Lone Wolf Risks His Life For Love - Yellowstone - BBC Earth

It's now February, and when almost everything else in Yellowstone is on its last legs, the druid pack is reaching peak condition. And it's now that the young females come into season. Hanging back from the pack is a lone male wolf. He has no territory of his own, but follows the pack, scavenging from their successes. But right now, food is not his priority. The young females won't mate with the pack's alpha male, as he is their father. So the intruder could well be in with a chance, as long as the alpha doesn't see him. Whilst the pack are distracted, one female sneaks away. She won't give up the security of the pack for him, so they meet close by in secret. But the pack are now coming their way. The alpha male is on to him. He won't tolerate any other male in his territory, let alone with one of his females. When wolves mate, they become locked together for up to half an hour. The intruder can't break free. For now, the alpha male has done enough. He's seen the intruder off, and he needs to return to reassert his position in the pack. The intruder retreats to a precarious life in the shadows. But whatever happens to him, so long as he was coupled for long enough, he will have young brought up in the security of one of the strongest packs in Yellowstone.