The Animal Kingdom - The Wolf

There Are Many Great Voices Not All of Them Human

According to many, arguably, no other animal on earth has been as important to humans as the wolf. But, how much do we know about this striking and austere animal, capable of stirring up mixed emotions from one end of the spectrum to the other - respect to loathing?

Through childhood to adulthood, the wolf was always an animal that caught my attention, although not sure why. It wasn’t until later in life, when I was persuaded to adopt a wolf that I came to realise just how ignorant I was and to understand this awesome living being.

I was taken aback when I decided to trend down the path to find out more about the wolf – the more I discovered the more I found myself falling under the spell of my ‘she-wolf' - Alpha Maya (the name I referred to her by as she was leader of the pack).

Here is my story, what I uncovered.

A Brief history

Many biologists believe that wolf ancestors began to develop in the Palaeocene period about sixty million years ago. According to them, the wolf developed from primitive carnivores known as Miacids dating around about fifty-two million years ago.

Somewhat later in the evolutionary history of the Miacid, many came to believe this was when the appearance of the first Canid occurred, one of these was called the Dawn-Wolf.

The Dawn-Wolf was a creature that had a long body and looked like an elongated fox. It is thought these creatures could live and climb in trees and were possibly related to the feline (catlike) species.

Next in the lineage, believed to be the Dire Wolf, (Canis Dirus), evolved earlier than the modern Gray Wolf of today. As far as we can tell the Dire Wolf was a large canine that exhibited hyena-like characteristics. It was not quite like any animal known to mankind now. The Dire Wolf gradually met its demise as the large herbivores of the ice age became extinct, around 16,000 years. 

The family line currently stops with the Gray Wolf (Canis Lupis), the most common type of wolf found today and the planets' most widespread large land mammal after humans and livestock. It is thought to have probably first appeared in Eurasia sometime in the early Pleistocene period, about a million years ago.

It is said that the Dire Wolf and the Gray Wolf co-existed in North America for about 400,000 years.   

Many scientific groups consider the evolution of these three species of canids very intriguing. What perhaps makes it worthy of note, intriguingly, is they deem that, although all three of these species canids were found in the same area at the same time, each comes from a different evolutionary lineage. Also, none of these three species is the direct ancestor of either of the other two species.

A Turbulent Love Affair

When it comes to history the relationship between humans and wolves has been very long and turbulent, and for the most part controversial in nature.

Traditionally, humans have viewed wolves negatively, perceiving them to be dangerous and as nuisances to be destroyed.

Throughout European folklore, many a yarn has been told about these awesome living beings: through rhymes, tales, and stories the wolf has suffered from a negative image, been depicted as evil and or a ferocious creature of ill repute. From Little Red Riding Hood, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, through to representing the devil itself, the wolf has been branded ‘evil’ and emphasised as a negative image.

Yet, many people’s throughout the world respected and thought very positively of wolves, holding them in high regard.

In other parts of the world, the wolf was often regarded as a symbol of guardianship, ritual, loyalty, and spirit. Perhaps this is because the wolf has an innate ability to make quick and firm emotional attachments - trust its instincts…they were understood to be educators in the way to live life.

In Great Britain, in an unusual story exhibiting the wolf’s loyalty, it is said that Merlin, in his time of madness, was kept company by a she-wolf, who stayed by his side until he became well again. 

In another land, in early times, when the Indians and animals were able to live in harmony, these animals were regarded in the highest esteem. The Indians were in awe of the wolf and fascinated by their social hierarchy; the ability to co-operate as a team particularly when finding food; and how they protected their own. As time came to pass, the tribes of North American came to see the wolf as not only representing creation but also death and rebirth.

To the peoples of California and the Great Plains, the wolf was seen as a teacher-animal. Also when they saw the wolf retreat into the mountains to get away from humans, they made the connection between wolves and high places and associated them with their spirit world. In the language of the Lakota, the word wolf (sunjmanitu), stands for “divine dog”.

Wolves were respected nearly everywhere except Europe, where they were instead feared. In Western Europe, in Germany, the wolf was a symbol of devastation, destruction, and death.

In Norse mythology, they were seen as both negative and positive. On one hand, they represented chaos and destruction, while on the other hand, they stood for bravery, loyalty, protection, and wisdom as told in the story where they were gods that nursed Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. The two famous twins were raised by a she-wolf - even suckled by her.

The Vikings saw the wolf as a representation of Fenris (their Chaos), who would bite through his chains and consume the sun at the end of time.

As time passed and more and more people began to settle on the land the conflicts between Wolf and Man quickly escalated to the point of hatred for these animals.

No matter what stories have been passed down through time and what we believe, the most important fact remains, the wolf was the first animal to ever be domesticated by man, which took place well over 10,000 years ago.

Throughout these 10,000 years, the wolf has been our dearest friend and direst enemy, perhaps this is why it remains an enigma. It does not seem unreasonable therefore to look upon the wolf as both a fascinating creature as well as controversial animal in our world today.

Some interesting points

The wolf, Tomarctus and domestic dog: share a ‘dew claw’

The American Society of Mammologist: recommended that the domestic dog be reclassified as a new subspecies of wolf, the ‘Canis lupus familiaris’

Loved and hated: the wolf is one of the most respected and feared animals in all of the world

Wolves are ritualistic: territorial when it comes to parenting just like humans

Best known: one of the world’s most well-researched animal

Built for ultimate survival: often of a scrawny appearance, yet a force not to be reckoned with

Integral to our Ecosystem: a significant part of nature and an important member of the earth’s biological society

Social structure: societal by nature with a complex hierarchy

They kill only for survival: but are legally hunted

Overview

Historically, an unnecessary fear of the wolf has been responsible for most of the trouble the species has undergone, including why it was nearly hunted out of existence in the U.S. and Europe before the twentieth century.

Ecological research, however, conducted during the 20th century has shed new light on wolves and other predators, specifically concerning the critical role they play in maintaining the ecosystems to which they belong. As a result of this and other important factors, wolves have come to be viewed more realistically and fairly.

But, while progress has been made, traditional opinions prove difficult to change particularly in areas densely inhabited by man, where they are not protected and places in the world where licenses are granted for the hunting of wolves - we have a long way to go…

As research improves and we discover the true nature of our planet’s ecosystems, public acceptance of the wolf as an integral member of the earth’s biological society may prevail. 

There is no doubt that there is plenty of false information and controversy about wolves.

As we come to understand more about these animals, their ‘make up’, habits and role in the wild maybe we will appreciate their unique beauty; that they are instinctively driven to do all they can to survive; and they are social animals that thrive off the freedoms and the restraints found within their pack.

What will the future hold for the wolf – will they recover from near extinction?

How the future will play out for the wolf comes down to what we decide to do. Once they are gone, however, we will never get them back.

I am sure you too will fall under their spell just as I did when you read my next article (The Wolf – Distinguished, and Exceptional) and come to learn more about these unique, intriguing, and fascinating animals.

Until then please Stay Safe during these unprecedented times we are experiencing.