This image of GPS tracking of multiple wolves in six different packs is an excellent illustration of how much wolf packs in general avoid each other’s range.

The pictures, created in the framework of Voyageurs Wolf Project conducted in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota, USA, show typical adjacent wolf pack territories that are somewhere around 50-70 square miles (but that can vary from year to year).

That’s about the size of the areas marked with the different colors. The white line marks the boundary of the national park.

As beautifully demonstrated by the animation, wolf packs generally avoid being around each other unless they are fighting for food that may be in short supply. Bit like humans do with their countries.

When that situation occurs, wolves may engage in battles with other packs in order to continue have their claim on a given location as well as the food found within it.

But, more often than not, it’s due to human activity that wolves have to shift their territory. You see, when people take out part of their natural habitat, wolves may have to find a new route to get to their food sources.

Naturally, this can create conflicts among various wolf packs due to the overstepping of pack bounds.

Sources: Voyageurs Wolf Project, Wolfworlds