Gray Wolf
Josephine Celsi
Information
- About 5,000 gray wolves in the lower 48 states
- Estimated 7,000 live in Alaska alone
- As many as 50,000 live in Canada
The gray wolf has been trapped and hunted in the past leaving the population the drop. In the 1980's there were only a few wolves left in the United States. We tried to reintroduce the gray wolf to the Rockies in 1995 and succeed by 2005. The gray wolf population rise above 1,000.
Predicted Future Status
After we brought the gray wolf back from near extinction, they started to repopulate more and more. They recovered from all the hunting and trapping in the past. The gray wolf population is expected to grow in the future.
The gray wolf is an amazing runner and its body helps them out. When they walk their toes actually touch the ground. On their front feet they have 5 toes and their hind feet have 4. They have canine teeth kind of like a dog which helps them out with biting and eating. Their molar teeth are capable of crushing bones. Their stomach stores food rather than quickly digesting it. The gray wolf can eat up to 20 pounds in one sitting. Lastly they can not eat for up to 2 weeks while looking for prey.
Location
The gray wolf typically lives up north.
- Temperate forest
- Moutains
- Tundra
- Taiga
- Grassland
History
Threats
People simply kill wolves that prey on their livestock. People are working with livestock owners to create a better method to reduce the chances of a wolf attacking a livestock. They came up with fences, lighting, and alarm systems.
Habitat Loss
We simply cut down trees and build things that decrease the size of the land that the wolves have to live off of.
Current Efforts
- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Alaska
- Defenders of Wildlife
- International Wolf Center
- Mission Wolf
The Impact
How can we help?
It's a symbolic adoption that helps save real wolves in the wild.
Take Action
You can send messages to government leaders telling them your ideas.
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