Today while sitting in my Minnesota office analyzing Brutus' locations emailed to me by the satellites, we found that his pack apparently has moved the pups some 4.25 km (2.6 mi) to the NW of the den. After July 18, none of Brutus' locations were at the den, but 5 were at the new location. Such a move of the pups is common during mid-summer, both in the arctic and elsewhere. Wolves usually move the pups to new locations, sometimes closer to prey or food supplies but other times for reasons unknown.
The new locations may or may not be near dens or other refuges and are referred to as rendezvous sites. The pups are usually kept at these rendezvous sites until they reach adult size and can travel with the rest of the pack. That takes place about October in southern areas, but in the arctic, that time is unknown. We eagerly await Brutus' signals to reveal that information.
Dave
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Wolves of the High Arctic.
ReplyDeleteRussian scientists and wild game managers have reported that wolves often move dens for a feeling of security. Will
Thank you so much for commenting, Will. Researchers have long wondered why wolves move their pups to alternate den sites. The conclusion of the Russian scientists and game managers is one of the speculative answers, especially since the abandonment of one den in favor of another sometimes follows a disturbance of one sort or another. But whatever wolves feel or don't feel isn't testable or verifiable, and we can only observe - and marvel their mechanisms for survival.
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