Deep within the dimly lit wolf den, the old wolf looked at the four cubs before him and fell silent.
The wolf cub in front of us is clearly less than a month old. Under normal circumstances, wolf cubs nurse for about five or six weeks. Around a month and a half old, they can eat some scraps of meat. But feeding them meat before they are even a month old is obviously very inappropriate and could very well be life-threatening.
Because at this stage, the wolf cubs' digestive system is not yet developed enough to digest meat. If they are given meat, especially raw meat, they are likely to die because they cannot digest it.
The wolf didn't know if its decision was right, but at the moment, it only had this one option.
It was just an old wolf, frail and old, unable to find a milking animal for its cubs, let alone lead its four young wolves through the snow and wind in search of its pack.
Looking at the few weak wolf cubs who no longer had the strength to howl, the old wolf made a decision.
It peeled the skin off the deer's leg, then tore the meat into small pieces with its teeth, trying to break the meat into pieces before feeding it to a small black wolf.
The black wolf cub was completely unfamiliar with the pungent, raw food. It wrinkled its little nose, then curiously stuck out its little tongue and licked it. Fresh blood was licked into its mouth. The wolf cub smacked its lips, curled its little tongue, and stuck it out again, eagerly licking the venison.
Hearing the licking sound, the other wolf cubs stirred, probably thinking there was milk to drink. They opened their mouths, raised their heads, and made an inviting gesture, but unfortunately, the mother wolf did not return, and they had no milk to drink.
The old wolf placed the venison on the grass nest, then carried the cubs one by one to the venison's legs, trying to get them to eat the meat.
The wolf cubs weren't particularly averse to the smell of blood, probably because their mother wolf also smelled of flesh and blood, so it wasn't unfamiliar to them. The cubs quickly lowered their heads and began licking the deer's legs.
Their baby teeth don't yet have much biting power, so the old wolf tearing up the venison is still a difficult challenge for them, making the old wolf a little nervous.
But the next moment, one of the wolf cubs successfully bit off a small piece of meat and ate it. Then, one wolf cub after another successfully ate the venison, which made the old wolf breathe a slight sigh of relief.
Fresh meat was a novel experience for the wolf cubs and the only way to ward off hunger. The cubs immediately sped up their eating, tearing at the venison in front of them. Soon, each cub's belly was slightly bulging, no longer flat. Seeing this, the old wolf dragged the remaining venison away from the nest, refusing to let the cubs eat any more.
Raw meat is a survival challenge for the wolf cubs, and eating too much of it would probably not be good for them.
The wolf cubs howled as they lost their venison, fearing the loss of food. They were already exhausted, and eating the venison had consumed most of their strength. Their struggles were less effective than their howls.
However, under the old wolf's merciless claws, not a single wolf cub could leave the nest. After struggling for a while, the cubs stopped resisting and lay down in the nest to quietly digest the venison in their stomachs.
The old wolf glanced at the now quiet cubs, then, carrying the deer leg in its mouth, returned to the cave entrance.
The wind and snow outside the cave intensified, with biting winds howling past. However, this kind of cold was commonplace for the old wolf, and it was not afraid of it.
Wolves have two layers of fur: an undercoat and an outer coat. The outer coat is coarser and serves to waterproof and insulate against cold air. The undercoat acts as an insulator, effectively keeping out the cold; some cold-climate dogs also have the same type of fur.
Therefore, wolves are not afraid of the cold and can even go out hunting in cold temperatures.
After finishing the remaining deer leg, the old wolf buried the remaining bones in the snow, then stood guard at the cave entrance and quietly closed his eyes.
It has been determined that no wolf has claimed this litter of wolf cubs, so there is no need to worry about any "misunderstandings".
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