The integration of a young female in a male pack of European wolves Canis lupus L.

Abstract

In the first part of a wolf research project on the dynamics of the social behaviour and the reproductive success during the management of a pure-bred European wolf male pack, it was the aim to integrate a young female in to a male pack. The behaviour of the wolves was taken down on record in direct observations and was filmed with the help of a video camera installed in the enclosure. The sociopositive and socionegative behaviour as well as the dispersion pattern of the wolves in the enclosure were the basis for the analysis and the evaluation of the success of the evalution. After having noted the social structure and the individual characteristics within the pack, the young female was introduced to the male pack together with 3 male siblings. The introduction of the young wolves did not change the hierarchy of the male pack. In the third month the young wolves were attacked frequently; in such situations they formed a unit and kept the same distance to the resident pack as the Omega-wolf. After 8 months, intense playing-sessions were observed between the young wolves, the beta-wolf and another two-year-old wolf The young female stayed close to the a-male, was accepted by him and followed him. Such social contacts showed that the integration had succeeded. Until then, the lying distances of the young to the resident wolves had decreased constantly. After a successful integration, it can be assumed that an earlier time of bringing together the two groups of wolves would have made the integration easier; because the fear reactions due to the season and the age would not or less have been an obstacle.