ABOUT WOLVES | VIDEO | SIDE TRIPS
>>STOP 5: NORTHERN RUSSIA
Your plane lands in Europe and you head to northern Russia. As you approach wolf territory, you hear them first. Ow-oooo!
Grrrr! Then you spot the pack of wolves. Wrestling and playing, they look like they're celebrating. They're actually psyching themselves up for a hunt. Wolves' preferred prey includes moose. One moose can weigh twice as much as the entire pack. Confidence and teamwork mean survival. Only about one in ten attacks on a moose is successful.
Packs are led by the dominant male and female, sometimes called the alpha wolves. Your heart pounds when you see the alpha female lunge toward a younger wolf in the pack. It falls down, exposing its neck to show submission. Growling, the alpha holds it down by its throat. Even from a distance, you understand the conversation. She's reminding the juvenile she's in charge. The pup's submissive response means, "Yes, ma'am!" Communication and leadership help the pack survive.
You notice that the alpha pair really seem to like each other. The power couple nuzzles and cuddles; you learn they're likely to remain lifelong partners. The two leaders rally the pack and all but one adult trot off to hunt. Left behind: the pups and an adult babysitter. You watch as the wolves, working as a team, successfully bring down a moose. They eat their fill in about half an hour. Then they return home, and the pups nip at their snouts, begging for dinner. The adults immediately regurgitate undigested meat for the pups and babysitter to eat. Happy that a more appetizing meal is waiting for you on the plane, you slip away to begin your next adventure: tracking tigers in India.
