Gray wolf
Once all but wiped out in the lower 48 states, gray wolves are returning but still struggling for survival in their native home ranges.
The Cascade Mountains wolf
Take action to help conserve Washington's wolves
The "Cascade Mountains wolf" is a subspecies of the gray wolf that has lived in forested regions from the Cascade Range to the Pacific Coast. Early settlers described the wolf as "common" and speculate that one or more wolf packs may have occurred in each of all major river drainages. Yet with the arrival of settlers came animosity towards the wolf, government-sponsored bounty payments, and, eventually, loss of wolves and nearly all other large predators, like the grizzly bear, from large parts of the Northwest.
Thirty years ago wolves were officially protected as an endangered species in the lower 48 states. They were successfully reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park. In 2009, the Northern Rocky Mountain wolf population was "downlisted" (see a timeline) to receive less protection and hunting has begun again.
Wolves in 2008 returned on their own to Washington state, and a management plan for their return is ongoing. Conservation Northwest is part of that conservation planning.
Read the return of the wolf to Washington by special projects director Jasmine Minbashian.
Wolf facts
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Canis lupus, the gray wolf, is the largest of the canines (55 to 130 pounds).
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Wolves have excellent hearing and super sense of smell. They hunt and socialize in packs.
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According to animal behaviorists, domestic dogs behave a lot like very young wolves.
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The eastern timber wolf (Canis lupus lycaon) was the first subspecies of the gray wolf recognized in the US.
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Sprawl and development spells loss of habitat for wolves and their prey.
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Overall, the greatest threat to wolves is people's fear and misunderstanding about them.
- As a top carnivore, the gray wolf, along with other predators such as the bear and cougar, control prey populations so that a landscape may support a healthy ecosystem. Wolves play a vital role in maintaining the health of big game by culling sick animals, promoting stable ungulate populations. Biologists tell us that big game herds like bighorn sheep, elk, and deer are healthier with wolves.
