Wolf Count

Did you know that 8,000 years ago there were more than 20 million gray wolves roaming the northern hemisphere? But as time passed the wolves died out. In the middle ages wolves were considered evil creatures of Satan, which not only brought on loads of werewolf folktales, but the deaths of countless wolves. Nowadays, the wolf population is minuscule, and without wolves you don’t have those kickass werewolf stories. Let’s check out the numbers:

  • Wolves were nearly eliminated from Western Europe (except for Italy and Spain) by 1950. The last Japanese wolf was shot in 1905.
  • The world’s present population of gray wolves is estimated to be about 200,000 in 57 countries. Of those 57, less than half provide the gray wolf with any kind of protection against hunters.
  • The North American continent has the largest number of wolves with 11,000 in the United States and about 60,000 in Canada. The reason Canada has so many is due to that fact that much of its 3.5 million square miles is so sparsely populated, allowing wolves to run free in their natural habitat.
  • Since the 1970s wolves have been protected under the Endangered Species Act in the lower United States. Unfortunately Alaska and Canada don’t protect their wolves and thousands of wolves are killed a year (there are a few minor regulations though).
  • As far as wolves in other parts of the world, scientists have not documented a sighting of a wild wolf in Mexico since the 1970s, but the Mexican government has pledged to work with the U.S. in reintroducing wolves along the border.
  • Russia, including Siberia, has around 40,000 wolves spread across 12 time zones and 6.5 million square miles.
  • The largest western European wolf population is in Spain. They only have around 2,000 wolves, yet they still don’t have protection for them. Truth is Spain considers the wolves to be “game animals.” That means it’s legal to hunt them during hunting season, like deer.
  • Italy protects the 400-500 wolves in its borders, and thanks to that the wolf population is increasing.
  • Latvia has around 900 wolves, but the laws permit 400 to be killed a year.
  • Poland also protects their wolves, and has a growing wolf population that’s currently around 800.
  • Portugal tries to protect their wolves, but illegal hunting continues to keep the wolf population low.
  • In the Middle East, Israel has protected its wolves since 1954 and is building a stable population of around 200.
  • Iran has a steady population of around 1,000.
  • In Asia, only China and India protects wolves. India has around 1,300 but the numbers are going down due to loss of habitat. China has around 6,000 wolves.
  • Although Mongolia may have as many as 30,000 wolves, the government doesn’t protect them and their numbers are dropping.
  • There are very very few wolves in Egypt and Jordan, and the little that remains are quickly dying out.

– Moonlight

By moonlight

One of the writers for werewolves.com, as well as vampires.com.

19 comments

  1. Humm, i thought that in Spain we had less than 2000 wolves…
    anyway do u people know bout the Lobo park, its in Antequera, (south of Spain) Its a rlly big park with 5 different kind of wolves, they feed them nd protect them, it can be visited in summer, this is its link
    http://www.lobopark.com/

    Its so totally awesomeEEEE!, just like this web site =D

    1. I’m all in favour of supporting wolves back into proper eco-status, but that desire just ran afoul of reality for me. A couple of weeks ago, a teacher, Candice Berner, while out for her dawn jog was mobbed by wolves who mauled her to death.
      There was no mention of a famine among the wolf. population. They were not starving.
      Candice Berner looks to have been no more than an easy meal … a target of opportunity.

      Candice, a 30-something teacher with the special qualities required to work with ‘Special Needs’ people.

      1. Yea I heard about that and it’s sad, but I also know that the media lies big time and over exaggerates in order to sell papers. Journalists are nothing more than story tellers – they leave facts out, make stuff up and never tell the full truth. So I won’t be siding with anyone on this story, not until I know all the details.

  2. When i was 5 yrs old my mother, father, and i went camping in the woods and late at night i got out and was bitten by a werewolf my mother found me two days after that event and rushed me to the hospidal when we got there the doctor said it was too late and the vemon could not be taken out. To this day i still rember the events and i am now a werewolf. To all of you who want to be a werewolf let me say this…. The vemon is VERY painful.

  3. yea i feel srry but i never told anyone i was a wolf. i dont wanna be hunted im only 12 goin on 13 im young! sigh i hope somday humans will understand us

  4. yea im 11 goin on 12. humans will never understand us i wish they would but all the werewolf movies are givig our kind a bad name, making us look like monsters.

  5. i am in a pack now called shaded sadow wolf pack! the leader is crytal, Im her pup! she is a white wolf! And they leave in alabama! i LOVE THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  6. I thought we were talking about the decrease in gray wolf populations around the world. Yes, I am not a werewolf. But you do realize what will happen if wolves disappear off of the face of the earth. The populations in pray will increase. Plants will start to die out because of the pray animals increase in population. Crating world wide panic we need these carnivores’ animals to keep our plants natural system in order. I live in Canada none of the hunters hunt cougars, wolves or bears. Where I live the wild life comity get really upset if you do that. They are considered endanger in southern Ontario but not in northern Ontario. I live where these bounders cross. Canada is starting to tack care of the wild life and is starting to realize that true beauty comes from nature. Holy cow this is long.

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