The North American Wolf

1. The North American Wolf An endangered Species which has been removed from the list in North America

3. Wolves are prone to extinction: • Wolves are at the top of the trophic levels and have a large body • They are hunted for sport • They are carnivores and have conflicts with humans

4. Wolves are predators • Wolves can eat as much as 22 pounds of meat at a time and then not eat for several days. • Wolves hunt the weak and the sick animals.

5. Wolves are endangered by human hunting • There are many reasons why wolves are endangered, Most people used to be afraid of wolves and thought they were dangerous to humans. • For a long time, people would get money for bringing in a dead wolf. This was called bounty hunting • People often poison wolves, poisoning is probably the main reason there are so few wolves left today.

6. Habitat Loss With the growing human population the wolf is coming into conflict with people in areas where they have not been seen before. As our population has grown, the amount of wilderness where wolves can live has gotten smaller.

7. Economic Aspects Most ranchers don't hate wolves, but sometimes they kill their livestock. The ranchers sometimes feel they need to kill the wolves to protect their animals.

8. Cultural aspects • Wolves are often seen as evil in myths and fairy tales. This makes the wolf vulnerable because people hunt them.

9. Socio-Political • There is a debate between ranchers and environmental groups regarding the status of wolves in the USA. • Ongoing debates occur regarding if the numbers of wolves are sufficient to support wolf hunting.