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Canada's Wolves Information on the wolf's ecological role and the threats that it faces Video of wild wolves in Jasper National Park, winter 2003
Wolves are unique. Ravens follow them, foxes and grizzlies and lynx scavenge their leftovers, and alarm calls trill in their wake. Their huge tracks betray their presence in winter, and their mesmerising howls hang over the wilderness on an autumn morning like trails of mist above a woodland river.
But what is the real wolf? Worldwide, there are about nine species in the genus Canis, the wolf-like dogs. Three are found in North America: the coyote Canis latrans, the eastern red wolf Canis lycaon (also called C. rufus) and the grey wolf Canis lupus. It is the latter species that is found in Jasper, and indeed also in most of popular literature. It is the direct ancestor of our pet dogs and was once the most widely distributed large mammal in the world, native to every possible habitat from the deserts of Mexico to the Himalayas of India. But wolves do not exist in a vacuum. Their presence directly and indirectly impacts many other species in the Rockies: Elk - wolves keep their numbers in check Aspen - dependent upon wolves controlling elk Beaver - benefit from less elk grazing pressure on aspen Moose and amphibians - use the ponds that beavers create Ravens, grizzlies, martens, foxes, lynx, etc - scavenge on wolf-killed prey And so it goes on - the wolf web, the pattern of life that has developed around the mighty apex predator like a tapestry around a loom. When the wolf is removed, the ecological consequences can be severe. Unfortunately, wolves are threatened by many different factors. Livestock industry - ranchers have traditionally viewed wild carnivores as enemies and wild herbivores as competition, and today continue to kill hundreds of thousands of wild animals each year. We boycotted tuna to save dolphins; it is high time to start boycotting beef for wolves. Political hunting groups - many deer and moose hunters advocate culling of wolves in the hope of producing higher numbers of herbivores to be hunted Transport networks - roads and rails are a serious hazard to wildlife, especially in narrow mountain valleys Government departments - active culling programmes are still taking place, with wolves often scapegoated for herbivore declines caused by inappropriate logging practices Inappropriate contact - feeding wild wolves encourages them to approach people, and can lead to them being shot as a safety precaution Sport hunters - hunting large carnivores for sport is still legal in most of Canada, even for federally listed species at risk Fur trade - a few thousand wolves are trapped for their coats each year, although their pelts are almost worthless on the market
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All photos, text and other content © Adele Brand (www.thesittingfox.co.uk) 2006 - 2011. Inspired by stuff found at www.webcodingtech.com. |
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But they also occupy a
unique place in the human imagination. So many
people who have never even laid eyes on the creature, yet recoil violently
in fear and loathing at its name; primeval fears of a livestock predator
perhaps, but generations of fiction have enshrined wolves as the embodiment
of evil, and even today Hollywood veers wildly off the mark.