FA+
Shop
773
Views
Views
43
Favorites
Favorites
Category
Photography / Animal related (non-anthro)
Species Wolf
Size 685 x 1024
File Size 165.7 kB
Report this content
More from greyfur
This crappy picture is the only evidence I have of a behaviour I have experienced, which was so very special to me, that I consider it one of my most beautiful moments I have experienced with wolves.
I have never thought this could happen and always considered it to be a very bad cliche, when I have seen it in the movies. Therefore I was very surprised when it happened.
It was back at 2009, when Freya gave birth to 9 wolf puppies. On 25th may they were around month old and were still living in their den. I need to note here, that the mother, nor any other member of the pack was ever socialized. By that time it was my third year I have been visiting the pack, but my visits were never regular and never exceeded more than 2-3 times a month. But I used almost all my time to be at the wolf pen, interacting with the wolves. They were also very nervous every time any zookeeper was in sight, but by that time, I could move around freely and they were pretty calm with me being around.
On May 25th I came early in the morning, as I wanted to use the time before the visitors will come and use my chance to camp at the den entrance in hope to get a glympse of the cubs inside and with luck to make a picture or two. I came there and immediately was noticed by the mother, which run towards the fence. She sniffed at my camera, as she used to and did what I would never expect. She moved over to the pit of the den, but hasn't entered it. She started to squeek (I have read about social squeek in The wolf monography by David Mech and am pretty sure this was it, as I have heard her using this to herd the pack together many times later) and the cubs begun waddling out. She backed up some, till they were at the entrance of the den and then stopped them by nosing the more adventurous pups back to the line. She then left the pit and stood above it, standing calmly and watching as I was taking the photographs. I have studied zoology and ethology and know that I should be careful when describing animal actions, but hack, it looked like she was presenting me her pups !
This picture was taking just a tad later, when her 1 year old daughter from the first litter came to check what is going on. She growled at her and drive her away. I felt flattered, that I was allowed to be there and take pictures, while other member of the pack was driven away (despite the fact it is pretty common that they don't let other members of the family get to/into the den till the pups are big enough).
This is the best shot I was able to make, thanks to dear Freya and thanks to what I have described here :
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9254145/
I have never thought this could happen and always considered it to be a very bad cliche, when I have seen it in the movies. Therefore I was very surprised when it happened.
It was back at 2009, when Freya gave birth to 9 wolf puppies. On 25th may they were around month old and were still living in their den. I need to note here, that the mother, nor any other member of the pack was ever socialized. By that time it was my third year I have been visiting the pack, but my visits were never regular and never exceeded more than 2-3 times a month. But I used almost all my time to be at the wolf pen, interacting with the wolves. They were also very nervous every time any zookeeper was in sight, but by that time, I could move around freely and they were pretty calm with me being around.
On May 25th I came early in the morning, as I wanted to use the time before the visitors will come and use my chance to camp at the den entrance in hope to get a glympse of the cubs inside and with luck to make a picture or two. I came there and immediately was noticed by the mother, which run towards the fence. She sniffed at my camera, as she used to and did what I would never expect. She moved over to the pit of the den, but hasn't entered it. She started to squeek (I have read about social squeek in The wolf monography by David Mech and am pretty sure this was it, as I have heard her using this to herd the pack together many times later) and the cubs begun waddling out. She backed up some, till they were at the entrance of the den and then stopped them by nosing the more adventurous pups back to the line. She then left the pit and stood above it, standing calmly and watching as I was taking the photographs. I have studied zoology and ethology and know that I should be careful when describing animal actions, but hack, it looked like she was presenting me her pups !
This picture was taking just a tad later, when her 1 year old daughter from the first litter came to check what is going on. She growled at her and drive her away. I felt flattered, that I was allowed to be there and take pictures, while other member of the pack was driven away (despite the fact it is pretty common that they don't let other members of the family get to/into the den till the pups are big enough).
This is the best shot I was able to make, thanks to dear Freya and thanks to what I have described here :
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9254145/
Category Photography / Animal related (non-anthro)
Species Wolf
Size 685 x 1024px
File Size 165.7 kB
Wolves have far more complex social behaviours than what has been told us by the (male) zoologists who've studied them so far. I really wish someone like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Goodall or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diane_fossey would make research on wolves. You've been really lucky to have been shown such mark of trust.
It's not in the sex of the scientist. It is far more problematic to study wild wolves than to study wild chimps or gorillas as wolves are far more cautious. Most research conducted on wild wolves is being done with Helicopter, through radio-location collars, but those will give you only a limited possibility of study. You can study migration, you can study or watch the hunt strategy & success rates and you also can judge the territory sizes.
You can also research the food they are eating - the species present in their food, what can be noted from the remains in their scat (bones, fur, feathers, etc).
To watch interactions, you usually need to have a pack, kept in some pen or containment, but this may influence your research. The wolves may be either socialized, or unsocialized. In the first case you take pups from their mum and let them think you are the part of the family. After 2-3 months you return them to their mum, but they already know you and the people around. This definitely may lead to a different behavior. When wolves are not socialized, they may be afraid of the researchers, and that, again can disturb the results. Wolves kept in captivity can't hunt, what reduces their behavior and can lead to activities you would not see in the wild. Also the packs creation is artificial, as they usually put one male and one female and let them ground a pack, not realizing, that in the wild the males and females have a higher chance to choose their partner. For example it is pretty common, that the male-female preferences do not match the alpha pair, what could be caused by this very reason. And there are plenty more problems.
You can also research the food they are eating - the species present in their food, what can be noted from the remains in their scat (bones, fur, feathers, etc).
To watch interactions, you usually need to have a pack, kept in some pen or containment, but this may influence your research. The wolves may be either socialized, or unsocialized. In the first case you take pups from their mum and let them think you are the part of the family. After 2-3 months you return them to their mum, but they already know you and the people around. This definitely may lead to a different behavior. When wolves are not socialized, they may be afraid of the researchers, and that, again can disturb the results. Wolves kept in captivity can't hunt, what reduces their behavior and can lead to activities you would not see in the wild. Also the packs creation is artificial, as they usually put one male and one female and let them ground a pack, not realizing, that in the wild the males and females have a higher chance to choose their partner. For example it is pretty common, that the male-female preferences do not match the alpha pair, what could be caused by this very reason. And there are plenty more problems.
Yeah you're fully right and I couldn't agree more to what you said.
Yet, I prefer biaised research than no research at all. Women tend to be more pragmatic and emotional than males when they make research. If you start pointing at all the conditions that might influence what you would do, you wouldn't do much.
Yet, I prefer biaised research than no research at all. Women tend to be more pragmatic and emotional than males when they make research. If you start pointing at all the conditions that might influence what you would do, you wouldn't do much.
I think I have to disagree with that. I don't think male scientist tell us the wolf's behavior is simple. Each approach is a bit different and it was changing with time and amount of knowledge we already gathered. And no one says we are at the end yet. Human beings are very different and if you are among furries long enough - hack I have seen men, that were far more tender and emotional than many women. I would strictly disagree with the opinion that sex does matter in science. It may predict the approach, but no one stops any female from doing research of wolves. Each fragment of scientific data is important to see as much of the puzzled image we can. Sexism has no place in it (either discriminating or faving one sex over another).
Humans are so arrogant. Observable behavior does NOT make suppositions actual fact!
Just for example:
Humans observe wolves howling, and automatically assume that vocalizations is the primary way they communicate. Yet even logic would prove that theory wrong.
Humans communicate verbally far more than any animal on the planet.
If wolves communicated verbally, humans would hear them as often as themselves.
Yet wolves are well known for silence, particularly with hunting. And during hunting, vocalizations would alert the prey.
Body language is the second choice of people when I clearly point out the fallacy of communication. But body language is only useful during a hunt when the wolves can see each other. And body language can only say so much.
Wolves are natural empaths. They communicate via emotions. Wolves, because of this gift, know a great deal more than humans will ever be aware of. Including various ways to die, all kinds of pain, etc. But they also know a great deal of joy and happiness too.
When cubs are born, the entire family shares the joy of new life into the family. Even during mating all wolves know what it is like to mate and be mated.
There is a great deal about wolves that humans do not know. It is easy for humans to believe they know everything. Human experts know very little.
As for your situation...
She is merely teaching her cubs to be wary of any humans, to not trust humans, so that they can learn from a safe distance who is good and who is bad.
You will clearly note the look of her muzzle, a clear indication she is growling at her cub, as a warning not to move. That alone should have been the best indication, especially since she is clearly looking at the cub.
As for the term pups. We are not talking domestic animals here, and if you just say the words "Pup" and "Cub", you will notice that the first word has a very domestic and soft feel to it. While cub has a wild hard sound to it.
After all, other animals have cubs, not pups.
Just for example:
Humans observe wolves howling, and automatically assume that vocalizations is the primary way they communicate. Yet even logic would prove that theory wrong.
Humans communicate verbally far more than any animal on the planet.
If wolves communicated verbally, humans would hear them as often as themselves.
Yet wolves are well known for silence, particularly with hunting. And during hunting, vocalizations would alert the prey.
Body language is the second choice of people when I clearly point out the fallacy of communication. But body language is only useful during a hunt when the wolves can see each other. And body language can only say so much.
Wolves are natural empaths. They communicate via emotions. Wolves, because of this gift, know a great deal more than humans will ever be aware of. Including various ways to die, all kinds of pain, etc. But they also know a great deal of joy and happiness too.
When cubs are born, the entire family shares the joy of new life into the family. Even during mating all wolves know what it is like to mate and be mated.
There is a great deal about wolves that humans do not know. It is easy for humans to believe they know everything. Human experts know very little.
As for your situation...
She is merely teaching her cubs to be wary of any humans, to not trust humans, so that they can learn from a safe distance who is good and who is bad.
You will clearly note the look of her muzzle, a clear indication she is growling at her cub, as a warning not to move. That alone should have been the best indication, especially since she is clearly looking at the cub.
As for the term pups. We are not talking domestic animals here, and if you just say the words "Pup" and "Cub", you will notice that the first word has a very domestic and soft feel to it. While cub has a wild hard sound to it.
After all, other animals have cubs, not pups.
Yes it does not make suppositions actual fact. And I have never meant this post as saying this is the true meaning. I was describing a situation, which is and will be very dear to me and means a huge lot for me. I was sharing a story, which is tremendously emotional for me.
You could have saved you the whole paragraph with the example. As someone who read through D Mech's books, both the old and newly reworked monography about wolves, has a degree in zoology and ethology and has quite some experience with wolves, it really wasn't necessary.
I will leave the comment "Human experts know very little" hanging in the air, pointing to it, when you are pushing yourself into the role of a teacher here.
You are, however wrongly assessing the situation. The growling was not towards the cub at the den entrance. The growling was towards the yearling on her side, you see the ears and muzzle of Matsi, who was the more curious of he two yearlings that survived till the next birth. As you probably know, wolf mothers do not allow the members of the pack into the den for about a month, before the cubs start roaming out of the den on their own. In this case Freya was trying to turn Matsi away and she was successful.
Regarding your pups vs cubs comment - I'll keep that in mind for the future. Please consider, that I am not a native English speaker and do not see much difference between the word pup and cub as there is not a difference in my language.
You could have saved you the whole paragraph with the example. As someone who read through D Mech's books, both the old and newly reworked monography about wolves, has a degree in zoology and ethology and has quite some experience with wolves, it really wasn't necessary.
I will leave the comment "Human experts know very little" hanging in the air, pointing to it, when you are pushing yourself into the role of a teacher here.
You are, however wrongly assessing the situation. The growling was not towards the cub at the den entrance. The growling was towards the yearling on her side, you see the ears and muzzle of Matsi, who was the more curious of he two yearlings that survived till the next birth. As you probably know, wolf mothers do not allow the members of the pack into the den for about a month, before the cubs start roaming out of the den on their own. In this case Freya was trying to turn Matsi away and she was successful.
Regarding your pups vs cubs comment - I'll keep that in mind for the future. Please consider, that I am not a native English speaker and do not see much difference between the word pup and cub as there is not a difference in my language.
I apologize if anything I said sounded wrong to you. I do tend to use far more words than needed.
I just know a great deal more about wolves than most.
But I was not there, so if you actually saw her growling head turn toward Matsi, then I assumed based on a shot that does not show what happened after.
I do not feel that I am pushing myself into the role of teacher here. After all, the same can be said for those experts others believe.
At any rate, I apologize, I won't reply again.
Feel as if I should have just kept my mouth shut, trying to help.
I just know a great deal more about wolves than most.
But I was not there, so if you actually saw her growling head turn toward Matsi, then I assumed based on a shot that does not show what happened after.
I do not feel that I am pushing myself into the role of teacher here. After all, the same can be said for those experts others believe.
At any rate, I apologize, I won't reply again.
Feel as if I should have just kept my mouth shut, trying to help.
Comments