Wild Wolf Killed in Massachusetts
First Gray Wolf in New England in 15 Years Confirmed by Biologists
Mar 13, 2008
The gray wolf (Canis lupus)has long been subject to persecution by man. In New England the gray wolf was hunted to extinction by the mid 1800s. Amid serious discussions as to whether the eastern gray wolf is a separate species, the arrival of a young male gray wolf in Massachusetts will figure into decisions made regarding habitat protection in the area.
The Massachusetts Wolf
In October of 2007, a wolf was shot in a rural area of northern Massachusetts. The animal had been reported to state biologists after a rash of sheep killings on a farm in the area. The day after biologists investigated, the animal was shot by someone other than the farmer. The biologists would not name the guilty party but stomach contents of the animal confirmed that it was predating on sheep.
It was originally assumed that the animal was an escaped wolf but this has proven not to be the case. Biologists and conservationists have long thought that the recovering eastern Canadian population of gray wolves was likely to move south into the areas of northern New England and upstate New York where appropriate habitat exists. It appears that they were right.
Young male wolves, like the animal in question, often separate from the pack over the summer and fall to hunt independently. Unfortunately in this case, the animal found easy prey in an unprotected flock of sheep. This makes his killing justified, as ‘rogue’ wolves that develop a taste for domestic livestock usually don’t change their eating habits.
The Gray Wolf in the Eastern US
It is very possible that there are other gray wolves in northern Maine, where there was a confirmed wolf sighting in 1993. In the time that has elapsed it is likely that more wolves have come into that area and possibly have spread into parts of Vermont and New Hampshire. The Massachusetts wolf was found very near the Vermont border.
If there are other wolves in northern New England, it seems very clear that they have not been a problem to local farmers or more cases would have been reported. Perhaps, unlike the controversy in the west the gray wolf will be accepted as part of the natural recovery of eastern wilderness areas.
Wolf Species in Question
One of the issues regarding wolves in eastern North America is whether they are a separate species. At present three species are recognized.
Gray wolf (Canis lupus)-the gray wolves in western North America are of this species
Red wolf (Canis rufus)-there is continued debate as to whether this species is a true separate species or a hybrid of wolf-coyote origin.
Coyote or brush wolf (Canis latrans)-the coyote is very closely related to other wolves. It has been known to hybridize with wolves and domestic dogs, adding to the genetic confusion.
Now, based on genetic analysis of the wolves of Algonquin Provincal Park in Ontario there is a move to separate out the eastern gray wolf as well. These wolves have been studied since the 1960s and it is now established that they are much more closely related to the red wolf than the gray wolf. Researchers would prefer this species be designated as Canis lycaon.
Genetic information on the Massachusetts wolf has not yet been made available to the public but when it is, it will be interesting to see which species has made its way back into southern New England.
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