be Red Wolves in Arkansas but they have been extinct here for many decades. There are dog/wolf hybrids and Coydogs (Coyote/dog mix) that are sometimes mistaken for wolves.
There is only a .02% difference between the DNA of a wolf and a domestic dog but that is just enough to afford the wolf higher endurance, double the jaw pressure (1500 pounds) and a superior intelligence.
Having grown up around dogs all my life I am continually amazed at how different the wolves are in comparison.
Of the eight wolves I care for, seven are in a large outdoor enclosure and function as a pack. They have an Alpha Male and Alpha Female that manage all pack activity including ranking of other members, eating order, sleeping assignments, and maintaining pack discipline.
One of the wolves, “Feather” lives outside the enclosure with my dogs. Although she is a house wolf she still owes her allegiance to the pack. Each morning she walks over to the wolf pen to check in with the two Alphas. Not unlike people bowing to the Queen, she lowers her head (submits) to them acknowledging their authority. She makes sure to avert her eyes from theirs during this process and they in turn lick her on the face and top of the head granting her pack acceptance. She is then free to go on her way with their blessing. Looking a wild animal in the eyes is often interpreted as a challenge or threat.
I feed Feather the house wolf with my other dogs. I generally mix one can of dog food with several cups of dry food. I give each of them a bowl of their own and set the empty dog food can on the floor for who ever finishes first. Stella the hound dog always gets the can since she eats so fast she does not even bother to chew her food.
The other day I was quite surprised to see Feather walk away from her serving of food before taking a single bite to go get the empty can. I could not figure why a super smart wolf would leave a full bowl of food to get a can with only a few good licks of food. As I watched she picked up the can and returned to her meal carefully placing it in her dish. She then ate her dinner confident she would have the after dinner treat for once.
In the animal world this awareness of the future and cognitive thinking is a sign of high intelligence. Most animals simply respond to the moment and have no ability to plan ahead. Although some have instincts such as squirrels saving nuts that give the illusion of foresight few actually are able consciously plan ahead.
Wolves do not make the best pets as they take an enormous amount of time to properly raise. If they do not have a pack to socialize with they get bored, confused and can be destructive unless they get social interaction elsewhere. They need a great deal of attention and companionship. They also generally take longer to mature than a dog extending the difficult puppy behaviors an extra year or so.
A friend of mine has a wolf in his care that he adopted. Here are a couple of his stories about the problems he has encountered trying to raise a wolf as a house pet.
They are almost impossible to lock in or out of a house. They quickly learn how to operate door knobs, thumb latches, sliding doors, and pop window screens. I once had a wolf untie a half dozen separate ropes with my best Boy Scout knots to remove a cattle panel that was baring her way.
My friend came home one day to find the water faucet turned on in the back yard and his wolf cooling off in the muddy puddle it had created. Although he found it hard to believe the wolf had turned on the water his suspicions were confirmed a few days later when he caught her doing the same thing again. This time he scolded her, pointed to the running faucet and said “NO, BAD WOLF, NO!” He then turned off the faucet and hoped that was the end of it.
A few days later while working in the house he heard the water turn on. He was alone so he knew it had to be the wolf. He ran down the stairs and outside to find his wet wolf sitting in the yard, the water was turned off and the wolf was shaking herself dry. She looked at him as if to say “What?”
She had not only figured out how to turn the water on and off but also comprehended the consequence of leaving it on.
When my wolf Feather rides with me in the car I have to lock the electric windows to keep her from opening them. She knows I control the lock and will nudge my left shoulder when she wants the window opened.
Wolves live with very rigid pack rules. They each have specific responsibilities. In the wild wolves have been observed chasing prey as it crosses from their territory in to another pack’s. The pursuing pack will generally stop and return home honoring the boundary.
Wolves are a fascinating and amazing animal.
DONATIONS NEEDED If you would like to help any donation amount it is greatly appreciated. Donations should be made out to Witter Wildlife Refuge and can be sent to P.O. Box 1118, Huntsville AR 72740.
See web page under "HOW YOU CAN HELP" for specific ways you can help us help wildlife
