Wolf talk
Photo: Sven Začek www.zacekfoto.ee
Translation: Liis
Wolf in snowfall
Wolf | Hunt |
In places some wolf families have made their mating runs, in other places they are just starting. During the winter the wolves have moved in packs made up of a female wolf that is the pack leader, a male wolf and their cubs from last year and the year before that. Packs may join for very varying reasons.
For the mating period of the mature animals the male and female go separate from the pack, to enjoy the pleasures of love in peace. We will not discuss the total number of wolves, but just predict that this spring, after a gestation period of 62 – 65 days, wolf cubs will be born in some thirty dens – not all that many, after all. Towards the end of March the pair moves to the breeding territory where they stay rather stationary. To make things easy an old fox or raccoon dog den is rearranged for giving birth in: it will only need some minor enlargement. Water near the den is vital as well as a forest thicket or a wind-felled tree for shelter.