The wolf s popularity as well as the concern for his continued existence has been increasing steadily. This has prompted scientists and biologists to conduct in-depth studies concerning him. What they have discovered is that the wolf and his family ( "pack") have a social structure and characteristics much like a man and his family. Once the chimpanzee was thought to be closest to man - not any more!

Bill and I have lived with wolves for over ten years. It has been a wonderful learning  Experience. The Indians refer to wolves as "teachers of life", and that they are.

The "alphas" are the leaders of the pack. Usually they are the only pair that breeds. They keep the pack together and stop any fights or squabbles that may break out among pack members. If challenged for the alpha position, they will fight until the other wolf gives up, wins, or dies. Troublemakers are kicked out of the pack in order to keep peace. The alpha male and female, in the wild, mate for life and mourn the loss of a mate as a human would. They go out and scout for food and organize a hunt when necessary. Every pack member has a part in the hunt and the alphas lead out. If the hunt is successful, they will eat first; however, they make sure that everyone in the pack has something to eat.

A typical wolf pack consists of about eight members; however, they can be as small as two or as large as twenty. They have a territory they call "home" and will mark it by urinating or defecating in it so that other wolves will not intrude. When hunting for food, they may leave their territory but will always return home when the hunt is over. If a pack member is lost, the pack will howl to help him find his way home. They howl as a means of communication, whether it be for a serious reason or simply a display of happiness

Wolves breed in the winter and have their cubs in the spring. Again, the pack as a whole cares for the young ones. The betas (down from the alphas) and omegas (lowest ranked pack member) baby-sit the cubs when the alphas are away or are resting. Everyone takes part in providing food for the cubs, playing with them (wolves love to play games and are experts at inventing them), and teaching them how to hunt. Usually the cubs will stay with the pack at least until they have matured at two to three years of age when, occasionally, they may decide to leave. This is how packs grow. Most wolves are a part of a pack for a lifetime. In their senior years, the alphas see to it that they are well cared and provided for.

So, we have a family unit with a male and a female leader. They love each other and are committed to each other for a lifetime. They have babies that usually stay with them and so the family grows. They eat, sleep and play together. They get food as a family unit and care for each other. They discourage fighting among the members and have a beautiful way of communicating with one another. I would say it sounds a lot like the way of life we have come to know!

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