Wolves are even more socially complex than we thought…

July 22, 2014 As a conservation scientist at Defenders of Wildlife, I follow the latest scientific findings on wolvesand other important wildlife species closely. Wolf science is a very active area of inquiry, and lately, there have been many studies coming out about wolves’ social structures and behavior. Today I want to pass along one of the latest discoveries.About wolf packsIn order to survive in a dangerous and competitive world, wolves form cooperative groups known as packs. Members of a wolf pack hunt together, rear pups together, and compete against other wolf packs for food and territory. Cooperation benefits all members of a pack and improves their odds of survival. Image Evan Carlson Wolf pack hierarchyWolves naturally develop a hierarchy within their pack, with the most dominant wolves acting as – you guessed it – the “leader of the pack.” While wolves occasionally compete for the top spot in a pack, it is rare for sustained fights to occur within a pack. Until recently, re...