In Norway (my home country), there's about 30 wolves left, they are hardly ever seen and still we have hunters, farmers and some plain stupid politicians who want nothing but to see the wolf extinct. Why? Because they kill easy pray like sheep every now and then, but the farmers lose more sheep to accidents in nature or them being run over by cars, trains or buses. These ignorant people fail to realize that if we make the wolf go extinct, there won't be carnivores left to keep the pray population in check. And worse, we lose one the most amazing creatures we have on this planet. Humans already kill more elk, deer etc then we could possibly need for food and the wolves takes only a small part of these prays. And wolves only kill the weakest and the sick, which help keep the populations healthy.
As for the wolves coming close to peoples homes etc. I'd say that WE are closing in on their territory and not the other way around. No wonder that some wolves will stray to our neighborhoods, as we keep stealing more and more of their homes - the forests!
It's ironic and really sad that the same people who want to kill all the wolves, are actually bigger predators then the wolves will ever be. Man is killing animals and other humans in such a high and fast rate, that it's beyond me that they say the wolf is a dangerous animal. MAN IS THE MOST DANGEROUS ANIMAL THERE IS!
The wolves in Northern America and probably most countries around the world, faces the same problems and I will do whatever I can to help them win this fight and I hope even more people will help these special, amazing creatures.
I hope that more people will realize the value of the wolves we have left in the world and help fight for their survival.
Help save the wolves - Remember; Extinction is forever!!
Denali
©Liz Vinger Photography/Wolf Mountain Sanctuary.
There are two main species of wolf in North America: the red wolf (Canis rufus), and the gray wolf (Canis lupus). The red wolf is limited to the southeastern United States. The gray wolf ranges from the area around the U.S./Canadian border almost all the way to the North Pole.
At one time, 24 subspecies of wolf was recognized, based on regional variations in overall size, color, and skull configuration. However, wolves are travelers and movement of wolves across regional borders and interbreeding between subspecies has blurred the distinction between types.
Today, many scientist divide gray wolves into five subspecies, and names such as Eastern timber wolf and Rocky Mountain wolf describe geographic origin rather than physical characteristics. Gray wolves are citizens of the world, and basically are all much the same.
An average-size North American male gray wolf might weigh 95 to 100 pounds, stand 30 to 32 inches at the shoulders, and stretch six feet from nose to the tip of the tail. Females are about 20 percent smaller. A big wolf might weigh 120 pounds and stretch six and a half feet.
Gray wolves come in all shades of gray, tan, brown, rusty red, cream, buff and solid black and white. About one third are black, with this color most predominant in Alaska and mid-Canada. Arctic gray wolves tend to be creamy white.
Two layers comprise the fur coat: the outer guard hairs shed water and provide the markings, while the dense undercoat provides insulation. A wolf can curl up in the snow and sleep at minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wolves roam over large territories and are built for distance running. The chest is narrow, which makes forging through snow easier, the legs are long and closely set together at the front, so that one follows the other in the same track, and the paws are large, almost the size of a man’s hand, for traction in the snow.
As befits dominant carnivores, wolves have large teeth, and jaws with a bite force of 1,500 pounds per square inch, capable of crushing the thighbone of a moose. (source; livingwithwolves.com)
I have had the incredible pleasure to interact with wolves and they truly are the most amazing creatures. And it's true what they say; Once you've looked into the eyes of a wolf, you're life will never be same. You see your soul in those wise eyes. It's like they have ages of wisdom in their eyes and it seems like they intuitively understands whether you're a good person or a bad person.
If they decide to greet you, they come up to you and give you a fat, big kiss and it's simply amazing.
This is how they greet you, if they like you
Istas Pejuta (Medicine Eyes) and me. I love that wolf.JOIN IN ON THE HOWL FOR JUSTICE!!
