List of grey wolf populations by country

Though once abundant over much of North America and Eurasia, the gray wolf inhabits a very small portion of its former range because of widespread destruction of its habitat, human encroachment of its habitat, and the resulting human-wolf encounters that sparked broad extirpation. Considered as a whole, however, the gray wolf is regarded as being of least concern for extinction according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Today, wolves are protected in some areas, hunted for sport in others, or may be subject to extermination as perceived threats to people, livestock and pets.

Wolves tend to have difficulty adapting to change, and are often referred to as an indicator species; a species delineating an ecoregion or indicating an environmental condition such as a disease outbreak, pollution, species competition or climate change. Wolves do not seem to be able to adapt as readily to expanding civilisation the way coyotes do. While human expansion has seen an increase in the latters numbers, it has caused a drop in those of the former.cite book | author= Coppinger, Ray | url=http://www.amazon.com/Dogs-Understanding-Canine-Behavior-Evolution/dp/0226115631/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204465887&sr=1-1 | title=Dogs: a Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior and Evolution | year=2001 | pages= p352 | id= ISBN 0684855305 ]

Europe and Russia

Greenland has a population of 50-100 wolves which are afforded protection in approximately 90% of their range, though no compensation is paid for livestock damages.cite book | author= L. David Mech & Luigi Boitani | url = | title=Wolves: Behaviour, Ecology and Conservation | year=2001 | pages= p 448 | id= ISBN 0226516962 ]

Portugal has a stable wolf population of 200-300 which is afforded full protection. Compensation is paid for livestock damages.

Spain's wolf population is estimated at 2000 and growing. Wolves are considered a game species, though they are protected in the southern regions of the country. Compensation is paid for livestock damages, though this varies according to regional laws.

In Italy, wolves are a protected species, with current estimates indicating that there are 500-800 wolves living in the wild. The largest concentrations of wolves occur in the alps and the Italian national parks of Pollino, Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise and Appennino Tosco-Emiliano. Isolated individuals have been sighted in the vicinity of human populated areas such as Tuscany, Bologna, Parma and Tarquinia. Wolves have also been sighted denning 25 miles from Rome, with one small population living in the regional park of Castelli Romani. [it icon [http://www.parks.it/parco.castelli.romani/par.html Parco Regionale dei Castelli Romani] ] [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E02E7D9133BF937A25750C0A9669C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all Wolves: From Brink of Extinction to the Edge of the City] ] Currently, Italian wolf populations are said to have been increasing at a rate of 6% a year since the 1970s, though 15% of the total Italian wolf population is reported to succumb annually to illegal poaching and road accidents.it iconcite book | author= Luigi Boitani & Paolo Ciucci | title="Il Lupo: Operazione San Francesco" from "Salvati dall' Arca" | year=2006 | pages= pp.663 | id=ISBN 9788883723803 ] Compensation is paid by regional governments for livestock damages. Italy's leading wolf biologist, professor Luigi Boitani of the Sapienza University of Rome, expressed concern that the Italian wolf recovery may have been too successful, due to a large portion of the public refusing to concede to the possibility of rising wolf populations requiring management in the future.

Wolves migrated from Italy to France as recently as 1992, and the current French wolf population is said to be composed of 40-50 individuals and growing. Estimates in 2005 put the figure at between 80 and 100. [Christian Science Monitor, 3 Nov 2005 [http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1103/p12s02-sten.html] ] Under the Berne Convention, wolves are listed as an endangered species and killing them is illegal. Official culls are permitted to protect farm animals so long as there is no threat to the national population as a whole. [ [http://www.wolfsongalaska.org/gray_wolf_europe_cull.htm Wolf Song of Alaska: France's Bardot Demands EU Action on Wolf Cull ] ] Compensation is paid for livestock damages.Wolves were first spotted in Germany in 1998, and are thought to have migrated from western Poland.cite web | url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,467205,00.html | title = The Return of Wolves to Germany | work = | publisher = Spiegel online | accessdate = 2007-02-07] Currently, there are around 35 wolves in 4 packs now roaming the heaths of the eastern German region of Lusatia, and they are now still expanding their range to the west and north.cite web | url=http://www.wolfsregion-lausitz.de/index.php?article_id=12&clang | title = Aktueller Bestand in der Lausitzer Wolfsregion | work = | publisher = Wolfsregion Lausitz online | accessdate = 2007-11-02] Under German law, wolves are a protected species, though there are no livestock damage compensation programmes.

The number of wolves in Switzerland is uncertain, having been guessed at 1-2 individuals. Wolves are afforded protection, and livestock damage compensation is paid by Cantons.

Norway currently has a stable, protected population of 15-20 wolves which is increasing. Compensation is paid for livestock damages.

Sweden has a protected population of 70-80 wolves and growing, and compensation is paid for livestock damages.

Finland has a stable population of 100 wolves which is increasing. Wolves are legally hunted only in areas with high reindeer densities. Compensation for livestock losses are paid by the state and insurance companies.

Poland has an increasing population of 700-800 wolves which are afforded legal protection except in the Bieszczady Mountains. Compensation for livestock losses is not paid.

Estonia is thought to have a wolf population of 500, though it is decreasing as the species is outlawed, and no livestock compensation is in effect, as the insurance is considered too expensive.

Lithuania has over 600 wolves which are increasing in number. The species is not protected, and only insured livestock receives compensation.

Latvia has an unprotected, yet stable population of 900 wolves. No compensation is paid for livestock damages.

Belarus is home to an increasing population of 2,000-2,500 wolves. With the exception of specimens in nature reserves, wolves in Belarus are largely unprotected. They are designated a game species, and bounties ranging between €60 and €70 are paid to hunters for each wolf killed. This is a considerable sum in a country where the average monthly wage is €230. [www.wolf.org/wolves/news/iwmag/2006/fall/wow_belarus.pdf] No compensation is paid for livestock losses.

Ukraine has an unprotected, yet stable population of 2,000 wolves. No compensation is paid for livestock losses. Many of the wolves live in the Zone of alienation north of Chernobyl, where they face few natural threats. This applies equally to the Belarusian part of the zone. [www.whatson-kiev.com/index.php?go=News&in=view&id=4806]

The Czech Republic has a stable and protected population of 20 wolves, though there are no livestock damage compensation programmes.

Slovakia has a stable population of 350-400 wolves which is protected, though with some exceptions. No compensation is paid for livestock losses.

Slovenia has a population of 70-100 wolves and increasing. As of 1991, they are a protected species, and compensation is paid for livestock losses.Fact|date=August 2008

Croatia has a population of 100-150 wolves and increasing. As of May 1995, they are a protected species, and the willful killing of wolves can result in a fine equivalent to $6,000. However, according to Dr. Djuro Huber of the University of Zagreb, wolf killings increased after the protection scheme began, resulting in the deaths of 40 wolves. Compensation is paid for livestock losses.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is thought to have a population of 400 wolves, though they are decreasing in number and are afforded no legal protection. Compensation for livestock losses is not paid.

Serbia and Montenegro (dissolved in 2006) had a stable population of 500 wolves, though it is unknown if they are afforded any protection and no compensation is paid for livestock damages.

Hungary has a stable population of 50 wolves which are protected, though with some exceptions. No compensation is paid for livestock damages.

Romania has an increasing population of 2,500 wolves which are granted legal protection. Some wolves have successfully established themselves in Braşov. No compensation is paid for livestock damages.

Bulgaria has a stable population of 800-1,000 wolves which are granted no legal protection. Wolves are considered a nuisance and have an active bounty on them.cite web | url = http://ukwolf.org/uk-wolf/71 | title = Bulgaria | work = | publisher = | accessdate = 2007-09-10] No compensation is paid for livestock damages.

Greece has a stable population of 200-300 wolves which are legally protected. Compensation is paid for livestock losses, with over 80% of it from insurance.

The Republic of Macedonia has an increasing, yet unprotected population of 1,000 wolves, with no livestock compensation programmes.

Albania has a protected population of 250 wolves which are increasing in number, though no compensation is paid for livestock losses.

Turkey has an unknown number of wolves thought to be as high as 1,000. It is not known if they are increasing or decreasing, and no legal protection nor livestock damage compensation is granted.

Although wolves in Russia have no legal protection, they number 25,000-30,000, and are increasing in number. They are common in the Koryak Okrug and Kalmykia, and are often sighted in large numbers in Voronezh, Lipetsk and outside Moscow.ru iconcite web | url = http://gazeta.aif.ru/online/aif/1102/07_02| title = Волки: серое нашествие | work = | publisher = Аргументы и факты | accessdate = 2008-08-14] However, they live in comparatively few numbers in the Sikhote-Alin region due to competition with increasing tiger numbers.cite web | url = http://www.savethetigerfund.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Search1&template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentFileID=559 |title = Tigers and Wolves in the Russian Far East: Competitive Exclusion, Functional Redundancy, and Conservation Implications | publisher = savethetigerfund.org | accessdate = 2008-07-09] This competetive exclusion of wolves by tigers has been used by Russian conservationists to convince hunters in the Far East to tolerate the big cats, as they limit ungulate populations less than wolves, and are effective in controlling the latters numbers. ["Wildlife Science: Linking Ecological Theory and Management Applications", By Timothy E. Fulbright, David G. Hewitt, Contributor Timothy E. Fulbright, David G. Hewitt, Published by CRC Press, 2007, [ISBN 0849374871] ] No livestock damage compensation is paid.

Asia

Syria has an unprotected, unknown number of wolves, thought to be roughly numbering 200. No livestock damage compensation is paid.

Lebanon has a population of 50 wolves which are afforded no legal protection, nor is livestock damage compensation is paid.
Israel has a stable population of 150 unprotected wolves. No livestock damage compensation paid.

Jordan has an unprotected, unknown number of wolves, thought to be roughly numbering 200. No livestock damage compensation is paid.

Saudi Arabia has a stable population of 300-600 wolves which are given no legal protection. No livestock damage compensation is paid.

India has a decreasing population of roughly 1,000 wolves which are legally protected. No livestock damage compensation is paid.

The People's Republic of China considers wolves a "catastrophe" and claims that they live in only twenty percent of their former habitat in the northern regions of the country. [ [http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=2774&pst=172295 Wolf Subspecies - Wolflovers Group - Care2.com ] ] Wolves in China appear to be decreasing in all their ranges. Currently, Cheiludjiang has roughly 500 wolves, Xinjiang has 10,000 and Tibet has 2,000. In 2006, the Chinese government began plans to auction licenses to foreigners to hunt wild animals, including wolves. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4775335.stm BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | China to promote wild animal hunt ] ] No livestock damage compensation is paid.

Mongolia has a stable population of 10,000-20-000 wolves which are given no legal protection, nor is livestock damage compensation is paid.

Kazakhstan has a stable population of about 30,000 wolves. About 2,000 are killed yearly for a $40 bounty, though the animal’s numbers have risen sharply.cite web | url = http://www.nwf.org/nationalwildlife/article.cfm?issueID=115&articleID=1473
title = Is Kazakhstan Home to the World’s Largest Wolf Population? | work = Christopher Pala | publisher = National Wildlife Federation | accessdate = 2007-09-28] No livestock damage compensation is paid.

Turkmenistan has a stable population of 1,000 wolves which are unprotected. No livestock damage compensation is paid.

Uzbekistan has a stable population of 2,000 wolves which are unprotected. No livestock damage compensation is paid.

Kirgizstan has a stable population of 4,000 wolves which are unprotected. No livestock damage compensation is paid.

Tajikistan has a stable population of 3,000 wolves which are unprotected. No livestock damage compensation is paid.

There are currently no recent or reliable estimates on wolf populations in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Nepal and Bhutan.

North America

Canada has over 52,000-60,000 wolves which are legally considered a big game species, though they are afforded protection in 3% of Canada's territory. The Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon have 5,000 wolves each, British Columbia has 8000 wolves, Alberta 4,200, Saskatchewan 4,300, Manitoba 4,000-6,000, Ontario 9,000, Quebec 5,000 and Labrador 2,000. Canada currently has no livestock damage compensation programmes.The United States as a whole has up to 9,000 wolves which are increasing in number in all their ranges. Wolf recovery has been so successful that the United States Fish & Wildlife Service removed the western grey wolf from the federal endangered species list on March 28, 2008.cite web | url = http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/mammals/wolf/ | title = U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Gray Wolf webpage.| work = | publisher = U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service | accessdate = 2008-04-23] Due to the controversy over wolf shootings, a coalition of environmental groups sued the federal government to put the gray wolf back on the Endangered Species list.cite web | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/13/us/13wolves.html?_r=1&ref=environment&oref=slogin | title = New York Times article on gray wolf controversy, 4/13/08 | work = | publisher = New York Times | accessdate = 2008-04-23] On July 18, 2008, a federal judge ruled in favor of renewed endangered species protection.cite web | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/19/us/19wolves.html | title = Judge Returns Gray Wolves to Endangered List | work = | publisher = New York Times | accessdate = 2008-07-19]
Alaska has a stable population of 6,000-7,000 wolves which are legally hunted from August to April as a big game species.cite web | url = http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mammals/wolves/mgmt.html
title = Wolf management| work = | publisher = Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | accessdate = 2008-01-13]
Minnesota has a population of 2,500 wolves which are legally protected, though they are occasionally culled for depredation control. Minnesota is currently the only US state to have a livestock damage compensation programme. Minnesota has been granted complete control over its wolf population, and its wolf management plan establishes a minimum population of 1600 wolves.cite web | url = http://www.ualberta.ca/~jzgurski/population.html
title = Wolf populations around the worldand their status| work = | publisher = | accessdate = 2008-01-13]
Montana has population of 70 wolves which are legally protected.
Idaho has a population of 185 wolves which though protected, is considered merely experimental and nonessential.
Wyoming has 165 wolves, which like in Idaho, are considered merely experimental.
Michigan has 200 wolves which are legally protected.
Wisconsin, like Michigan, has a population of 200 legally protected wolves.Two gray wolves were captured in north-central Washington state in July 2008, one of which was a nursing female. This is the first evidence of reproducing wolves in the state since the 1930s.cite web | url = http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008060710_wolves19m.html | title = State biologists capture Okanogan wolves | work = | publisher = Seattle Times | accessdate = 2008-07-19] In northeast Oregon, also in July 2008, wolf howls were heard by biologists who identified at least 2 adults and 2 cubs. This is the first confirmed breeding pair in Oregon.cite web | title = Wolves breeding again in Oregon | url = http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/121669711311520.xml&coll=7|publisher= The Oregonian|date=2008-07-22]

The wolf has been extirpated from Mexico since the 1970s when the U.S. and Mexican governments cooperated to capture all remaining wild Mexican wolves and initiate a captive-breeding program in an attempt to save the local subspecies. The Mexican Wolf was reintroduced into the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest in Arizona in 1998 as part of a captive breeding program. There are now at least 59 wild Mexican wolves in the American southwest.cite web | url = http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/mexicanwolf/pdf/Table_1_Mx_wolf_population_count_03082007.pdf
title = Mexican Wolf Blue Range Reintroduction Project Statistics| work = | publisher = USFWS | accessdate = 2008-01-13|format=PDF]

References