northern Minnesota and on Isle

Royale, Michigan. Protection under

the ESA allowed the Minnesota

population to grow, and there are

now an estimated 2,445 wolves in

that State. In addition, wolves

returned to Michigan’s Upper

Peninsula and Wisconsin, and these

populations total about 600 animals.

Because wolf populations achieved

recovery goals for the eastern

population, the Service recently

changed the status of wolves in the

region from endangered to

threatened (wolves in Minnesota

were already listed as threatened, so

their status did not change). We may

propose delisting the eastern wolf

population in the near future.

Wolves in the Rocky Mountains

Probably the best-known wolf

recovery effort was the

reintroduction of wolves to

Yellowstone National Park and

central Idaho in 1995 and 1996.

After an absence of more than 50

years, the Service brought wild

Canadian gray wolves to the Park

and to the Frank Church River of No

Return Wilderness Area in Idaho.

The goal was to speed up the

recovery of wolves in the Rocky

Mountain region, where they were

eliminated in the late 1920s.

Wolves were released as family

groups in Yellowstone and

individually in central Idaho. The

program has been extremely

successful, with wolves in both areas

forming packs and reproducing.

There are now an estimated 271

wolves in Yellowstone, and about 285

wolves in central Idaho. Coupled

with natural recovery occurring in

Wolf Recovery in North America

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Before the arrival of European

settlers, wolves ranged widely across

the continent, from coast to coast and

from Canada to Mexico. Two species

are found in North America, the

gray wolf, with its various

subspecies, and the red wolf.

Historically, gray wolves were found

throughout most of the United

States, Canada, and Mexico, with red

wolves primarily inhabiting the

southeastern United States.

Wolves play an important role as

predator in the ecosystems they

inhabit. They feed primarily on

large mammals, such as deer and elk,

removing sick and injured animals

from the populations. They are

highly social, living in packs and

hunting and raising young

cooperatively.

As the country was settled, native

prey species dropped and numbers of

domestic animals increased. As

wolves turned to livestock for prey,

efforts were made to eradicate

wolves throughout their range. In

the United States, large-scale

predator control programs were

carried out, with wolves hunted and

killed nearly to extinction.

By the middle of the 20th century,

few wolves existed in the Lower 48

States. Only several hundred gray

wolves in Minnesota and an isolated

population on Michigan’s Isle Royale

remained, with an occasional

Mexican wolf and a few red wolves

reported.

Gray wolves in the Lower 48 States

now number over 3,700. Currently

all gray wolves in the Lower 48

States, with the exception of the

Mexican wolf in the Southwest, are

listed as threatened under the

Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Mexican wolves are listed as

endangered.

Recovery plans have been developed

for wolves in various parts of the

country, with the goal of ultimately

removing the wolf from the list of

endangered and threatened species.

The recovery plans identify the

population levels and distribution

that would be necessary for the

species to be considered recovered.

When recovery criteria are reached,

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

reviews the population status to

determine if reclassification or

delisting is appropriate. Recovery

criteria differ from population to

population depending on the threats

to the species, the connectivity of the

population to other wolf populations,

and local ecological circumstances.

Gray wolves in the eastern U.S.

Gray wolves in the eastern part of

the United States were eliminated

from the landscape, except in
Captive breeding efforts were

successful and red wolves have

returned to the wild. Current

reintroduction efforts are being

carried out at Alligator River

National Wildlife Refuge in North

Carolina.

There are now approximately 100

red wolves comprising 20 packs in

the wild in northeastern North

Carolina. An additional 156 wolves

are part of captive breeding efforts

at 31 facilities throughout the United

States. The captive rearing program

is vital to maximizing genetic

diversity among red wolves.

Recovery goals for the red wolf call

for a total of 550 animals, including

at least 220 in the wild.

confirmed wild Mexican wolf was

reported in the United States in 1970

and in Mexico in 1980.

Mexican wolves were listed as

endangered in 1976, and a joint

recovery effort with Mexico began.

Using animals captured in Mexico in

1977, a captive breeding population

was established. These animals are

the foundation of the recovery effort

for Mexican wolves. Wolves that are

candidates for reintroduction

undergo a “pre-acclimation” period

at Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge

in New Mexico and other remote

facilities. This helps foster behavior

and characteristics that enhance their

ability to survive in the wild.

In 1998, 13 captive-reared Mexican

wolves were released in eastern

Arizona. Additional releases are

planned to reach the goal of a wild

population of 100 animals. As with

wolves reintroduced in Yellowstone

and central Idaho, these Mexican

wolves are designated “nonessential, experimental” to allow

more flexibility in management.

Wolves in Alaska and Canada

Gray wolves in Alaska and Canada

have never reached the point that

protection under the ESA is

necessary. In Alaska, the State

manages wolves, which number

6,000 to 8,000 animals. Similarly,

Canada’s 50,000 gray wolves are

managed by provincial governments

and are not considered endangered

or threatened.

Red Wolves

Red wolves once ranged throughout

the southeastern United States. As

with gray wolves, fear of conflict

between red wolves and human

activities resulted in eradication

efforts. As red wolf numbers

declined, the remaining animals in

the wild were removed to zoos and

other facilities to save the species.

By 1980, the red wolf existed only in

captivity, with a founder population

of 14 animals.

Revised March 2003

 Number of Gray Wolves in the

Continental U.S. for 2002

Western Great Lakes States

 Michigan 278*

 Minnesota 2,445

 Wisconsin 323

*not including Isle Royale’s 17 wolves

Western States

 Yellowstone 271

 Northwest Montana 108

 Central Idaho 285

Arizona/New Mexico

 (Mexican Wolf) 21

northwestern Montana (where there

are now approximately 108 wolves),

the reintroduction program has

boosted wolf recovery progress in

the Rocky Mountain region.

In 2003, naturally occurring wolves

in the Rocky Mountain region were

reclassified from endangered to

threatened, while in the Yellowstone

and central Idaho reintroduction

areas, wolves are designated as

“non-essential, experimental”

populations.

Mexican gray wolves

Mexican gray wolves, called Mexican

wolves or lobos, were once common

through western Texas, southern

New Mexico, central Arizona, and

northern Mexico. By the early

1900s, growing numbers of livestock

in the region and fewer and fewer

natural prey species resulted in

increasing numbers of livestock

losses to wolves. Intensive control

efforts were largely responsible for

eradicating Mexican wolves by the

middle of this century. The last

For more information about the

status of wolves, contact one of

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service offices listed below or

the Service’s homepage at

www.fws.gov.

Eastern United States

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

1 Federal Drive

Ft. Snelling, MN 55111-4056

Rocky Mountain region

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

100 North Park, Room 320

Helena, Montana 59601

Mexican Wolves

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

P.O. Box 1306

Albuquerque, New Mexico 87103

Red Wolves

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

160 Zillicoa Street

Asheville, North Carolina 87103