Some people view wolves as vicious predators but, in reality, their hunting habits actually help preserve nature's order.
Wolves usually hunt together in packs. These packs rely on hunting boundaries that usually range between 80-300 square feet. When wolves hunt they are successful only 10 percent of the time.
Wolves typically enjoy hunting smaller animals like birds, mice, rabbits, and squirrels. If they want to store their smaller prey for eating later, they bury it in a
cache
, or hole in the ground, to prepare for foodless weeks.
While wolves prefer to hunt larger animals like moose, this can be a very dangerous task. When fighting larger animals, they have to be careful because their skulls can be crushed by moose hooves. Even deer and caribou can outrun wolves.
To make hunting easier, wolves prey on sick, young, and old animals. This is actually very important for the environment because these kinds of animals can and frequently do carry diseases.
Wolves aren't as harmful as we might imagine. In fact, they play a huge role in maintaining ecological balance.
[Source:
Simpson Street Free Press Archives
]