Eastern Wolf

According to recent genomic research, eastern wolves, previously considered a subspecies of gray wolf, Canis lupus lycaon, actually represent a separate species (Canis lycaon). Algonquin wolves, also referred to as Eastern wolves, are classified as a “threatened” species. The wolves are found only in a handful of places, including Algonquin Park in Ontario, Canada. The Eastern wolf has disappeared from almost all of southern Ontario, largely as a result of loss of habitat through forest clearance and farmland development. Hybridization could also be a potential long-term threat to the genetic integrity of Eastern Wolf populations.

Less than 500 Eastern wolves remain in the wild; most Eastern wolves live in central Ontario and western Quebec, and with the highest population densities found in Algonquin Provincial Park.

 

Distribution of recent Algonquin Wolf records in Ontario. (Source: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry)
Distribution of recent Algonquin Wolf records in Ontario. (Source: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry)

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