Wolves and wolf-human interactions
editWolf attacks are dangerous to humans. The gray wolf is the largest wild member of the canid family, with males averaging 43–45 kg (95–99 lb), and females 36–38.5 kg (79–85 lb).[1] They have powerful jaws and teeth and powerful bodies capable of great endurance, and often run in large packs.
Wolves may attack any animal withing their prey range. Although wolves are the most specialized member of its genus in the direction of carnivory and hunting large game,[2] primarily medium to large sized ungulates, they are opportunistic hunters, predating at times on rodents, hares, badgers, foxes, weasels, insectivores[3], birds and their eggs, reptiles, amphibians, large insects, [4] seals, [5]other wolves [6][7][8] fish, [9][10], and primates, the order to which humans belong. [11].
Nevertheless, in certain areas and periods wolves may tend to fear and avoid humans beings, especially in North America.[12] Wolves vary in temperament and their instinctive reaction to humans, but can learn experience and the reactions of other wolves and to avoid humans. Wolves with little prior experience with humans, and those habituationed or positively conditioned through feeding, may lack fear. Wolves living in open areas, for example the North American Great Plains, historically showed little fear before the advent of firearms in the 19th Century,[13] and would follow hunters to feed on the kills of human hunters.[14] In contrast, forest-dwelling wolves in North America were noted for shyness.[13] Where they have been hunted, wolves generally avoid humans because of fear.[15] Some wolves may associate the upright posture of humans with that of bellicose bears, which wolves may have learned to fear. Conversely, when wolves become habituated to the presence of humans, they become more likely to attack. [12], and successful attack for the wolf may teach a wolf to attack again.[15]
- ^ Mech 1981, p. 11
- ^ Heptner & Naumov 1998, p. 175
- ^ Mech 1981, p. 180
- ^ Heptner & Naumov 1998, p. 213
- ^ Graves 2007, p. 75
- ^ Heptner & Naumov 1998, p. 214
- ^ Klein, D. R. (1995). "The introduction, increase, and demise of wolves on Coronation Island, Alaska", pp. 275–280 in L. N. Carbyn, S. H. Fritts, and D. R. Seip (eds.) Ecology and conservation of wolves in a changing world. Canadian Circumpolar Institute, Occasional Publication No. 35.
- ^ Graves 2007, p. 46
- ^ Biquand, S., Urios, V., Boug, A., Vila, C., Castroviejo, J., and Nader, I. (1994). Fishes as diet of a wolf (Canis lupus arabs) in Saudi Arabia. Mammalia, 58(3): 492–494.
- ^ Woodford, Riley. "Alaska's Salmon-Eating Wolves". Wildlifenews.alaska.gov. Retrieved 2010-03-16.
- ^ Bishop, N. (1975). Social behavior of langur monkeys (Presbytis entellus) in a high altitude environment. Doctoral dissertation. University of California, Berkeley, California
- ^ a b Mech, L. D.(1990) Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?, Audubon, March. (Reprinted in International Wolf 2(3):3-7.)
- ^ a b Mech & Boitani 2003, pp. 300
- ^ Mech 1981, pp. 8–9
- ^ a b Mech, L. D. (1998), "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" -- Revisited. International Wolf 8(1): 8-11.