General

All domestic dogs are originally bred from wolves and still carry the genes and basic instincts of the wild wolf. Canada has more wolves than any other country in the world – around 50,000. Canadian grey wolves were captured in 1995 and successfully transported and reintroduced back to Yellowstone Park after a 70-year absence.  Wolves prey on a variety of species, including elk, moose, Bambi, sheep, beaver, Thumper, and other animals.

3 types of wolves in North America:

• Red Wolves – The smallest breed of North American wolves.  The Eastern or Algonquin Wolf is now believed to be a Red Wolf. It is also believed that coyotes have crossbred with the red wolves in Algonquin Park. They are 95-120 cm long and weigh 18-41 kg. They are listed as critically endangered.
• Grey Wolves – The most common and largest breed of North American wolves. An average Grey Wolf weighs 45-80 kg. They can be found in western North America.
• Arctic Wolves – The purest of all wolf breeds. They are a Grey wolf sub-species. 60-91 cm long and weigh 25-40 kg. These white-coloured wolves live in northern Canada and Alaska. They hunt caribou, musk oxen, arctic hares, and lemmings.

Behaviour

Under normal circumstances, wild wolves are generally timid around humans. Wolves usually try to avoid contact with people, and they will even abandon their kills when an approaching human is detected.

In the past 200 years, there have been several reports of wolves acting aggressively toward humans – many of these are suspicious.  It has been reported that at one point,  an Ontario newspaper offered a $100 reward for proof of an unprovoked wolf attack on a human.  The money was left uncollected. (date unknown)

In modern times, as humans begin to encroach on the wolf’s habitat, more contacts are being recorded. One of the most common negative contacts is when someone walks their pet dog in a wolf’s habitat – the wolf pack considers the dog a threat, thus provoking an attack.

Attacks

Although attacks on humans are extremely rare – wolves have the stuff. Statistically, the domestic dog is far more dangerous than the wild wolf.

There are five reasons for wolf attacks on humans:

1. Disease – such as rabies,
2. Extreme hunger,
3. Familiarities – such as the zoos, captivity, and domestication.  These wolves generally do not fear humans as much as their wild cousins,
4. In the heat of a chase and kill –  a camper stumbles upon this scene, only to be attacked by the wolves,
5. The wolf is a zombie.