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| The Wolves found in Algonquin Highlands are now known as the Eastern Wolf. However, it has been quite a bit of history and research to determine what the Eastern Wolf really is. In North America there were traditionally only three species of wolf; Red Wolf, Coyote and Brush Wolf. There was a fourth and larger wolf called the Gray Wolf, but it was hard to identify because of its wide range of colour, size and geographic area. In 1970 two Ontario scientists thought they discovered a new subspecies of Gray Wolf. They nicknamed it the “Algonquin type”. Later in the 1990’s geneticists at Trent University determined it was a distinct species of wolf but that they were stemming from the Red Wolf, not the Gray Wolf. This species was named the Eastern Wolf. It is still up for debate among scientists whether or not this new information is substantial enough. Eating habits, for example, show that the Eastern Wolf must be from the Gray Wolf. The Eastern Wolf primarily feed on Deer. As the Deer found in the Algonquin Highlands were not originally found here, it could mean that the Eastern Wolf is also a new arrival to the area. There are many different opinions on how the Eastern Wolf arrived in the Algonquin Highlands, but none of them are proven. Wolves live in packs in the Algonquin Highlands. After each winter there are usually 3-5 surviving member of the pack and by May that number will double with births. Wolves live in a very defined social order within their pack. Although there is much respect for other Wolves, if there is opportunity to move up the ranking, a fight is possible. If a Wolf detects any sort of weakness, they will make threats by growling, teeth baring and showing confidence. This is strictly a display of dominance. When a Wolf is hunting, their behavior is very different. Their heads hang low and it looks as if they are smiling. At any moment the Wolf would be ready to attack or get out of the way. Wolves cover a lot of area in the Algonquin Highlands. Each pack will travel their territory, that ranges from five to six hundred square hundred kilometers, regularly. On a winter night, because they can use the frozen lakes, a pack could cover over 15 km. The Eastern Wolf will hunt Deer, Moose, and Beaver. After a kill, Wolves will eat most if not al of the parts they can eat within an hour or two. If it was a large kill, Wolves will tend to stay in the area and feed until it is gone. Scraps though are never wasted. If it wasn’t for the remaining bits, there would be no small animals or birds of prey around the Algonquin Highlands as they feed on what is left. |
(Family Canidae)
Eastern Wolf (Canis lycaon)
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