Death is a natural part of life. Although the old wolf had witnessed countless cruel scenes, its heart was not numb. Looking at the stiff, lifeless little wolf in front of it, it lowered its head sadly, knowing that it was helpless.
The old wolf, who was guarding outside, heard the howl of the wolf cub in the middle of the night, a sound filled with panic and desolation.
The old wolf's heart skipped a beat. He shook off the snow that had fallen into the cave entrance and then resolutely entered the cave.
On the haystack, a gray wolf cub and a black wolf cub huddled together in a corner, shivering. They howled loudly, their voices trembling noticeably, as if calling out to their brother, who had already grown cold, or perhaps to their mother, who had long since disappeared.
The cubs that have lost their mothers are doomed to die in this cold winter. They either freeze and starve to death or become food for other wild animals. The wolf cubs are innocent and do not yet understand these cold and cruel facts, but they have already experienced the hardship of survival.
The cub's death was expected by the old wolf, but it didn't expect it to happen so quickly.
After a moment of silence, the old wolf approached the grassy nest and gently licked the two frightened cubs. They were still alive; perhaps they had survived a close call, or perhaps it was just a matter of time, but at least they were alive now.
The old wolf's licking comforted the two cubs, who stopped howling blindly and trembling. They clung tightly to the old wolf, trying to gain some support and strength from their thin, old kin.
After comforting the two surviving wolf cubs, the mother wolf picked up one of the cold cubs and silently walked out of the cave. She then turned around and picked up the other cub. The mother wolf buried the two cubs in the deep snow next to the small slope. This was not a funeral, but a kind of reserve.
The old wolf was truly suffering, but so was its will to survive.
Heaven and earth show no mercy to any living being. All the good or bad fortune is meaningless to nature. The snow will not stop, the cold wind will not disappear, and the strength stolen by time and the physical strength eroded by years will not return. It must make decisions that are conducive to survival.
Whether it is a lone wolf or just two wolf cubs in the den, this reserve is essential. Even if the two wolf cubs successfully survive this ordeal, they will not last long without subsequent food. In this cold season, let alone two full-month-old wolf cubs, even wolf cubs that are already able to leave the den cannot survive independently.
For wolf cubs to grow up to be able to forage independently, they need a lot of food and time, and during this period they also need careful care. Without a wolf pack or the care of their parents, wolf cubs in this forest are like weak snow rabbits, vulnerable to being bullied by other animals.
Despite being a high-ranking beast, wolves have formidable natural enemies, even small wolves.
Red foxes, badgers, raccoon dogs, golden trevally, and white-tailed trevally are all capable of killing wolf cubs under two months old, and even wild ungulates can kill wolf cubs.
For example, it's not difficult for an adult wild boar to kill a wolf cub. Not only can the boar kill the cub, but it will also eat some of it as a form of revenge. Human observations have also documented two instances of roe deer killing wolf cubs, demonstrating the vulnerability of wolf cubs.
As dawn broke again, the old wolf slowly opened his eyes, gazing at the pale sky, momentarily lost in thought.
Looking into the depths of the cave, the old wolf came to his senses again, realizing that everything from last night was not a dream.
The old wolf slowly walked into the cave. It didn't hear the howls of the cubs, which made it a little worried, but it had to go in and check on the two cubs again.
In the grassy den, the two wolf cubs were sleeping peacefully, their breathing even. Their slightly swollen bellies from the previous night had flattened out, indicating that they had successfully digested the venison and taken the first step toward survival.
The old wolf licked the cubs with satisfaction, loosening their tangled fur.
After confirming that the two wolf cubs were alive, the mother wolf emerged from the den again, ready to leave. She was going to finish the food left over from yesterday, as it was not safe to stay in the snowdrift for too long, since there were quite a few animals in the forest that knew how to dig for treasure.
If it weren't for the cubs leading the way, the old wolf would have stayed by the deer all day yesterday, and wouldn't have left easily until it had finished eating it.
The heavy snow continued to fall, but the intensity was much less than yesterday. The forest was already a pure white landscape, with occasional touches of brown, which were the bare branches adorning the sky and earth.
The birds still rise early and chirp incessantly, but it's not as lively as before. Many birds migrate, but not many will stay to overwinter.
The old wolf walked slowly through the snow, its ears pricked up, monitoring for any unusual sounds. A wolf's hearing is at least 16 times clearer than a human's; it can hear sounds from 10 kilometers away in the forest, and up to 16 kilometers away in open areas.
Wolves have excellent peripheral vision and superb night vision. The outer periphery of a wolf's retina is very sensitive to moving objects. However, wolves cannot distinguish colors, so white predators are not much different to an old wolf. What it cares about is the change in temperature and the difficulty of catching food.
Wolves also have very weak visual discrimination and are not good at recognizing small details.
For example, right now, on the snowdrift to the side, under a dead branch, a mouse is hiding. It is hiding there without moving, and the old wolf does not notice it. However, when the mouse sees the old wolf and starts to run away, the old wolf notices that a mouse has run past him.
Rats are not important to the old wolf, nor is it of any interest to him.
Wolves are opportunistic hunters who target the simplest and most vulnerable prey, but that doesn’t mean they would prey on extremely weak animals like mice.
Wolves are ferocious beasts born to hunt large animals. Their preferred prey are large ungulates, including deer, elk, reindeer, moose, and musk oxen. Not to mention mice, even snow hares are just snacks for them.
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