Short answers, pulled from the story.
The wolf is the largest wild extant member of the family Canidae. It stands up to 1.5 meters in length and weighs as much as 80 kilograms in the largest subspecies. This physical form is designed for endurance and cooperative hunting across diverse environments.
Wolf populations began to rebound in many parts of their former range since the 1970s. Legal protection, changes in land use, and rural human population shifts to cities have fostered recolonization and reintroduction. The wolf is now classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
A typical pack consists of an average size of eight wolves in North America and 5.5 in Europe. The social structure centers around a mated pair accompanied by their offspring. Offspring typically stay in the pack for 10 to 54 months before dispersing to form their own packs.
The wolf can rest comfortably in open areas at temperatures as low as 40 degrees below zero. Its dense and fluffy fur provides insulation that allows it to thrive in environments ranging from the Arctic tundra to the deserts of the Middle East. The animal can reduce blood flow near its skin to conserve body heat in cold climates.
The most frequently targeted livestock species are sheep in Europe and cattle and turkeys in North America. Wolves are nocturnal predators that hunt all night during the winter, traveling tens of kilometers. Most losses to livestock occur during the summer grazing period when untended livestock are in remote pastures.