The gray wolf (canis lupus) is the species you will be able to encounter on your trips through Romania’s forested mountains, but also in the Danube Delta.
The wolf is a robust and supple animal with a length of up to 1.5 m, plus a tail of up to 0.8 m. Wolves are weighing between 30 and 50 kg, but there have been cases of even up to 70 kg. The wolf’s fur has a brown-gray color with different variations, with two rows of bristles, one very thick, woolly, short, yellowish-gray, and a second one long, with black tips. The wolf’s fur sneaks in the autumn, changing its dark color to a lighter one, to ease camouflage and give it an advantage when it hunts.
The wolf is a carnivorous animal, but if necessary the instinct makes it an omnivorous, eating fruit and other plants, even tree bark. Of course it prefers flesh, and the wolf is a feared hunter, but also necrophagic, being an important factor in keeping the balance in nature.
It is a strong and tenacious animal. In search of food, the wolf can travel over 100 km one night, and the maximum running speed is over 60 km/h. With extraordinary senses, fine smell, hearing and sharp vision, the wolf hunts both in the day time but especially at night.It is brave and intelligent, using different tactics, such as shrouding or moving to enclosed areas where their prey can no longer escape.
The wolf needs a vast territory of about 2,400-2,500 ha, ten times more than a bear needs. Wolves live in the wild for about 10 years, but in captivity they reach 15-16 years.
Authorities estimate a population of approximately 5,800 wolves across Romania.
Romania Color can accompany you on a walk through the hidden beauties.
