Gray Wolf, Giving Some Natural

¶ … gray wolf, giving some natural history of the animal, its living habits, and range, along with the ongoing controversy over relocating wolves in the American West. Gray wolves are related to domesticated dogs, and are members of the canine family. The United States Government declared the gray wolf an endangered species in 1973 when Congress passed the Endangered Species Act. Since then, studies have helped people understand the complexities of the gray wolf and their habitat, and have helped reintroduce gray wolves into many areas where hunters and settlers eradicated them in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Gray wolves are making a comeback in many areas, and many residents and environmentalists harbor mixed feelings about those comebacks. The gray wolf has been a part of mythology, Native American legend, and folklore, and the animal remains controversial and misunderstood even today.

The History of the Wolf

There are many species of wolf throughout the world, from the Arctic Wolf of Canada and Russia to the Red Wolf of the Carolinas and the Gray Wolf of North America. The Latin name for the gray wolf is "canis lupus" which indicates it belongs to the canine class of dogs, which includes wolves, domesticated dogs, and coyotes. All of these species can successfully breed together, creating new and fertile offspring ("Wolf," 2004). There are several different subspecies of gray wolf in the U.S. And Canada, including the Mexican wolf, the Great Plains wolf, the timber wolf, and the Rocky Mountain wolf. In some areas, gray wolves are also called timber wolves. There is so little difference between the subspecies that it may be difficult for a nonprofessional to tell them apart. Skull measurements are the only clear way scientists can often distinguish between the species. Estimates indicate there may be up to 75,000 gray wolves left in North America, when there may have been as many as 1 million in the time before Columbus discovered the West Indies and opened up North American exploration (Editors, 2005, & Donnelly, 1999, p. 180). When European settlers first came to North America, they found the wolves unsettling, and so, the destruction of the species began. Man and wolf did not blend well together, and as settlers pushed west, the range of the wolf grew smaller and smaller. In fact, local residents and even local, state, and national governments paid hunters a bounty to exterminate wolves in their areas. One writer notes, "The predator control programs in the coterminous United States lasted nearly thirty years, from 1915 to the early 1940s. During this period, countless wolves were killed. By 1945, only lone wolves existed within the lower forty-eight states (Li, 2000, p. 677). Settlers simply saw wolves as pests who killed livestock and terrorized isolated settlements. Wolves disappeared in much of North America as a result.

Gray wolves are easily distinguished from dogs and coyotes. They are larger, and they have a distinctive shaggy coat that is often gray, but can range from white to black. They have erect round ears, they hold their tail down, straight, and long, it will never curl. Their muzzles are square and large, and they have substantial, long legs and extremely large feet (Editors). These animals mate for life, and are quite social animals that live in packs that can contain up to 15 animals, but usually contain 4 to 8 animals, with a dominant male and female at the head of the pack. These dominant adults rule over the pack, are usually the only members to breed, and always eat first after a kill. Often, the entire pack contains the dominant male and females' offspring. Solitary animals usually do not survive in the wilderness; they need to sociality and comfort of the pack to survive. Males are usually about 20% larger than females, and can weigh anywhere between 57-130 pounds and are about 30 inches tall. Females carry the young for 63 days, and carry anywhere from 1-11 pups at a time (Editors, 2005, & Donnelly, 1999, p. 180). Gray wolves are carnivores and have sharp, dangerous teeth that they use to cut and tear meat from their prey.

Most packs live in secluded dens or caves that keep them safe from man, other predators, and the weather. If a cave is not available, wolves will dig a hole in the ground or under a rock, or even take over the lodges of other animals, such as beavers (Smith & Phillips, 2000, p. 220). Packs usually range anywhere between 50 and 100 miles each day as they hunt for prey, but in areas where food is scarce, and studies show they can travel up to 500 miles a day in search of food. Common prey "include deer, moose, elk, pronghorn, bison, mountain goats, and mountain sheep" (Donnelly, 1999, p. 180). Scientists and ranchers know they can also prey on sheep, lambs, calves, and other domesticated livestock, which is another reason ranchers and many others distrust them and even hate them in the American West. Ranchers see them as a threat to their livestock, and they fought hard to keep the government from reinstating wolves into Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming in 1995.

Wolves in Folklore and Myth

Wolves and their kin play a large part in the myth and folklore of many Native American tribes -- especially as "the trickster." This is not a new idea about wolves and the part they play in human life. The Editors of the National Wildlife Federation Web site note, "Wolves have been the central characters in Western folklore for centuries. Aesop [ ... ] wrote many fables featuring humans and animals. All of his fables offered a moral lesson. In more than one of his stories, the wolf is portrayed as the animal most likely to trick others" (Editors, 2005). Early authors also created numerous fairy tales including wolves as characters, including "Little Red Riding Hood," "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," and others. In these tales, the wolf was usually the aggressor, and also devious, untrustworthy, violent, and even greedy. This became the common perception of wolves, and became one reason most people feared them and killed them so indiscriminately.

As settlers began to move west in America, they encountered more wolves, and another kind of folklore began to develop. Settlers who brought the folklore of Europe with them believed wolves would commonly kill and eat children, and rumors of wolves attacking settlers were common, if invalid. The Editors continue, "Although there has never been a verified account of a wild wolf attacking and killing a human in North America, wolves are still feared and, as a result, have been persecuted nearly to extinction" (Editors, 2005). Another factor in their disappearance has been the extinction of much of their prey as humans moved into what had been largely animal-only territory. As humans hunted animals the wolves preyed on, such as bison, deer, elk and moose to extinction or near to it, the scarcity of food forced wolves to rely increasingly on domesticated animals and livestock for their sustenance. This created animosity and distrust in the settlers, and led to the eventual extinction of wolves in many areas, which is why they were included on the Endangered Species list in 1973.

Reintroduction of the Rocky Mountain Wolf into Yellowstone National Park

Beginning in 1995, scientists and environmentalists worked together to reintroduce the Rocky Mountain subspecies of the gray wolf into areas of Yellowstone National Park and some surrounding areas of Wyoming and Idaho, where it had been extinct since the 1920s. The wolves reintroduced into the park have successfully reproduced since 1995, and here are now about 271 wolves in the park, along with 285 in Idaho (Editors). Scientists discovered after many years of study that when the wolves disappeared from Yellowstone, their disappearance affected several other animal species, too. For example, when the wolves disappeared, the park's elk herd began to increase since one of its' premier predators was no longer a threat. The greater numbers of elk began to decimate the park's aspen population, which they use heavily for browse. After the wolves returned to the park, the elk herd decreased, the aspens are thriving, and there are fewer coyotes in the park. These are all positive steps in the biodiversity and natural ecosystem of the park, ensuring it will return to a better balance of nature and last longer for man's (and animal's) enjoyment. In addition, some of the wolves released in Idaho have also successfully reproduced, and some have made their way into Oregon, where most residents are welcoming them warmly. Writer Li continues, "In February 1999, a female gray wolf known as B-45 followed the Snake River from Idaho and crossed into eastern Oregon. B-45 holds the distinction of being the first wild wolf spotted in Oregon since 1963" (Li, 2000, p. 677).

While there have been many positive reactions to the wolves return to Yellowstone, there have also been quite a few problems with their return. Because ranchers have long distrusted wolves, most ranchers in the surrounding area saw the wolves as a threat to their livestock and their very way of life. They also cite history that shows wolves are quite difficult to dissuade from attacking vulnerable livestock, and that many ranchers and farmers saw eliminating the wolf as the only real way to protect their stock and their families. Writers Smith and Phillips continue,

Although several methods have been developed to minimize or prevent depredations, few have proven successful. Guard dogs have been used widely, but with marginal results. Generally one guard dog is not sufficient, as several dogs seem necessary to deter a wolf attack. Another approach requires farmers and ranchers to intensify husbandry of livestock (e.g., confine sheep to structures overnight, develop calving areas near ranch headquarters, or monitor open range stock daily). Ultimately, killing the wolf or wolves responsible for the depredation is often the only long-term solution (Smith & Phillips, 2000, p. 221).