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Canis lupus
– Least Concern
Taxonomy
Assessment Information
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Red List Category & Criteria:
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LC ver 3.1 (2001)
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Year Assessed:
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2004
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Assessor/s:
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Mech, L.D. & Boitani, L. (Wolf Specialist Group)
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Evaluator/s:
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Sillero-Zubiri, C. & Hoffmann, M. (Canid Red List Authority)
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Justification:
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Originally, the wolf was the world’s most widely distributed mammal. It has become extinct in much of Western Europe, in Mexico and much of the USA. Present distribution is more restricted; wolves occur primarily in wilderness and remote areas.
Their original worldwide range has been reduced by about one-third by poisoning and deliberate persecution due to depredation on livestock. Since about 1970, legal protection, land-use changes and rural human population shifts to cities have arrested wolf population declines and fostered reintroduction and natural recolonization in parts of its range. Continued threats include competition with humans for livestock, especially in developing countries, exaggerated concern by the public regarding the threat and danger of wolves, and fragmentation of habitat, with resulting areas becoming too small for populations with long-term viability.
Although the grey wolf still faces some threats, its relatively widespread range and stable population trend mean that the species does not meet, or nearly meet, any of the criteria for the threatened categories. Therefore, it is assessed as Least Concern.
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History:
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| 1982 | - | Vulnerable (Thornback and Jenkins 1982) |
| 1986 | - | Vulnerable (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1986) |
| 1988 | - | Vulnerable (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1988) |
| 1990 | - | Vulnerable (IUCN 1990) |
| 1994 | - | Vulnerable (Groombridge 1994) |
| 1996 | - | Lower Risk/least concern (Baillie and Groombridge 1996) |
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Geographic Range
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Range Description:
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Originally, the wolf was the world’s most widely distributed mammal, living throughout the northern hemisphere north of 15°N latitude in North America and 12°N in India. It has become extinct in much of Western Europe (Boitani 1995), in Mexico and much of the USA (Mech 1970).
Present distribution is more restricted; wolves occur primarily in wilderness and remote areas, especially in Canada, Alaska and northern USA, Europe, and Asia from about 75°N to 12°N.
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Countries:
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Native:
Afghanistan; Albania; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Bhutan; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Canada; China; Croatia; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Greenland; Hungary; India; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Israel; Italy; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Korea, Democratic People's Republic of; Korea, Republic of; Kyrgyzstan; Latvia; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Lithuania; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Mexico; Moldova, Republic of; Mongolia; Montenegro; Myanmar; Nepal; Norway; Oman; Pakistan; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Russian Federation; Saudi Arabia; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Syrian Arab Republic; Tajikistan; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; United States; Uzbekistan; Yemen
Regionally extinct:
Austria; Belgium; Ireland; Japan; Luxembourg; Netherlands; Switzerland; United Kingdom
Possibly extinct regionally:
Bangladesh
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Population
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Population:
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Because of the diversity in climate, topography, vegetation, human settlement and development of wolf range, wolf populations in various parts of the original range vary from extinct to relatively pristine. Wolf densities vary from about one per 12 km² to one per 120 km².
Sillero et al. (2004) provide details, for each range country, on subspecies present, population status, approximate numbers, the percentage of former range occupied at present, main prey (where known), legal status, and cause of decline.
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Population Trend:
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Habitat and Ecology
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Habitat and Ecology:
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All northern habitats where there is suitable food (Mech 1970), densities being highest where prey biomass is highest (Fuller 1989).
Food is extremely variable, but the majority comprises large ungulates (moose, caribou, deer, elk, wild boar, etc.). Wolves will also eat smaller prey items, livestock, carrion, and garbage.
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System:
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Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine
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Threats
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Threats:
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Their original worldwide range has been reduced by about one-third, primarily in developed areas of Europe, Asia, Mexico, and the United States by poisoning and deliberate persecution due to depredation on livestock. Since about 1970, legal protection, land-use changes, and rural human population shifts to cities have arrested wolf population declines and fostered natural recolonization in parts of Western Europe and the United States, and reintroduction in the western United States. Continued threats include competition with humans for livestock, especially in developing countries, exaggerated concern by the public concerning the threat and danger of wolves, and fragmentation of habitat, with resulting areas becoming too small for populations with long-term viability.
There is sustainable utilization of the species fur in Canada, Alaska, and the former Soviet Union and Mongolia.
The species occurs in many protected areas across its range. It is also included in CITES Appendix II, except populations from Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan, which are listed on Appendix I.
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Conservation Actions
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Conservation Actions:
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The grey wolf is protected in various national parks and reserves in Canada and the United States. Extensive legal protection in many European countries; however, enforcement is variable and often non-existent.
Occurrence in captivity
The species lives and breeds well in captivity and is common in many zoological gardens.
Current or planned research projects
Several projects underway in Europe, India, Canada and the United States. See International Wolf Center.
Gaps in knowledge
One of the most important questions still remaining about wolves involves the nature of their interaction with prey populations. The conditions under which wolves limit, regulate, or control their population is still open and important (Mech and Boitani 2003). Of more academic interest are questions involving wolf genetics, scent-marking behaviour, pseudopregnancy and diseases (Mech 1995).
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