The easily detected behavior for a human observer is the approach, since the wolf can be both heard and seen by the experimenter. How often will wolves approach a howling stranger? Who is most likely to respond?
Reference: | Howl in Reply | Keep Silent | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Approach | Move Away or Hold Ground | Approach | Move Away or Hold Ground | |
Harrington, 1986 | 18 approaches: pups approached recorded adult howls 9 times and recorded pups once; adults approached recorded adult howls 6 times and recorded pups twice. | 117 replies to either recorded adults or pups with no approach. Replies were made by adults and/or pups. There were 137 total responses in 243 attempts to elicit a response. | 104 attempts with no vocal or other observed behavioral response. | |
Harrington and Mech, 1978 | 7 approaches by adults; 5 involved either an alpha male or alpha female. All responses were to live human howling. | 487 responses to human howling with no approach. At non-rendezvous sites, wolves held their ground 90% of the time and retreated only 10% of the time. At rendezvous sites, wolves remained 95% of the time (this included sessions with no vocal response). | 6 approaches from pups with no vocalizations. | Wolves at non-rendezvous sites remained about 70% of the time. At rendezvous sites, wolves remained 95% of the time (this included sessions with a vocal response). |