An average of five to six pups are born in the spring, and the pups spend the first six weeks of their lives in a den. Wolves first mate when they are two to three years old, and sometimes they mate for life. The pack includes between five and fifteen wolves, and when it gets too large the grown pups leave to form their own packs elsewhere. Wolves in captivity may live as long as 16 years, but in the wild they die younger, rarely living more than 13 years. Top of page 3.
Wolves primarily eat ungulates hoofed animals like deer, elk, and moose.
Sometimes they eat larger animals like bison, and smaller animals like rabbits, beaver, and mice. Occasionally they eat certain nuts, insects, and berries. Top of page 4. A wolf needs five to twelve pounds of meat per day throughout the year. Sometimes a wolf does not eat for a week, but then eats 20 pounds of meat in one meal.