Greatest annual distance covered by a grey wolf

What to remember

A single grey wolf covered a cumulative 7,247 kilometres (4,503 mi) in one year. The figure is not one journey but the total distance travelled over the year.

It is a case of animal migration, the long-distance movements that recur each season or each year. The drivers vary: local climate, the food on offer, the time of year or mating. The behaviour turns up in every major animal group, from birds and fish to insects and crustaceans, and mammals are no exception.

To count as a true migration, scientists look for an annual or seasonal movement, or a major change of habitat during the animal's life. This wolf's 7,247 km mostly shows how much ground a wolf can cover in a single year.