Arsene's pack is very busy at the moment, moving less than usual to look after Lupine and the probable new members. So we take this opportunity to show you a video of a subadult of Arsene's pack and give you some explanation about how excursions among subadults work.
Between late winter and early spring, Arsene and Lupine were constantly together but just the two of them, as you can see from the videos in our previous articles. It's not unusual durant the breeding season. The 2022 cubs and any subadults from previous litters have either dispersed permanently or, in the case of one of them, taken a trip around the territory. But given the high mortality rate in the first two years of life, it's not impossible that some of them didn't survive. On the other hand, according to observations and videos made since the summer of 2022, we were able to observe that a subadult, born from the 2021 litter, a femaler, had probably remained on the pack's territory to make what are known as "excursions".
In this video, you can see this subadult evolving alone, sniffing the spot where Arsene used to do urine markings. So she's probably in this excursion phase, staying in its pack's territory but moving alone at times and joining the pack at others.
This phenomenon has been clearly explained in Mech & Fritts studies, two of the world's leading wolf experts. It's an opportunity for young wolves to live on their own for a few days/weeks, taking advantage of the pack's territory, security and reservoir of prey. These excursions are used by subadults, who may make up to 5 or 6 round trips, mostly on their own but sometimes in pairs. The idea is to leave the pack, occupy part of the territory and hunt alone, as a kind of learning experience. This way, they can explore and get an idea of what awaits them when they disperse. At times, sub-adults wolves will return to their pack and then leave again. However, most wolves are destined to leave permanently to find a new territory and found their own pack. This is called "dispersal", and occurs between the ages of 10 months and 3 years, with an average between 18 and 24 months.
It's really important to understand that both wolves and packs are unique ! Each one functions according to its own codes, has its own communication and organization, nothing is ever linear, as with all living being. In some packs, depending on litter size, pack development and other factors (prey numbers, mortality, personality of the wolves, environment, etc.), subadults may either leave the pack quickly or stay for 1-2 years, actively contributing to pack life (hunting, cub management, etc.). And in these circumstances, the subadults are allowed to make these excursions. According to Fritts and Mech, they can also be a way of maximizing food or providing an opportunity to reproduce.
We also know, from specialist studies or simply by looking at our photographic traps, that the pack doesn't always travel in full strength. Some individuals may stay behind, nibble on an old carcass or simply borrow an off-camera field from time to time, confusing the data and leading to misinterpretations.
But sometimes, a foreign wolf not genetically linked to the pack, dispersing, can cross its territory. Logically, in densely populated areas, sub-adults leaving packs or deliberately solitary individuals (according to specialists, not all wolves live in packs, there are always exceptions), must then pass through a pack territory to continue their journey. We'll talk about that interesting phenomenon in a future article, as it deserves our attention. As the management of territories and movements between neighboring packs.
When a wolf is seen alone, on videos or through live observation, we must remain cautious about any identification. Without obvious physical distinguishing marks, it's extremely difficult to differentiate or recognize wolves. Only DNA samples taken from extrements can reveal the genetic make-up and possible family links between individuals present on the territory and within the pack.
In this case, this lone wolf we called "Ella", has been seen alone on Arsene's territory for quite some time now. She also joined the couple last April, she's Arsene & Lupine's daughter. But we hope these few explanations have helped you understand that with the wolf, we can't be sure of anything.
Article: TT - Wolf Mission
Photo : Wolf Mission
Video : Wolf Mission
The period from the first signs of reproduction to whelping (February-May) can be a source of conflict within the pack. Hormones and personalities lead to significant tensions, as only the breeding pair reproduces in a pack. From then on, between jealousy, protection and aggression, certain hierarchical changes can occur but, above all, this can provoke departures among the sub-adults present. But do you know the different ways in which these individuals can reproduce ? We'll tell you all about it...
