Defenders of Wildlife has long been a leader in wolf conservation.
We have fought hard to bring these amazing predators back to their rightful home in the American landscape -- and stand out in our commitment to working with livestock producers, ranchers, local governments, Native American tribal leaders and communities to build tolerance and support for wolves.
Learn more about our
innovative approach to wolf conservation.
But the road to restoring wolves to their natural place in our ecosystems is a long one -- and one that requires constant vigilance. Wolves are a vilified species to many -- and there is much work to be done in building respect for this keystone predator and its role in our changing world.
We need your help to save wolves. See how you can help defend them at
http://www.defenders.org/savewolves
Wolves once roamed throughout much of what we today call the United States. Five core populations remain -- mostly brought back from the brink of extinction through intensive reintroduction and recovery programs -- and many of these populations continue to struggle for a strong foothold.
Northern Rockies Wolves
The northern Rockies region (including Greater Yellowstone) is home to the largest wolf population in the American West. We've helped lead wolf recovery efforts here for decades, and we're still at it. These wolves have been prematurely removed from the Endangered Species list and we will continue to fight to ensure they have a lasting future in this region.
Alaska Wolves
Alaska is home to the largest remaining population of gray wolves in the United States. But Alaska continues to pursue an extreme and unscientific approach to managing its wolves. Since 2003, more than 1,000 wolves have been shot by aerial gunning teams in huge swaths of the state. We are committed to ending Alaska’s aerial wolf hunting program by working with state officials to prohibit the practice and by working on Capitol Hill to pass the
Protect America's Wildlife (PAW) Act to close the loophole that Alaska has been exploiting to continue its brutal aerial wildlife-killing programs.
Southwest Wolves
El Lobo, the Mexican gray wolf, has returned to some of its former haunts in the American Southwest. Since this wolf reintroduction project began in 1998, the wolves have been doing their part ever since – forming packs, killing elk, finding mates and raising pups. But they continue to struggle because of mismanagement by both the state and federal officials. We'll need a major course correction to avoid a second extinction in the wild.
Southeast Wolves
Defenders has been working on red wolf recovery since the mid-1980s through a combination of advocacy and public education. The species, once considered extinct in the wild, now numbers more than 100 in northeastern North Carolina.
Great Lakes Wolves
Nearly eliminated from this region after years of human persecution, protections provided by the Endangered Species Act helped to restore wolves to the Western Great Lakes. Today, the region holds the largest wolf population in the lower 48 states, with more than 4,000 wolves roaming through portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.
We also work to protect
Canadian wolves
Canada hosts the world’s largest wolf population, with more than 50,000 wolves inhabiting its vast landscape. Wolves are heavily hunted and trapped throughout the country, however, and are often killed when they stray from the protection of national and provincial parks. Defenders is working to ensure that Canada’s wolves are properly managed so that they continue to thrive in the future. Our current efforts are focused on reducing human-wolf conflicts in southwestern Alberta.
Future Wolf Conservation Goals:
Northeast Wolves
Wolves once roamed throughout the northeastern region of the United States until bounty programs, hunting and trapping wiped out the species by the late 1800's. Today, suitable habitat and an adequate prey base in the northeastern forest could provide a home for up to 2,000 wolves. The recovery of this species to its native and historical place in the Northeast is a wolf conservation priority for Defenders.
Southern Rockies Wolves
Wolves once roamed across the southern Rockies of Colorado and neighboring states. But the last Colorado wolf was killed in 1945. Today, Defenders of Wildlife is working to restore wolves to Colorado’s southern Rockies region.
Pacific West Wolves
Gray wolves were once widely distributed throughout the Pacific West, but were eradicated by the early 1900s. Although the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has no current plans to restore wolves to this region, scientific research has identified vast areas of suitable wolf habitat in California, Oregon, and Washington. Defenders is a leading voice for restoring wolves to their natural place on the Pacific West landscape.
