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Wolves are meat eaters with sharp teeth and very strong jaws. Most of the land in Alaska has moose or caribou, wolves' favorite food. A moose can weigh over 1,000 pounds and are hard to catch. They also are very dangerous when they are cornered by a pack of wolves. A kick from a moose hoof can kill a wolf, this makes them dangerous for the wolf to hunt. Dahl sheep are their back up food in the southeastern part of Alaska. Moose, mountain goats, and beavers are the most important food in the summer for the wolves. Other small animals are usually hunted by one wolf and are like a snack, such as a ground hog, a squirrel, or a lemming. Did you know that fish is in their diet too? If they are starving they will eat just a nibble of grass and berries. A pack may kill a large animal such as a caribou or a moose during the winter. The pack may go with no food for a period of time. Since wolves have opportunities to catch a sick or old moose at a fairly young age it probably will not happen. Under some circumstances however, if the snow is very far down and deep on the mountains, more animals may be vulnerable to wolves. After killing a big animal wolves will rest for a short period of time before they start to eat again. Each one may eat ten to twenty pounds of meat. If there is any meat left the pack might bury the leftovers and come back later. Wolves do not have any special hunting grounds like most other predators. Wolves do not waste energy chasing small animals if there are bigger ones around. They need a lot of meat . They will go where they can get food. Most wolves roam the meadows, woodlands, mountains and forests where they hunt sheep, moose and a lot of other animals both large and small. |