Among Wolves: Gordon Haber's Insights into Alaska's Most Misunderstood Animal

by Haber, Gordon

  This year, the wolves had moved to a brushy area of the denning site, and he said it might be hard to see them. He explained that denning sites are not simply holes in the ground, but can encompass up to a thirty-acre area. He cupped his hands around his mouth and called out with a low deep wolf howl, one of the most unique I've ever heard. The wolves answered immediately.

  Then he said, “We'll listen here for a bit because when she nurses, the female makes a different call for her pups.” Then we heard the strange cooing. I had been unaware that wolves make a distinguishable sound when calling their pups to nurse, and this was it.

  We saw movement in the willows, as one black and two gray pups emerged. They were tiny, fat balls of fluff. They quickly disappeared, and then returned, followed by their four siblings. There were eleven adults in the group at the time, and Gordon had previously sighted seven pups. The breeding female came out and settled down to nurse.

  I noticed more movement in the brush and saw another black pup, followed by a gray. Gordon caught sight of the gray but missed the black. I told him I was sure there was another and he became very animated. He asked, “Are you sure there were two? Are you sure it was a different one?” “Yes,” I replied, “yes, I am very sure.” He never saw the second black pup that night but took me for my word. A few days later he confirmed that there were indeed nine pups.

  Two subadult wolves came out of the brush, one of which had also nursed the pups during an earlier observation. Gordon referred to this as a unique altruistic relationship. This female was lactating, though she had not yet reached sexual maturity. It was a remarkable response he suspected was due to the large litter. Then the other subadult began nursing the pups, impressing Gordon further.

  By then it was early evening, about the time wolves typically leave for a hunt. We watched two wolves go down to the river and cross in front of us. Unlike a dog, who will paddle and fight a current, these wolves used their back legs almost like rudders and their front legs for stability, almost effortlessly letting the river carry them across.

  Accompanying Gordon to the denning area was a life-changing experience for me, for which I am extremely grateful. While it's important to observe wolf population trends and territories, it is critical to understand the culture of wolves. Gordon's distinctive work, including these observations of the multiple lactating females and unique river crossings, gives us an important view of family relationships and social adaptations that complete the picture of this fascinating and intelligent species.

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  11 This den was still in use as of 2011.

  12 The reasons for this period of low wolf numbers are unknown. Murie concluded that, since it coincided with the massive introduction of dogs for transportation, it may have been due in part to epizootic disease.

  13 Read more about wolves ignoring prey at dens in chapter 5.

  CHAPTER 4

  IT TAKES A FAMILY: RAISING PUPS COOPERATIVELY

  IN THE EARLY 1970S, WHILE STILL AT WORK ON HIS PHD, HABER WROTE A TWO-part series for Alaska magazine, one of his first forays into reaching a broader audience to debunk myths and provide field-tested insights about wolves. At that same time, he also wrote a scientific paper about the need for a buffer to protect park wolves and had his first oped in the New York Times, helping to make him nationally renowned and initiating his lifelong advocacy work. Beginning in 1978 and until his death in 2009, Haber was an independent scientist, finding funding from various sources but always making his own decisions about what to study and how. He was one of the first to introduce systems theory to Alaska, a method that would manage Alaska's wildlife not just by the numbers of a particular species, but by the species' interactions with their total environment. At the time, and in many ways to this day, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game managed only by individual species population counts, ignoring the wider implications of their roles in the ecosystem.

  All of Haber's conclusions were firmly rooted in his thousands of hours with Denali's wolves, in which he recorded nearly every aspect of their daily lives. After long days at blinds watching wolves at their natal dens, he followed them as they began to teach the pups about their world. He recorded all the ways in which pups gain advantage by being raised in an extended family, including how adult wolves engage in deliberate teaching, and how yearlings, in particular, develop some of the closest bonds with the new pups. Haber was thrilled at every observation of cooperative pup-rearing, from the hard work of provisioning growing pups to the complexities of teaching them to hunt their large and dangerous prey—a process, he concluded, during which the pups go through four distinct phases. On his last flight with Troy Dunn, his pilot of ten years, and during the last summer of his life, Haber observed an event, said Dunn, that so excited him “he was like a little kid”: a Toklat yearling's incredible commitment and intelligence in helping three pups cross the Sanctuary River.

  WOLF PUPS LEARN FAST DURING THEIR FIRST FEW WEEKS OUTSIDE the den. Watching so many litters develop, from ground observation at dens and at rendezvous sites, I've seen the pups begin solving problems on their own during this early period, such as learning to negotiate their way through complex terrain features near the dens. They do so in surprisingly creative ways and learn quickly from their mistakes.

  The most important learning for the pups comes later, however, beginning in the fall, when they no longer need to be fed and cared for at homesites and can travel continuously with the older wolves. During the summer months, from May through September, all the wolves stay close to the den. However, the rest of year they are fairly nomadic, traveling constantly throughout their range and sometimes making extraterritorial forays. So the first couple of years of a wolf's life are filled with crucial learning. Young wolves remain dependent on adults of the group in almost every way until they are about a year old. It isn't until they are about two that they become capable of taking care of themselves, particularly in their ability to hunt.

  For those who don't disperse to other territories to join other groups or start a new family, young wolves learn important hunting skills, details of the established territory (homesites, good hunting areas, travel routes, etc.), how to navigate stream crossings, how to respond to bears, and other behavior from the older wolves. This is especially critical in groups like the Toklat that rely heavily on the most challenging prey, moose and sheep. They actually require this two- to three-year period to learn from older, more experienced wolves; if they are denied this, then their very survival is at stake. Much of this learning amounts to traditions that are refined over time, behavior that helps adapt the group to the specific resources and other conditions of its area.

  Provisioning Growing Pups

  Prior to weaning, all of the wolves dote over the new pups, letting them tumble over them, bite their tails, and otherwise play on them. However, this behavior subsequently wanes and is accompanied by disciplinary action, largely because of the rambunctious food begging of the rapidly growing pups. By about halfway through the busy homesite period, the pups are still completely dependent on the older wolves, but have, in the space of six weeks, more than doubled in size.

  Provisioning this growth is hard work for the older wolves. They depart from the den or rendezvous site sometimes in groups, often individually, forage up to twenty miles away, and return in a day or two, usually bringing something back for the pups in their jaws or in their stomachs to be regurgitated. With four to ten pups competing, it is impressive that the pups are usually all about the same size and that litters of this age and older typically enjoy a high survival rate. After eight to ten hours of rest, the adults head back out again.

  Like spokes on a wheel, the adults' forays radiate in many directions. The homesite is a veritable beehive of activity, the hub where little mouths are always waiting to be fed and the adult hunters regularly come and go. A kill can mean numerous trips back and forth from the den or rendezvous site, though after mid- to late July, the adults might also move the pup
s to a kill that is not too far away and does not require crossing a major river.

  Wolves also have some intriguing ways of communicating information about the location of kills to the rest of the group. Years ago, a radio-collared Toklat killed a caribou by himself while other adults rested at the den, eight miles away. After returning to the den and regurgitating for the pups, the first wolf rested. With the first wolf still resting at the den, several other adults soon departed and went straight to the kill, likewise returning eventually to provision the pups. The adults at the den understood that there was more to be transported from where the first load originated and pinpointed the location eight miles away, perhaps by back-scenting the first wolf's route.

  Successful hunters return with various prey items in their stomachs, from combinations of small mammals and birds to caribou or moose meat (sheep are uncommon prey in the summer). When they kill a caribou or moose, they usually come back with sides bulging like a barrel. They also carry carcass portions in their jaws, including forequarters or hindquarters, heads, and, in the case of a young calf, the entire animal, testifying to the wolves' powerful neck and jaw muscles.

  Pups mob returning hunters. They leap and nibble excitedly at a hunter's mouth and nose, triggering regurgitation of whatever is in the stomach. When a hunter comes back with sides bulging, the result can be several piles up to twenty pounds each. These disappear in seconds, and sometimes a pup sticks its mouth inside the adult's mouth and intercepts some of the goodies before they hit the ground. This usually comes out with a chunky consistency, sort of reminding me of the warm, chunky tuna sauce I used to look forward to on toast as a kid. Occasionally, returning hunters regurgitate over a period of several hours, coughing up a pile or two initially, then again with continued food begging from pups much later.

  The pups can be quite insistent at this age, such that adults with nothing more to regurgitate must sometimes reprimand them, usually with a harmless—albeit scary—growl or snap, and by briefly pinning one or more to the ground in open jaws. Learning discipline is an important part of growing up for wolf pups, just as it is for human children. I once watched three Toklat pups start to approach their mother, but she was trying to rest and gave them a little warning. The ears of the first two pups pinned back a little, and both were acting rather tentative, indicating they were getting the message. It's a good thing. Pups can be quite the rambunctious pests at this age, just what an adult who has been out hunting for them all night doesn't need.

  What's interesting is that, unlike human children, the pups are less likely to get pushy with either of their parents than with the other adults, some of whom are older siblings. Not surprisingly, yearlings (twelve- to sixteen-month-old wolves) seem to identify easily with the pups. Sometimes they temporarily regress to puplike behavior while romping with pups; in one case a yearling even attempted to nurse with the pups. In fact, yearlings develop among the closest bonds with the new pups and spend long periods attending to and playing with them.

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  Tweet

  June 21, 2009

  Among the flowers blossoming along the hike are lupine, cinqefoil, harebells, monkshood, moss campion, labrador tea, wild roses. Delightful.

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  I've always thought it's easier for pups of this age to relate to and learn from brothers and sisters only a year removed from the den themselves. This is an important benefit in addition to the care and protection the yearlings provide. Their close care of the young pups is one of the manifestations of the wolves' sophisticated cooperative breeding behavior, in this case a form of “helping” that also amounts to a division of labor.

  Puppy Walks

  Wolf pups continue to develop rapidly throughout the five-month homesite period, first at the natal den, then typically at a series of “rendezvous sites” after late July. These rendezvous sites are usually less traditional than dens and do not have burrows. There are many opportunities for the pups to explore and learn while still at the natal den; a well-established den often consists of twenty to thirty acres or more of adult rest areas, pup play areas, trails, and other features in addition to the burrow complexes.

  Although the pups learn primarily by watching as adults go about their normal routines and then trying it out themselves, I have also observed indications of deliberate teaching, particularly of two- to three-month-old pups. At least a dozen times I've watched older wolves of the Savage River, Toklat, and Wonder Lake family groups lead young pups on a leisurely one- to two-hour excursion from the den. These walks seemed to have no other purpose than to better acquaint the pups with the “outside” world. Sometimes it was the young helper in attendance who led them off, but more commonly it was their mother or another high-ranking adult.

  Seldom do older wolves allow pups of this age to venture far from the safety of den burrows, so when summoned for these walks, the pups romped about with great excitement and investigated virtually every bush, rock, stick, butterfly, or new smell they encountered along the way. The older wolf always seemed relaxed and stopped often to wait for them, as if enjoying their activities—a notable departure from the agony parents and helpers usually display when subjected to this puppy ebullience at the den.

  From the pups' timid behavior in the fall, just after homesites are abandoned, it's clear they have much to master about the outside world. By exposing them to even these short walks at a young age, the adults better prepare them for the shorter moves from one homesite to the next, and then for the fall transition to continuous hunting. Denali wolves move their pups unpredictably, especially in August and September. While these moves seem to be motivated primarily by hunting opportunities, I have seen wolves move pups because of human disturbance via hiking activity. I strongly suspect that homesite moves are also made to provide the pups with major new learning experiences and gradual training in cross-country travel.

  Four Phases

  As the pups learn what they'll need as cooperative hunters, they progress through four fairly distinct phases: hesitation and fear, overreaction, effective participation with guidance, and, finally, fully effective participation.

  The phase of hesitation and fear lasts for about a month or two after homesites are abandoned in September. As the pups begin to travel with the group on its hunting rounds, it becomes obvious how dependent they are. Almost anything that is unfamiliar to them can pose a problem. Adults may have to coax young from the opposite bank of a foot-deep river for fifteen or more minutes before they build up the courage to cross. At this stage of their development young wolves are likely to bound off after the nearest raven or ptarmigan, wasting energy on creatures that are of such little consequence as potential food as to attract barely a glance from experienced adults. And they are afraid of moose and other large prey.

  In October 1970, four adults of the Savage River group had given up chasing a mature bull caribou when the bull pulled away after about 150 yards. The nine pups were running excitedly behind the adults, and when the adults stopped, they continued bounding after the fleeing caribou with tails up—but only until the caribou stopped and looked back at them. Then the pups slammed on the brakes, put their ears back and tails between their legs, and fled back to where they came from. When the caribou resumed running, the pups again raised their tails in self-confidence and continued their “pursuit.” The caribou again stopped, and the pups came to a screeching halt and ran back. This routine happened at least four times for about ten minutes and almost a mile, even though the pups had soon fallen a half mile behind. The adult wolves, meanwhile, watched with casual interest from the slope where they had given up.

  Later in their first winter, the pups enter the second phase and begin to take chances with large and dangerous prey. They seem to go from one extreme to another! from a relatively timid reaction to everything, early in the first winter, to an almost foolhardy boldness by midwinter. During this period of overreaction, spanning the next few months, they become exceptionally bold, often to
the point of not only wasting energy but taking dangerous risks.

  They persist after moose when adults have given up, frequently approaching closer than adults, often barely avoiding the quick, deadly strikes of the front hooves. They pursue sheep into treacherous rocks and steep ledges where older wolves hesitate to go. Behavior toward small mammals and birds shows the same overreaction. Ravens in particular run the gullible pups ragged and often seem to go out of their way to tease them, sometimes for hours at a time.14 And by eight months old, any fear about new situations and objects disappears, and overflow ice, deep snow, steep ridges, or a protruding stick are likely to instead trigger intense play.

  It isn't until they are about a year old that they enter the third phase, in which they find a happy medium and begin to contribute to the hunting effectiveness of the group. They regain some caution, although they still persist longer than adults when prey is tested. Most of the exuberant, playful reactions to other situations and objects have tempered by this age, though they are still more playful than adults. And they are still very dependent. They are less adept at scavenging, being less successful at finding winter kills. They are also less efficient at testing prey and are most inept at handling moose and sheep, both of which require considerable finesse to capture and kill. Especially when hunting moose, younger wolves usually join in after initial maneuvers by the adults, and they usually attack at a safer position near the rear of the moose.

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  Field notes #1

  Summer 1979

  11:10 am—4 ewes & 1 lamb visible up on Igloo Mtn behind ranger cabin—there may be more than just one lamb, since the ewes are lying down in rocks. However, if there are more lambs, there are only 1 or 2 more, since at least one of the additional ewes definitely doesn't have one.