Alaska is home of the arctic wolves which are a subspecies of the gray wolf. They live on the frozen tundra and run wild and free. But recently it was discovered that a man was keeping arctic wolves captive on his property and it was not a good situation. The authorities had been called in on it because he was keeping 30 wolves tethered on chains that weren't even 10 feet long. A very sad and inhumane way to treat wolves who are born to run many miles a day in search of food.

When animal activists found out about the situation it was a cause for major concern because they knew the authorities would probably euthanize the wolves after removing them from the man's property. What happens next is a wonderful ending to a very tragic story for these neglected captive wolves. Please watch the video below to see the rest of this amazing story.

The Arctic Wolf

The Arctic Wolf (Canis lupus arctos), also called Polar Wolf or White Wolf, is a subspecies of the Gray Wolf, a mammal of the family Canidae. Arctic Wolves inhabit the Canadian Arctic, Alaska and the northern parts of Greenland.

Habitat and distribution ~

The Arctic Wolf inhabits the Canadian Arctic and the islands, parts of Alaska and northern part of Greenland. Their habitat extends from 70° North latitude and higher. They have lived in North America for more than two million years.[citation needed] When they find a den, they make a couple of chambers for food and young. The Arctic Wolf is the only subspecies of the Gray Wolf that still can be found over the whole of its original range, largely because, in their natural habitat, they rarely encounter humans.The Arctic wolf is also the only subspecies of wolf which is not threatened - their remote home means that they are relatively safe from man's activities, both in terms of hunting and habitat destruction.

Their habitat is extremely harsh and remote, and few scientists venture into that world during the long, dark winter – even the vast majority of Inuit live further south than the Arctic wolf. As a result, the details of their lives through much of the year are virtually unknown.



Behavior ~

The Arctic Wolf can withstand the arctic weather, with the help in their thoroughly insulated fur. They can survive in sub-zero temperatures for years, in absolute darkness for five months per year, and without food for weeks. Arctic Wolves usually travel in packs of 2 to 20. They live in small family groups: a breeding pair (alpha male and female) and their pups. The pack works together to feed and care for their pups. Lone Arctic Wolves are young males that have left their pack to seek their own territories. They avoid other wolves, unless they are able to mate. Having found an abandoned territory, a lone Arctic Wolf will claim it by marking the territory with its scent, then gather other lone wolves into its pack. When the female is pregnant, she leaves the pack to dig a den to raise her pups. If the ice is too thick, she will move to a den or cave.

Hunting ~

Like all wolves, Arctic Wolves hunt in packs, preying mainly on caribou and muskoxen, but also arctic hares, seals, ptarmigan, lemmings, and smaller animals such as waterfowl. Due to the scarcity of prey, they roam large areas, up to 2,600 km2 (1,000 sq mi), and follow migrating caribou south during the winter, for a food source. They are not fast runners, instead relying on stamina to take down prey.

Adult wolves have 42 teeth, their main weapon in hunting. They swallow food in large chunks, barely chewing it. They eat all of their prey, including the bones. Wolves can eat up to 20 pounds (9 kg) of meat at one meal. When they return from the hunt, wolves regurgitate some of the food for the hungry pups. (Source ~ Wikipedia)