The snow, cast against the blue sky, shone like a dazzling mirror under the sunlight. On the blinding gleam of the snow, countless animals quietly emerged, searching for buried food in the forest.
The wolf walked all day, through the forest and in the snow, but found nothing except a hapless mole.
As evening approached, the old wolf began to prepare itself. Nighttime should have been the best time for hunting, but thinking of the little gray wolf alone in the cave, the old wolf had to return before dark. Otherwise, when the wild beasts came out at night, the little gray wolf's chances of facing danger would greatly increase.
The old wolf returned to its den with half a mole, which it had left as food for the little gray wolf. Although the little gray wolf could eat meat, it didn't eat much, and this small piece of meat was enough for it to eat for two meals.
The little gray wolf's eyes lit up when it saw the food. It skillfully tore off pieces of fresh meat and swallowed them. After it was full, the little gray wolf snuggled up to the old wolf affectionately. It had come to rely on the old wolf and consider it its closest relative.
Having left its parents, whose whereabouts are unknown, the little gray wolf's limited memories become increasingly blurred, as if those memories are gradually fading away as it grows up.
The old wolf and the little gray wolf played for a while, then remained lying at the entrance of the cave, guarding and watching out for the long night.
Occasionally, a cold winter wind blows through the night, causing the branches to sway and chunks of snow to fall softly, landing on the ground with a dull thud, adding a touch of liveliness to the silent night.
At that moment, a long howl of wolves faintly came from the distant forest. The old wolf's ears perked up instantly, its front paws tensed instinctively, and half of its body was already sticking out of the den.
When the cold air hit him, the old wolf paused for a moment, then lowered his head, lowered his eyes, and slowly retreated back into his cave.
It forgot that it was already an old wolf that had been driven away, and the howls of the wolf pack during the hunt had nothing to do with it.
Deep within the cave behind them, the little gray wolf's heavy breathing was interspersed with a couple of unconscious whimpers from its cubs. The old wolf's dejected heart regained its warmth, and even the cold wind blowing into the cave seemed no longer cold.
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The forest at night is a paradise for wild beasts, where fierce and powerful predators take advantage of the cover of darkness to come out in droves.
A pack of wolves is searching for food in the forest. They surround their prey, howling wildly and calling to their companions without any restraint.
The low snow slopes were covered with a dense, messy array of tracks, including wild boar hoof prints and wolf claw marks, the snow layer disturbed by fleeing men and pursuers.
Half an hour ago, a small group of wild boars rested in a ravine while foraging for food. It was a wild boar family of six, consisting of two adult boars, a male and a female, plus four half-grown calves.
Male wild boars are enormous, even in winter when everything else is at a loss, they are still very conspicuous behemoths. Logically speaking, such large wild boars do not move with their herds.
In winter, male wild boars mostly travel alone and do not travel with herds to ensure that they find enough food to survive. This is especially true for males of such large size, who rarely mingle with herds, as their large size makes them easy targets for predators and makes it difficult for other sows and piglets to hide.
Male wild boars obviously have much greater food requirements, which are the main problems for their survival. Food is scarce in winter, making survival difficult, so male wild boars mostly travel alone.
The sow and piglets huddled in the innermost, most secluded spot of the ditch, while the male wild boar stood guard alone at the entrance, leaning against the cold snowdrift, his small eyes wide open and his ears perked up, very alert. If he were out alone, the male wild boar probably wouldn't be so cautious; it seems he is well aware of the risks he brings.
Regardless, it is a fact that it is currently living among pigs, and the necessary precautions must be taken.
Watching the falling snowflakes and listening to the irregular sound of the wind, the male wild boar felt slightly drowsy and began to sleep.
At that moment, an uninvited guest appeared on the slope behind. Its narrow, dark green eyes gleamed with greed. It was a wolf, with its head down and ears perked up, sniffing the pig smell wafting from the opposite ravine. It slightly parted its long, narrow snout, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth, and couldn't wait to drool.
The tracks left by the boars are not unfamiliar to wolves, but few wolves can determine the number of prey or even trace their hiding place based on the slightest clues. This wolf was obviously lucky to find the hiding place of the boar family.
Although the prey was right in front of it, the wolf did not attack rashly. Wolves are very patient animals. When they come out to hunt, they know what to do. After confirming that the wild boar on the other side of the ravine was not moving, the wolf quietly left the slope and headed towards the main force of the wolf pack.
The wild boar family, targeted by wolves, was still sleeping peacefully in the ravine. The four little boars huddled close to their mother, warming each other and warding off the cold night.
The dozing male wild boar occasionally opens its small eyes to alert itself to the surrounding movements, and then falls asleep again after confirming that there is nothing unusual.
A pack of wolves moved swiftly and silently through the forest, and the sighting of a small group of wild boars was enough to tempt them.
With reindeer dwindling in number, other ungulates become extremely scarce in winter. Large prey such as gazelles are far away on the grasslands, leaving wolf packs in the primeval forests in a predicament after winter sets in. The shortage of food and the difficulty in finding prey make the wolf packs' food crisis imminent.
Although wolves understand "tactics" and have corresponding hunting techniques, their hunting success rate is still very low, with only about one in ten attempts. This does not include the energy wasted on tracking and probing. Therefore, hunger is the norm for wild wolves, and in winter, there is not enough food for them, making food crises a common occurrence.
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