Monts de Gueret Animal Park
The wolf pack howls on average for 85 seconds. It is usually started by a single wolf, after which other wolves may join in. The pack leader, the alpha wolf, usually uses a lower-pitched howl and howls more frequently than wolves standing on the lower rungs of the pack's hierarchy. Although some functions of the howling are still unknown by scientists, they believe that wolves may howl to scare off other wolf packs from their territory and to gather their own pack, as wolves possess perfect hearing and their howling can be heard for up to in the forest and in open space. Researchers have found a relationship between the number of times a wolf howls and the strength of their relationship with other pack members. According to Friederike Range, co-director of the University of Vienna's Wolf Science Center, "the strength of the relationship between wolves predicted how many times a wolf howled."
Shapeshifter (Anita Blake mythology)
Alpha weres who are also the leader (or one of the leaders) of their animal group (such as Rex/Regina for the lions, Ulfric/Fenrir/Lupa for the wolves, or Nimir-Ra/Nimir-Raj for the leopards) also appear to have a metaphysical relationship with the entire group that owes them allegiance. This bond is both a strength and weakness, allowing the leader to make use of the group's collective energy and account for its membership remotely, but also exposing the entire group to being controlled or fed upon through the leader. It can also expose the leader to some measure of control or influence if one of his followers is sufficiently subverted.