Albert

Albert, called Uncle Albert by the narrator, is the smaller, less lithe adult wolf whose steady presence makes him an important member of the family group. The narrator first struggles to understand why a third adult is associated with George, Angeline, and their pups; repeated observations show Albert caring for the young and taking part in the group’s activities, though they do not establish that he is their biological relative.

Identity and Introduction

On an early visit to the den, the narrator saw three adult wolves and could not explain the apparent third member of what he had expected to be a mated pair with pups. The wolf was smaller than George, less lithe and vigorous, and had a gray cast over an otherwise white coat. The narrator began calling him Uncle Albert after first seeing him with the pups, a descriptive name that reflects his observed place in the group rather than a confirmed family tie.

Care of the Pups

Albert’s recurring role becomes clearest when Angeline leaves the den. She sometimes nudges him awake and goes off while he remains to entertain the pups; the narrator had also seen her leave the young in Albert’s care on other occasions, and, more rarely, in George’s. These observations establish Albert as a regular caregiver within the group, without suggesting that he is their parent.

One afternoon Angeline waded into the bay for a drink and then began chasing her tail, rolling among the rocks, and waving her feet. Albert watched from among the pups with keen interest but no apparent alarm. His calm observation contrasts with the narrator’s expectation that Angeline’s unusual display might provoke a reaction, and shows how little human interpretation can be assumed from an animal’s outward behavior.

Foraging and Hunting

The narrator later watched Albert spend part of an afternoon fishing for sculpins, confirming an account of wolf feeding behavior that he had heard from Ootek. Albert’s observed fishing extends the portrait beyond his role at the den: he was also an active forager, using a food source the narrator had not previously witnessed him obtain.

During a later gathering on a ridge among passing caribou, Albert joined George, Angeline, the pups, and an unfamiliar dark-gray adult. After the group howled, Albert left with Angeline and the stranger while George remained with the pups. The young wolves pursued the deer in a separate effort, and Albert was later seen resting after the brief exertion. The episode places him among the adults participating in a hunt while also showing the group’s division between the hunters and the pups.

Place in the Wolf Group

The narrator’s first uncertainty about the third adult gives way to a view of Albert grounded in repeated observation: he is present with the pups, takes on care when Angeline departs, and joins the adults in feeding and hunting activities. His importance in the account lies less in any individually documented display of dominance than in this practical, recurring participation. Through Albert, the wolf group appears not simply as a pair and its offspring, but as a community whose members share in the work of raising young and obtaining food.