Wolf Scientific Research
There is no denying that wolves are both fascinating as well as controversial in our world today. We do know that they are derived from the canidae family at some level.
There are other relatives out there in the canine family that wolves are closely related to. They include the coyote. It isn’t uncommon for some types of dogs to be mistaken for wolves in some areas. For example the Alaskan Husky and the Alaskan Malamute.
Through careful research we are able to understand much more about them than in the past. These animals aren’t out there looking for humans to hunt as some legends say. Instead they are instinctively driven to do all they can to survive. Wolves are very social animals. They thrive off of the freedoms and the restraints found within their own pack.
The howling of wolves can seem very scary and eerie to people. Yet researchers have found there is quite a bit of meaning in such sounds. They can be used to call out to the rest of the pack, as a warning for introducers or emotion signals.
The largest amount of wolf research has been dedicated to the element of their social hierarchy because is one of the most complex. Yet it allows them to be able to provide the level of care and harmony within their pack that is necessary. In spite of what most people think, wolves are able to get along very well with each other. They seldom have conflicts inside of their own pack.
Wolves value family in much the same way that humans do. They have respect for each other, work as a team, and even help to care for young that aren’t their own. It is this type of research that has shown us wolves aren’t monsters out there looking to kill everything in site.
What we do know from research though is that these are very instinctive animals. They have the ability to adapt to a variety of different environments. They aren’t killing machines but animals that have the ability to be able to find food sources so that they can continue to survive.
Many people wonder about wolves and attacks on humans. Even if you spend days looking for information you will find very few reports about them attacking. In those instances when it has occurred it has been connected to wolves having rabies. A person is much more likely to be attacked by other types of animals than this one should they be in the wilderness.
A great deal of information that we have about the movements of wolves is due to the use of tracking devices. This helps to find out which ones may be a given problem in areas where cattle are being destroyed. They also help to identify the home range for a given wolf pack. It is very interesting to see how they live, and that information can help with successfully creating homes for them in captivity and reintroducing them to the wild.
Even though wolf research has been able to offer us an inside look in many areas, it isn’t enough to tell us the entire story. There is still plenty more than has to be looked into before we are able to fully understand these magnificent creatures. The fact that so many of the species are in danger of extinction though means that we may not be able to learn enough about them before it is too late.