Tag Archives: grey wolf

Dec

2017

Domesticating Wolves: Why Did Humans Do It? Are There Any Consequences?

The process of domesticating wolves started thousands of years ago but how has it fared so far?

Wolf Training At Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Lower Austria: domesticating wolves

Wolf Training At Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Lower Austria (Photo: Wolfgang Glock, cc 3.0)

Scientifically called Canis Lupus, humans acknowledge wolves as wild animals since they became aware of this creature’s existence many thousands of years ago.

The Canis part of its scientific name is what gave rise to our popular name for domesticated dogs: canines. In addition, we know that wolves and dogs are related genetically and this has been proven time and time again.

We have successfully domesticated dogs (Canis Lupus Familiaris), but wolves on the other

Dec

2017

10 Things More Likely To Kill People Than Wolves In The USA

Wolves get a bad rap for being big and bad and killing people, but the statistics say otherwise.

Stairs : Wolves

Did you know that even though wolves have been feared and hated by many cultures and peoples for centuries, there are many other things humans embrace in their daily lives that are more likely to kill them than wolves?

For instance, falling furniture, drowning, household accidents, and even food.

The risks of dying from our daily activities are much higher than getting killed or eaten by a Gray wolf in the USA

Yes, wolves are skilled, powerful predators with sharp teeth. But, they have an inherent fear of

Nov

2017

Spotlight On The 2 Women Managing German Wolves

Spotlight on the 2 women managing German wolves against all odds.

Tatjana Schneider With A Wolf: Women managing German Wolves

Tatjana Schneider With A Wolf (Photo:Wolfspark Werner Freund/G. Kopp)

Wolves are predators of the family Canidae, and although they do not target humans directly as prey, farmers consider them as enemies of their livestock. Generally, if given the chance they will feed on sheep, calves, and other livestock. Therefore, farmers in Germany are asking for a right to kill wolves.

But this issue is not as straight forward as these farmers think. Humans have been encroaching on jungles and forests to build homes, plant crops, and rear livestock for centuries. Of course as

Nov

2017

The Chernobyl Wolves: How Are Wild Animals Surviving There?

30 years after the worst nuclear disaster known to humans, the Chernobyl Wolves and other wildlife are thriving where people fear to tread.

Ionizing Radiation sign next to Red Forest in Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Zone of Alienation, Ukraine: Chernobyl Wolves

Ionizing Radiation sign, the Red Forest, Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Zone of Alienation, Ukraine

Over 30 years have passed since the nuclear disaster that expelled all human life from Chernobyl, northern Ukraine.

April 26, 1986, will always remain an unforgettable day in history as the doomed day when the nuclear plant there exploded during a safety test. The area was evacuated, leaving a non-

Nov

2017

Who’s Afraid Of The German Wolves?

Many people are scared at their return, but are German Wolves actually a threat to human life?

A Wolf In Saxony (Photo: DPA)

Wolves suffered a lot of persecution in ancient Europe largely due to superstitions and harmful folklore. As these animals gradually reestablish themselves across modern Europe, some of these superstitions are rearing their heads again.

Basically giving the wolf a bad name so as to have an excuse to “hang” it. German wolves are a part of this dynamic and as they slowly return to the country, reactions are mixed. As expected,

Nov

2017

Do Lone Wolves Really Exist Or Not?

Lone Wolves are the stuff of several tales and debates. But what could make a wolf break ranks?

Do lone wolves exist?

Wolves have been known to exist in packs for centuries now. These are very determined, loyal, and resilient creatures. It’s also interesting to know that wolves are gradually restoring their decimated populations in the wild. That’s despite the fact that less than a third of pups born actually make it to adulthood.

That aside, when you think of wolves, a wolf pack is the next thing that likely comes to mind.

Oct

2017

Species Profile: The Eastern Wolf

The Eastern Wolf has one of the most widely contested classification among wolf species.

An Eastern Wolf (Photo: Parks Canada)

The Eastern Wolf is an animal native to the northeastern part of North America’s Great Lakes region.

This wolf belongs to the same species as the Red Wolf (Canis Rufus), with both animals being smaller in size than the Gray Wolf.

As a matter of fact, many people seeing the eastern wolf for the first time are often surprised at its small size. And unlike gray wolves, eastern wolves have never been recorded with an all-black or all-white fur. Rather, their fur is a mix of reddish-brown, grizzled gray-brown, and

Oct

2017

Non-Lethal Wolf Control: 5 Strategies That Work

Executing wolves to end conflicts could make matters worse. Here are some better wolf control strategies instead.

There Are Several Effective Wolf Control Measures That Are Non-Lethal.

For generations now, livestock breeders had one method of getting rid of troublesome wolves: Just execute them. Especially the Alpha of the pack.

However, with time it’s becoming clear that this doesn’t solve the problem. It may even make it worse.

In fact, a study indicates that killing a wolf can increase the risk of future attacks from other wolves.

Below we take a quick look at the major issues in wolf control, lethal and non-lethal, as well as

Oct

2017

Here’s How Coyote-Wolf Hybrids Are Taking Over North America

Coyote-Wolf Hybrids now number in their millions across Eastern North America.

A Hybrid In Virginia: Coyote-Wolf Hybrids

A Coyote-Wolf Hybrid In Virginia (Photo: www.ForestWander.com/Wikimedia Commons. cc by-s.a. 3.0)

By now, residents of Eastern Canada and the USA are accustomed to a smart, fast, and very adaptable “coyote-like” animal living around them. This creature lurks around in the wild in forests, in parks, and sometimes even right in busy cities.

In 2013, Javier Monzón a canine geneticist decided to investigate reports of a group of coyotes living in northeastern North America. However, further observation revealed that these “coyotes” were bigger, stronger, and faster than the usual coyotes.

It turns out these animals aren’t true coyotes at all. Actually, they would be better classified as

Oct

2017

Species Profile: The Indian Wolf

The Indian Wolf has one of the worst records regarding human attacks and fatalities

An Indian Wolf At Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, Pune – Maharashtra, India (Photo: Rudraksha Chodankar/Wikimedia Commons cc by-s.a. 4.0)

The Indian Wolf is currently classified as a subspecies of the Gray Wolf though there are proposals to recognize it as a distinct species on its own.

This wolf is a much smaller species than the gray wolf: it’s actually somewhere in-between the Tibetan and Arabian wolf in size. It’s native to the Indian Subcontinent. Because of the warm climate in which it lives, its fur is much shorter and thinner than other wolf species. Also, its reddish/brown coat often causes people to mistake it for a fox.

Black colored individuals are very rare but a few have been sighted in India’s Solapur

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