Gray Wolf
Canis lupus spp.
Although still common in Alaska and some other areas, the gray wolf is now extinct or critically endangered in many parts of its former range. The gray wolf is the largest member of the dog family. At one time it had the widest distribution of almost any land mammal, being found nearly everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. Throughout this range wolves have inspired considerable fear over the centuries, and this has been reinforced by spine-chilling stories; they are the subject of much folklore. As people and their domestic animals have spread and increased in number, conflict with wolves has escalated, resulting in extermination of wolves in many parts of their range. Today about 2,000 gray wolves still survive in Spain, and a few hundred more in Italy and Greece. There are about 50 left in Sweden, and there are occasional reports of strays turning up in Norway (where unfortunately they stand a good chance of being shot by farmers). Between 1991 and 1992 wolves spread from Italy as far as the French Alps, but at least six were shot soon afterward. Today wolves are still unwelcome residents across much of their European range.
In Romania about 700 (from a population of fewer than 3,000) are shot each year. In Greece wolves face a shortage of suitable large mammal prey, and people are actively encouraged to kill them. In Italy, however, where farmers are paid compensation for sheep killed by wolves, local wolf populations seem to have stabilized or even increased a little, to about 200. Fortunately, the wolf remains fairly abundant in northern territories particularly Alaska, Canada, and the former Soviet Union. There have also been attempts to reintroduce the animals to areas in which they had previously been eradicated. In 1995 wolves were released back into Yellowstone National Park in the United States, a move that was highly controversial. The fear of wolves runs deep, and there are concerns for the safety of cattle and sheep in the vicinity. Such projects can only succeed with public support; otherwise the animals are exterminated before a new population has time to establish itself.
A Shortage of Suitable Prey
A serious problem for wolves in Europe and in the more densely inhabited parts of North America is that the expansion of farming has reduced the numbers of deer and other suitable prey. Without sufficient food to support them, wolf populations have fragmented. Wolves have then been forced to attack sheep and to scavenge around garbage dumps, bringing them into more frequent contact with people and increasing the risk of crossbreeding with domestic dogs. In Spain a recent increase in the deer population was followed by a reduction in the number of sheep killed by wolves. Since the wolves were preying on the deer, they did not need to kill the sheep. This small victory is a reminder that conservation initiatives need to look at the health of the environment as a whole as well as the fate of individual species. Perhaps there is also encouragement to be gained from Canada, where wolf-watching trips are becoming popular activities in national parks. Growing familiarity may help reduce some of the fear that people have for the wild ancestor of the domestic dog, helping make the gray wolf’s long-term future a little more secure. Gray wolves do not attack humans, despite the legends. People are at greater risk of dying from domestic dog attacks than from wolf attacks. Wolves do attack coyotes, however, and may help keep coyote numbers in check.
Gray Wolf (Timber Wolf)
- Family: Canidae
- Form: Large dog, almost white in northern latitudes; dark gray to nearly black farther south. Tail held high when running
- Distribution: Canada and Alaska; also northern Asia and into Eastern Europe. Remnant populations in Spain, Portugal, Sweden, and Arabia
- Habitat: Open woodland (especially coniferous forest), mountains, tundra, and bogs
- Size: Length head/body: 39-51 in (100-130 cm); tail: 14-20 in (35-52 cm); height at shoulder: 26-28 in (65-70 cm). Weight: male 66-175 lb (30-80 kg); female 50-120 lb (23-55 kg)
- Diet: Birds and small- to medium-sized animals; packs cooperate to kill larger species such as deer
- Breeding: Between 3 and 7 cubs born per year in single litter after 9-week gestation; mature at 2 years (but often longer before they actually breed). Life span up to 20 years in captivity; probably 10-15 in wild
- Related endangered species: Red wolf (Canis rufus) ; Ethiopian wolf (C. simensis) ; African wild dog (Lycaon pious) ; maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus)
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