Wolf pup wobbles, first howls, and mama wolf calls

In the Northwoods of Minnesota, five small wolf pups emerge from under the roots of an ancient cedar tree. In addition to being a good spot to lean on littermates and hang out in the sun, the mouth of their den is a wildlife surveillance post for a Voyageurs Wolf Project camera.

“…we feel very fortunate to have trail cameras to document the happenings at this den when we are not there. Before the advent of trail camera technology and GPS-collars, observing/documenting scenes such as this in forested places like northern Minnesota were extremely difficult.”

The Voyageurs Wolf Project is dedicated to better-understanding wolf behaviors during the summer months, specifically their summer hunting activities, how those predation habits influence the survival of wolf pups, and how human interactions affect the animals. Watching dens like this one assist in that mission.

Also: Videos of wolf pups being cute. Enjoy the best wolf pup howls in the compilation video below:

Howling shares their location, defends territory, connects with potential mates, and more. Via Treehugger, “wolf pups begin howling as early as three to four weeks old. As they get older, they learn to use their howls to coordinate with other pack members.”

And sometimes a whimper communicates everything. Here’s another wolf pups video, this time from the 2020 Lightfoot Pack’s den, which “looks like some ancient dwelling in a primeval forest.”

“Wolf mommies—the terminology used by the most sophisticated biologists—call their pups out of the den with a whimper or whine. You can hear it in this video and see how the pups react. Often, they call the pups out to feed and interact with them. Not much space in a den like this for 6 pups and an adult wolf!”

Learn more from VoyageursWolfProject.org, as well as from their YouTube and Instagram.

Then watch more wolf videos on TKSST:
• How do wolves use complex body language to communicate?
• Wolves: How do we solve the problem of predators?
• How can nature be used as a tool to restore ecosystems?
• One year on a forest trail in Northern Minnesota

Bonus: Four fox pups in an underground ‘magic tree den’.