National Geographic: White Wolf Page #3

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their play has become more boisterous.

The pups play for hours on end.

It gives them exercise,

allows them to develop muscle tone,

and to practice various behavior

patterns that they'll use for the

rest of their lives like running,

pouncing, stalking,

and even submitting to each other.

Competing for food is a very

important part of every wolf's life

even amongst litter mates.

A pup grabs a feather and tries

to hold onto it as long as he can.

This is similar to grabbing a piece

of food and holding it.

In this respect learning tug-of-war

becomes very important.

Today it's a feather,

tomorrow it's a whole bird.

Now six weeks old, the pups have

developed an urge to wander.

Their cautious parents attempt to

control their exuberance.

Pups sometimes roam as far as

half a mile from the den,

but they are easily found

and disciplined.

The young face little danger since

there are no large predators around,

such as the birds of prey that hunt

young wolves elsewhere in the world.

Still, the parents keep

the pups in line,

carefully maintaining the

pecking order or

"dominance hierarchy" of the pack.

Mech is now investigating several

areas of behavior,

including the pups development

and the reasons for

the wolf's notorious howl.

When a pack wakes up

they may begin to howl,

and even the pups attempt to join in.

In the silence of the Arctic,

the sound travels long distances.

To other wolves it means "stay away",

"keep off our turf..."

The pack is fiercely territorial.

Brandenburg noticed that the chorus

often preceded a hunt,

a useful cue for him

to get ready to film.

It seems an unkind trick of nature

that the arctic hares of

Ellesmere keep their white coats

in the summer.

Easy to spot, they are a favorite

and nutritious food for wolves.

Although a hare can weigh eight pounds

a wolf can down two in one day.

The hares must rely on their

agility and speed to escape.

They can run and stand on

their hind legs,

which enables them to

spot danger from a distance.

Unlike their parents,

young hares blend in

with the environment and stay perfectly

still when wolves are nearby.

Among the most impressive beasts of

the high Arctic are the

musk oxen shaggy wanderers that

graze in the wilderness

a great challenge to the wolves.

How far off would you say that is,

Dave?

Oh, I'd guess a mile.

Close to a mile.

That's what I would say.

Well, I see at least five musk oxen.

They must have journeyed up from

the valley below.

I don't know if they're trying to

unnerve the musk oxen...

Those animals can't eat now while

they're all grouped up like that.

I wonder if there's a calf in there?

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