Finding Food


Wolves play a vital role in their food web. A food web shows how energy flows through an ecosystem. Every organism needs energy in order to live. Plants get energy from the sun, for example. T en some animals, like elk, eat the plants. T en some animals, like wolves, eat the elk. A food web is a sign of how healthy an


ecosystem is. If one part of the web changes, everything in that ecosystem changes, too. Without wolves, the number of elk would increase. T e elk would eat more plants. T en, eventually, the elk wouldn’t have enough food.


Searching for Energy


Time passes, and the seasons change. It’s winter now, and the wolf pups are the same size as other members of the pack. A fresh layer of snow has fallen. T e bitter morning is cold, but the wolves are not. T ey’re kept warm by their thick, winter coats. T e wolves are shaking snow off of their


backs and stretching. As the alpha male walks by one of the pups, the pup crouches down low to be respectful. T e pup’s brother rolls onto his back, showing his stomach. T is is also a sign of respect. T e alpha male stands over the second pup and lick’s the pup’s face. T e pup whines soſt ly. T e beta has taught these pups well. T e role each wolf plays is constantly reinforced by interactions like these. T e alpha male looks at the pack and sees


that one member is missing. He sniff s the air. His eyes narrow. Something’s wrong. Leaving the pack in the care of the beta, the


alpha male heads out to search for the missing wolf. It doesn’t take long for him to find the missing wolf. A cougar has attacked and killed it. T is is a troubling sign. At times, wolves must share their territory


with other top predators. T ese predators, like bears and cougars, rely on the same prey as the wolves for food. If prey becomes scarce, these predators could threaten the whole pack.


6 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER


Mourning a Member


Seeing the missing wolf, the alpha male lets out a long howl, calling the rest of the pack. T e wolves come running, then stop short at the sight of the dead wolf. T e pups bark in alarm. T ere aren’t many


animals that can kill a wolf. A cougar is one of them. Now the pack has to watch out for it. T e loss of a member hits the pack hard.


In the following weeks, the wolves don’t play or interact much. T ey keep to themselves, mourning their lost friend. From time to time, they howl, but they howl alone. It’s a sad sound. T e pups seem unsettled. T e pack feels unbalanced now.


A wolf’s thick, winter coat protects it from the cold.


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