Wolves howl to communicate their location to other pack members and to ward off rivaling packs from their territory. It’s also been found that wolves will howl to their own pack members out of affection, as opposed to anxiety. Wolf packs tend to claim large territories for themselves, especially if prey is scarce.

When hunting, wolves tend to howl to rally each other or right before leaving the den to bring food. Their howls can be heard over a great distance and in most cases, even their prey can hear them as they get close by. Also, when multiple wolves howl together, they tend to harmonize instead of sounding like a chorus.