Are Wolves in New York?

Wait, hasn't the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation long denied the presence of wolves in New York?

For many years the NYSDEC has told anyone that has reported that they have seen a gray wolf in New York that it wasn't possible. Most times the sightings were said to be only part wolf, lots of times they would be classified as coyotes.

99% Gray Wolf Shot in New York

Back in December of 2021, Joesph Butera, a member of the Northeast Ecological Recovery Society came across a picture on Facebook of an 85-pound animal that was killed in New York. After seeing the picture Butera contacted the hunter to see if they would provide a tissue sample to conduct a DNA test to see if it was a gray wolf or not.

DNA Test Results

According to News 10, the test results say that the animal was a mixture of Great Lakes, Northwest Territories, and eastern gray wolf, in total the test shows the animal to be 99% wolf. Butera told News 10 that these results are very important, "Many of my friends and neighbors in the Adirondacks where I live have spotted wolves there and I have seen canid tracks there much larger than that of a coyote. How many more wolves have been killed or will be killed in New York State and the northeast if the NYSDEC claims that all of these large wolves are coywolves — hybrids that are predominantly coyotes — because they won’t acknowledge the DNA confirmation that we have wolves here?"

Are Gray Wolves an Endangered Species?

Back in February gray wolves regained protection under the federal Endangered Species Act and one wildlife expert hopes that these results will afford gray wolves the protection they are entitled to. President and co-founder of the Maine Wolf Coalition John Glowa said, "It is past time for state and federal agencies to get their collective heads out of the sand by doing the research and by giving wolves in the Northeast the protection they are legally entitled."

Wildlife experts think the wild wolf made its way into New York from Canada where the wolf population is much larger.

Hudson Valley Wildlife Gallery

The Hudson Valley is full of wildlife. Here are just a few of our furry, slithery, and feather friends that might frequent your backyard. Please reach out and let us know which creature we may have left off the list.

Condemned Town Just Hours From The Hudson Valley is Burning Underneath

WARNING: Under no circumstances should you enter this property. By doing so you risk bodily harm and/or prosecution for trespassing on private property.