Timber Wolf

		SIZE

		HEIGHT:	26 - 33 inches.
		LENGTH:	6.5 ft. (including tail)
		WEIGHT:	Can weigh up to 175 lb.

		BREEDING

		MATURITY:	Two years old.
		MATING:	January through March
		GESTATION:	9 weeks.
		# OF YOUNG :	One to eleven pups.

		LIFESTYLE

		HABIT:	Most active at night, but may be seen during the day. Hunt in packs.
		DIET:	Small animals and birds. When in packs, will hunt sheep and other large animals.
		LIFESPAN:	N/A

		SCIENTIFIC NAME

		FAMILY:	Other common name: "Gray Wolf". Family: "Canidae". Species classification: "Canus lupis". Related to the jackal, coyote, and domestic dog.

		GENERAL INFORMATION

		Timber wolves are widely distributed. They are found in various parts of North America, Europe, and Asia. In the United States, they range from the Rocky Mountain ranges to areas in the Great Lakes states. Timbers can be found of prairies and forests, but usually not in high mountain ranges because of the lack of food. Their color ranges from nearly white to nearly black, but are usually grayish. The "pack" is a very complex and strict organization. They communicate through posture, voice, and scent. The alpha, or dominant, male is the leader. Only the alpha male and alpha female are allowed to breed. The entire pack cooperates in feeding, protecting, and training the pups. The pack distinguishes its territory by marking it with urine and feces. Dominant males can stare down other wolves in the pack to prevent a fight and dominate females do the same to prevent females from mating with her mate, but fights are very rare. Some members may stay with the pack for life. Wolves are big game hunters. After a howling chorus, the pack will leave the den for the evening hunt with one adult guardian staying behind to watch over the young. Timber wolves will generally hunt is packs of 12 or more during the non-breeding season. They feed on anything that is available. They primarily hunt birds and mammals such as deer and caribou. Their hunting range can be up to 60 miles is diameter. Wolves can run up to 40 miles an hour and can easily cover 50 miles a day. By smell alone, wolves can locate prey, other pack members or enemies. It can tell them if other wolves were in the territory, if they were male or female, and how recently they visited. In the spring, females have litters of one to eleven pups. The pups are born blind and deaf, so they have to depend on the their mother and other members of the pack. The whole pack takes care and raises the pups (non-breeding females produce milk and males compete to baby sit). The pups also eat regurgitated food. When the hunters return from a hunt, the pups will jump and bite at their throats to get them to regurgitate the undigested meat from the recent kill. The pups normally stay with the parents until the following winter, but may remain much longer. Parents and their young constitute a basic pack. Under the Endangered Species Act, the gray wolf is listed as a threatened species in Minnesota and as an endangered species in the United States. The decreasing numbers of wolves are the result of encroachments on their territory by humans, who have regarded wolves as competitors for prey and as dangerous to livestock, pets, and people. However, very few wolves attack humans. There might be "some" isolated incidents, but which is usually the case in those, the wolf was only trying to protect itself from the invasion from the human. There have been some efforts to try to reintroduce the wolf back into the wild, but those efforts have been very controversial.

""The Scouts had a great time at Bear Country USA. They have never been that close to bears before. The Scouts I had with me were the older Scouts that have backpacked in Yellowstone Nation Park, and Philmont, New Mexico and have been on canoe trips to Boundary Water going deep into Canada. At night they have always had to put their food in bear bags and hang them high in the trees so the bears could not get at it. In all those trips we never had a bear in our camp. After seeing your bears, close up, and see how big they were, one of the Scouts in the back seat of my pickup said ""Holy cow, now I know why we hung the bear bags"". After we drove through the Wildlife Park we stopped at the snack bar and walked through the exibits. The hardest part of the day was getting the Scouts away from the baby bears and back in the cars. (You have a great wildlife Park) We spent a week in the Black Hills, the main reason for the trip was to bike the Mickelson Trail, but the highlight of the trip was Bear Country U.S.A.. That night, after we ate, while sitting around the camp fire we drank a Pepsi Cola toast to you and your Wildlife Park. On behalf of all the Scouts and Adults from Troop 554 Littleton, Colorado, I want to thank you very much for allowing us to visit your Wildlife Park. Thanks again, Assistant Scoutmaster BSA Troop 554""

Rick Brentrup
Littleton, Colorado