A pack hunter is a predator belonging to the animal kingdom, which has evolved to hunt its prey by working together with other members of its species. Normally, such animals are closely related. The most commonly known pack hunter is the Gray Wolf, the ancestor of all breeds of domesticated dogs.
This pack-hunting history is thought to be the main conduit through which humans have been able to form a mutual relationship with dogs (that is, domestication), as both species are highly social and inter-dependent. Humans and their closest-living relatives chimpanzees are themselves pack hunters even without aid of other species. Other pack hunters include simple arthropods such as ants, highly intelligent mammals such as dolphins, orcas, lions, and hyenas, a few birds such as the Harris Hawk, and occasionally crocodiles. There is a possibility that some non-avian theropod dinosaurs displayed pack behavior as well.
When wolves hunt a Moose or Elk, it sometimes takes to deep water to avoid the pack. A wolf response to this behavior is that the pack rests with one or two wolves annoying the prey until it gets fatigued. The organization of wolf packs includes Alpha wolves which eat first from a kill and which produce most wolf pups.
A social animal that always hunts singly such as the domestic cat is not a pack hunter.
Famous quotes containing the words pack and/or hunter:
“... [Washington] is always an entertaining spectacle. Look at it now. The present President has the name of Roosevelt, marked facial resemblance to Wilson, and no perceptible aversion, to say the least, to many of the policies of Bryan. The New Deal, which at times seems more like a pack of cards thrown helter skelter, some face up, some face down, and then snatched in a free-for-all by the players, than it does like a regular deal, is going on before our interested, if puzzled eyes.”
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