Social Reward Behaviour in Two Groups of European Grey Wolves (Canis lupus lupus)—A Case Study
Prosociality occurs in many species and is likely to be a crucial factor for the survival of group-living animals. Social feedback is an important mechanism for the coordination of group decisions. Since group-living animals with specific personality axes, i.e., boldness, are known to provide certain benefits for their group, bold actions might receive more prosocial […]
Effects of hunting group size, snow depth and age on the success of wolves hunting moose
To study factors important to the success of wolves, Canis lupus, hunting moose, Alces alces, we analysed data from more than 4000 km of snow tracking of wolves during 1998-2003 in Scandinavia. We used two methods to estimate hunting success for 17 wolf territories from 185 observations of wolf attacks on moose. On average, hunting success […]
Wildlife conservation and animal welfare: two sides of the same coin?
Human activities deprive wild animals of their life requisites by destroying or impoverishing their surroundings, causing suffering of individuals. Yet, the notion that animal welfare applies to wildlife has escaped many animal welfarists and conservationists. A well-accepted and applied ethical foundation for animal conservation that considers animal welfare is lacking. We address this by examining […]
Canid reproductive biology: An integration of proximate mechanisms and ultimate causes
The canid reproductive system includes many features that are unusual or even unique among mammals. Focusing on gray wolves, for example, these include monogamy, monestrum with exceptionally long proestrous and diestrous phases, a copulatory lock or tie, incorporation of adult young into the social group, behavioral suppression of mating in these subordinate young, obligate pseudopregnancy […]
Social play and play-soliciting by infant Canids
The development of social interaction was studied in infant coyotes, beagles, and wolves. In this paper, social play behavior is discussed. Social play may be characterized in a number of ways: (i) actions from various contexts are incorporated into labile (unpredictable) temporal sequences; (ii) the “play bout” is typically preceded by a metacommunicative signal which […]
Factors Associated With Uterine Endometrial Hyperplasia and Pyometra in Wild Canids: Implications for Fertility
The ability to safely and effectively manage reproduction is central to the success of AZA captive-breeding programs. Although the AZA Wildlife Contraception Center routinely monitors contraceptive safety, there have been no studies that compare the effects of contraceptive use to separation of males from females, the other option for preventing reproduction. We used retrospective medical […]
Seasonal Trends in Intrapack Aggression of Captive Wolves (Canis lupus) and Wolf-Dog Crosses: Implications for Management in Mixed-Subspecies Exhibits
Mixed-species exhibits are becoming increasingly common in the captive management of a wide range of species. Systematic evaluations of enclosures consisting of multiple subspecies, however, are relatively infrequent. The aim of this study was to measure seasonal trends in aggressive behaviors within a captive pack of wolves and wolf-dog crosses in a sanctuary setting. The […]
Compassionate Conservation for Yellowstone’s Wolves
States in the Northern Rocky Mountains of the United States manage the gray wolf (Canis lupus) at low population levels through trophy hunting and lethal control. Although protected in Yellowstone National Park (YNP), wolves are subject to removal when they cross park boundaries. Thus, wolf management in the states adjacent to YNP is pitted against […]
Training Reduces Stress in Human-Socialised Wolves to the Same Degree as in Dogs
The welfare of animals in captivity is of considerable societal concern. A major source of stress, especially for wild animals, is the lack of control over their environment, which includes not being able to avoid contact with human beings. Paradoxically, some studies have shown that interactions with human beings may improve the welfare of wild […]