Portrayed throughout history as a villainous critter that wastefully kills, the wolf’s reputation precedes it. The traditional image, however, is unwarranted and incorrect. Wolves are highly intelligent social animals. They are a critically important predator in the Western food chain. When wolves eat, so too do a host of other animals including wolverines, lynx, bobcats, mink, weasels, hares, porcupines, squirrels, mice, voles, shrews and ravens.