Top of page 13. Improvements in traps and rifles, more efficient methods of transportation, and increased access to wild areas make wolf management easier than it was at the turn of the century. It is also permissible under the ESA to control wolves if they threaten their own food base. If wolves congregate in an area and cause undue pressure on a prey population, they can be relocated to other places within that recovery area. Top of page 14.
Wild wolves are shy and avoid contact with humans whenever possible.
Extremely rare attacks on humans are generally attributable to animals being cornered, injured, or habituated to humans. There has never been a documented fatal attack by a wild, non-rabid wolf in North America. By contrast, dogs kill an average of 18 people every year, according to the Humane Society. Top of page 15. Wolves prefer natural prey to livestock.