WOLF
FA C T S H E E T
WOLVES: JUST THE FACTS
• Wolves are the ancestors of all domestic dogs. Their jaws are twice as strong as those of a German
shepherd, producing up to 1,500 psi of pressure!
• There are two species: the red wolf, which lives in the southeastern United States, and the gray wolf,
which lives in the United States, Canada and Eurasia.
• A male wolf weighs between 44 to 175 pounds, while a female weighs between 40 to 121 pounds.
Usually, the colder the climate, the heavier the wolf.
• Wolves can live anywhere from the desert to the frozen tundra; they prefer places with cover, water and
large herds of prey such as elk, bison or deer.
• A wolf pack is usually 5 to 12 animals, but it can be as large as 20 or more wolves. Larger packs tend to
hunt larger sized prey.
• Play is a common behavior among the younger members of a wolf pack. Wolves may initiate and signal
intent to play with a stereotypical play bow or by mixing typically aggressive signals, such as growling
or laying the ears back, with vigorous tail wagging.
• After a kill, wolves can eat up to 20% of their body weight – that’s like eating 80 quarter-pound
hamburgers at once!
• Wolves howl for several reasons; to locate pack members and coordinate movements while separated, to
maintain social bonds within the pack, to maintain spacing of wolf packs, to encourage pack members
to join in a hunt, and to locate potential mates.
A WOLF MOM AND HER PUPS
• As a rule, only the alpha pair have pups.
• The pregnant female and other adult wolves in the pack dig a den, where the female can safely raise her
litter of about six pups.
• Most wolf pups are born in early spring. At birth, they weigh about a pound and the helpless pups’ eyes
and ears are closed.
• The pups stay in the den for a few weeks while the father and other packmembers bring food to the mother.
• Wolves’ eyes are blue at birth, but turn gold or orange around 8 to 16 weeks.
• When wolf pups are too old to nurse but too young to hunt, their mom, dad or other adult wolves help
out. A hungry pup will follow an adult, whining, pawing and licking at the adult’s mouth. This triggers
the adult to vomit, which the pup can eat.
• By six months old, the pups are eating meat, hunting prey and are almost as big as an adult.
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WOLF
FA C T S H E E T
WOLVES AND SURVIVAL
• Wolves in the wild have a life expectancy of up to 10 years,
while those in zoological parks can live 10-18 years.
• Many wolves die in their first year from disease or malnutrition.
• Wolves don’t have any natural predators. However, they can die
due to wounds from fights with other wolves or from injuries
obtained while hunting large prey.
HUMANS AND WOLVES
• As humans began to compete with wolves for game and habitat,
thousands were killed as pests, threats or for bounty.
• Today, the greatest threat to wolves is people’s mistaken fear
that wolves are dangerous and take too many deer, elk or other
prey that humans also hunt.
• Wild wolves are wary of humans and healthy wolves will not
attack people. However, pet wolves or hybrids, who have lost
their fear of man, may be a risk.
CONSERVATION EFFORTS
• Wolf-livestock conflict preservation programs seek to educate farmers and ranchers on how to co-exist
with wolves.
• Efforts to reintroduce wolves into some of their historic ranges in the U.S. are meeting with success.
There are populations now established in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho with natural movement
occurring into other states.
• Created by conservation groups, wolf sanctuaries protect wolves and help grow their populations so they
can be reintroduced to the wild. Many also serve as important education and research centers.
LEGISLATURE
• Gray wolves are listed as endangered on the U.S. Endangered Species List. Currently the Fish and Wildlife
Service (FWS) is proposing to remove federal protections and, instead, reintroduce the species in only
some parts of its historical range. Removing federal protections has met with great opposition.
BUSCH GARDENS®
• Busch Gardens Williamsburg has 14 years of experience in caring for wolves. Three packs of wolves call
the park home, some of which include orphaned and rescued pups.
• At Busch Gardens, guests experience the power and agility of these animals while they learn about the
company’s wildlife conservation efforts and ways they can help.
• The SeaWorld® & Busch Gardens® Conservation Fund has granted $10 million to hundreds of
conservation projects that help animals in need and endangered species around the world, including
some that protect wolves and their habitats.
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