| Manitoba Wolf | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Canidae |
| Genus: | Canis |
| Species: | C. lupus |
| Subspecies: | C. l. griseoalbus |
| Trinomial name | |
| Canis lupus griseoalbus Baird, 1858[1] |
|
The Manitoba Wolf (Canis lupus griseoalbus), also known as the Grey-white Wolf,[2] is a subspecies of the gray wolf, Canis lupus, that used to roam in Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. They are believed by many to simply be Hudson Bay Wolf. [3]
In the early 19th century, a naturalist named John Richardson first cataloged the Manitoba Wolf and gave it its taxonomic name.[4] The species itself was highly prized for its fur[5] and was hunted to extinction in the wild in the early 20th century. However, specimens were kept and bred in captivity and re-introduced in 1995 in the area around Yellowstone National Park.This has led to a public outcry in the area and in Colorado, as the species is far larger than the timber wolf that is natural to the area and over-predation is a high concern.[6][7]