Watch Two Wolf Brothers Sing a Song, Howling to the Heavens in a Brilliant Duet

What these wolves lack in harmony, they make up for in enthusiasm and volume! In this fabulous clip, we get to meet Silas and Nikai who are two captive-born gray wolves. The footage what was recorded at the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, New York. These guys may be young, but they are really going for it!

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How Do Wolves Normally Behave?

Gray wolves are very social creatures who form packs of anything between two and over 40 individuals. They work together to hunt and defend their home territory. Within the pack, there is typically a breeding male and female, and the rest of the pack is made up of their offspring. Young wolves usually stay within the pack until they are about three years old and then they head off to start up their own groups. The hierarchy within the pack is based on behavior and on age. The alpha wolf is capable of beating everybody else in a fight! However, this position comes with responsibilities. He has to initiate all of the daily activities, regulate the socialization of all of the other pack members, and initiate attacks on prey.

What Sounds Can Wolves Make?

Wolf’s hearing is very sensitive. Vocal communication is very important to them and they can make four different sounds. You may not have realized that wolves can bark. This is very like a domestic dog’s bark and is a short, explosive sound. Wolves can also whimper, and this is a high-pitched softer vocalization. It is used for adult-to-pup communication and for pups to communicate with their parents. It is thought that whimpering is also a greeting call but it can be used during courtship. The wolf growl is a deep course sound that is used by both adults and pups. It is typically an aggressive sound and usually results in the recipient of the growl moving away. It is used as a threat or a warning and it shows the dominance of the wolf that is making the sound.

Finally, we come to the famous wolf howl! As you can hear in this clip, this is a deep wailing sound that may be interspersed with shorter and higher-pitched noises. It is estimated that wolf howls can be heard over four miles away. Wolves use howling to recognize fellow pack members. When one wolf starts howling, they can also trigger other wolves in the area to start howling as well. A chorus of howling can last for over an hour but is most often heard between dusk and dawn. It can be used to gather the pack together after they have been separated.