There are many misconceptions are to why wolves do the things they do I hope this will help
bring a little light and understanding into why they do things.



Myth


Wolves move into dens to hibernate through the winter months.


Fact:


Unlike bears, wolves do not hibernate. In fact, dens are mainly utilized only
by a pack's dominant or "alpha" female.
She digs and then in late winter uses her den as shelter for delivery and care of 5-6 pups.
When they are 6-8 weeks old the pups each get a ride
in Mom's mouth to a nursery area where the whole pack cares for them.




Myth:


Due to their mean temperament, wolves search for
animals-sometimes, even humans-to maim or destroy, just for sport.



Fact:


For centuries, fables, fairy tales, myths and legends have
perpetuated the negative, threatening image of wolves held by
many the world over. In reality, despite how humans
react to their growls and snarls
, wolves are very leery of people,
avoiding them whenever possible. They kill other
animals only as sources of meals or to instinctively protect themselves.




Myth:


Anyone bitten by a wolf is at risk of becoming a "Werewolf".


Fact:


During the Middle Ages, belief in and fear of
werewolves spread throughout Europe and beyond.
Teachings that the souls of executed murderers
returned to life as werewolves created a fear of wolves,
leading to their destruction. Such unfounded fears are
kept alive today in fictional movies, games and tales depicting wolves
in any form as monsters whose bite changes humans
into werewolves....as impossibility!!!!!.




Myth:


The Endangered Species Act protects wolves that prey on livestock from being controlled.


Fact:


Under the act, any wolf preying on domestic livestock
has routinely been removed or destroyed by USDA Wildlife
Services personnel. To those both for and against
wolf preservation and wolf reintroduction to certain states, this approach
is a fair compromise. It supports the right
of ranchers and farmers to do business while helping to protect wolves from extinction..




Myth:


When wolf populations increase, hunters cannot bag deer, elk and other game they normally harvest.


Fact:


Studies show that most deer killed by wolves are five years old or older,
often in failing health, while the deer
taken by hunters are commonly healthy two year olds.
For example, a 1995 Michigan study of it's Upper
Peninsula stated that more deer (8,558)
were killed by cars that year than the several hundred taken by wolves.
From its deer population of 750,000 hunters harvested 116,000.




Myth:


When not hunting, pack members typically fight among themselves.


Fact:


Although wolves do have conflicts that determine
who dominates whom within a pack's hierarchy,
these occur much less frequently than incidents of grooming,
playing and "pup sitting". Often, two wolves will lick each
other's coats to remove burrs and other matter.
And wolves like to chase, tease and wrestle each other, just for fun.
Additionally, most pack members help care for young pups, including feeding,
training and playing with them..



There are many institutions that are working very hard at
preserving the wolf and returning them to the wild.
There are also havens for abused and abandoned
wolves who were at one time pets.
Please check them out and help them make the
world safe for the wolves.
You will find these links on my other wolf pages
as you browse through them, enjoy your journey.

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