Diet & nutrition of the wolf is a difficult question to answer for many people. We are all carnivores, and the diets of most wild animals are quite similar to ours. Wolves hunt and eat other carnivores, and are primarily carnivore by subsisting on small mammals, fish, roots, seeds, nuts and insects. The wolf is known to eat a variety of these foods, but what is not so well known is how much of each he needs to maintain his over-all health and well-being.
Wolves in the wild rarely have much fat, as they only need a very small amount for energy. Even so, a healthy amount of fat is essential for their diet. If wolves were to get too much fat, they would become obese and could be prone to a host of illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and kidney problems. Fat is the principal source of energy for wolves.
Humans have adapted quite well to a relatively natural diet of meat, and most of us don’t see the need for the natural diet & nutrition of the wolf. However, humans should recognize that many of the foods that they do eat can be dangerous to their health. Junk food, sugar, fats, etc., if taken in excessive amounts can cause serious problems for both body and brain. This is why it is so important to learn about the diet & nutrition of the wolf, as well as knowing which foods to avoid or eliminate from your diet altogether. Learn more information about What do wolves eat.
Wolf nutrition is slightly more complex than that for a human being. Unlike most wild animals, wolves have a much longer digestive system, including a longer series of steps from food to digestion. This means that a long-chain diet is required, containing a lot of fibrous food items, whereas a human’s diet consists mostly of fresh food items and a smaller amount of fibrous food. This fact alone may explain why wolf meat has been proven to be higher quality and has more vitamin content than beef or pork. Wolves also have stronger teeth than humans, making them better able to chew and digest their diet.
Another important factor in understanding the diet of the wolf is finding out what specific nutrients to look for in particular. While some of these nutrients are more commonly found in other animal species, such as dogs, the fact is that the nutrients found in many common wolf foods are very difficult to find elsewhere. Some examples are proteins like casein and albumin (often found in dairy products), which cannot easily be manufactured in farmhouses. Another nutrient, taurine, is only found naturally in marine fish and would be very toxic to a human being, even in trace amounts. All these factors together mean that it is important to understand the exact composition of the typical wolf food and to learn which nutrients are important to a healthy diet.
The perfect diet of the wolf has yet to be defined; however it is clear that this creature does require a healthy diet and nutritional needs. With hunting on the rise in many areas of the world, it is vital to understand how nutrition relates to conservation. Not only must the species continue to exist, but it is crucial to ensure their long-term survival in both human and wild settings.