GRAND CANYON, Arizona – Wildlife officials have confirmed that a wolf-like animal seen roaming the land north of the Grand Canyon is a female Rocky Mountain gray wolf. Genetic tests of feces found by biologists identified the nature and gender of the animal that has been seen and photographed in the area since early October, according to a news release from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The confirmation also affirms that the gray wolf is fully protected under the Endangered Species Act.
Sightings of the wolf have indicated she was previously outfitted with a radio collar that appears to be inoperable, as officials haven’t been able to detects a signal from it.
USFWS biologists have attempted to capture the wolf but have thus far been unsuccessful.
“Those efforts were unsuccessful and have been suspended due to cold weather, as our primary concern is the welfare of this animal,” the USFWS release stated. “Any future capture efforts will be for collar and transmitter replacement, and the wolf will be released on site.”
As DNA results have confirmed the female wolf is from the northern Rocky Mountain population, it also confirms she has traveled a distance of 450 miles south.
“The DNA results indicate this wolf traveled at least 450 miles from an area in the northern Rocky Mountains to northern Arizona,” Benjamin Tuggle, USFWS Southwest regional director, said. “Wolves, particularly young wolves, can be quite nomadic dispersing great distances across the landscape. Such behavior is not unusual for juveniles as they travel to find food or another mate.”
Gray wolves have not been observed in the area for more than 70 years, when the last of the animals were removed through a decades-long predator eradication campaign. This female gray wolf is not associated with the Mexican wolf population, a subspecies of gray wolves that are found in Arizona and New Mexico south of Interstate 40.
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This is great news. I only hope that she survives.
My wife and I saw a wolf up on Kaibab 3 years ago. We knew what it was, and no- it was no coyote. It moved like a wolf, and was a very pretty animal.
No one believed us about what we saw; they said wolves werent in the area. Well, we know we were right now! And yes, that sighting was 3 years ago, so they have been in the area for a few years.
your guys do a great job with the news thank you
sumthin tells me, she will be “meeting up” with the local wolves soon.. then we will have a “new species” article in a few years.. maybe.. i feel kinda badly for her, she sounds lonely.
450 miles?
I’m not buying it.
Planted by BLM or forst service.
Give us the location sow we know what area they want to close to the ranchers.
And I can be locked and loaded.
Tough guy, eh?
Buying it. Is nothing but a Bundy worshipping tax dodging freeloader
It’s protected. So therefore you cannot be “locked and loaded” unless you want to be locked away!
Only if you get caught. No criminal, no crime. Just be happy they didn’t claim it to be a musk ox.
idiot
Yep, to bad the first one to spot this dog didn’t take it out.
Too bad you think “to bad” is proper English.
Not Buying It perhaps you have trouble reading. This animal is fully protected. A
Idiots like buying it can’t see past the Bundy swastika
Thank you the update on this story. However I am apauled at the pictures used in the original story. It was a picture of a beastly snarling animal which no longer is used now that it’s been determined what the animal really is. Now it’s a nice photo of the animals true breed. I find it ridiculous for anyone to make such a big deal like that and stir people it’s really not necessary.
Send it back! Not buying the 450 mile trek either. I am amazed at how many people are uneducated on the wildlife destruction of wolves. They kill everything from deer, elk, coyotes and most of all livestock. Not only animal killers but economy killers too.
Smarty wow you just described the human race…. Duhhh
great comment LOL
I agree with you smartypants. My daughter’s teacher told her it didn’t matter if wolves killed live stock. I told my daughter to ask her teacher if she wanted to be personally financially responsible to the rancher for the damage done to him by her beloved wolves. We all know what her answer was. The irony is the teacher lives off of the taxes paid by the rancher. She also eats the beef he produces. No rancher, no taxes. No taxes and Ms teacher does not get paid nor will there be any meat in the store for her to buy. How simple is that? Also my daughter was afraid of a big German Shepard running down the street at us. I said to her here comes your teacher’s favorite wolf. Daughter got my meaning right away. BIG BAD WOLF going to eat you up little girl!
The last thing Utah needs in wolves and all the conspiracy theories about agencies planting them. Look at Wyoming and Montana and the big game loss there. Time for Utah to make a stand with the Fish and Wildlife Service!
This wolf is in AZ not UT.
I sure hope it has an ID card and can prove she’s a citizen of AZ.. if not then she will end up wearing pink underwear
It got’s a green card? No problemo, it’s more than protected, it’s subsidized.
It’s not a alpha or wildlife anything. It’s someone’s pet you “goofed”. Alphas don’t jog to Mexico for “kicks” shorelinEs 8) be kind/rewind cool story but take him to a shelter so one of us can feed and love him~
It doesn’t belong there. The fish and wildlife service needs to capture it (her) and transport back to Yellowstone so she can starve to death with the rest of her destructive family.
So why not relocate her back up north
Time for Utah to make a stand and eradicate about a million humans.. Leave the wolf alone, it’s not mans job to play God.. Maybe she’ll find some big ole Alpha coyote and he’ll make her his (…).. Then we’ll see the the results of man playing God.. Won’t that be great fun ? Man eating hybrid coyotes..
Ed. ellipsis
Yeah as long as your the first one shot
Agreed. The only population that we should control is our own.
After you, Maam.
KingofPain, It’s so easy to sit back and condemn all humans to extinction. Where would you start? Maybe the little black kid down the street because he’s different than you? Maybe you’ll start with all the Tea Partiers, because you don’t like them. How about the Asians, since there aren’t a whole bunch in Saint George anyway and that would just be easy for you. Maybe we could start with your mother or grandmother, but wait, that’s too close to home? How about the baby suckling from it’s mother’s breast at the mall, because that bothers you? Are you going to pull that infant away by the ankles and dash its head to the ground while the mother screams in horror? How about you start the first blow as you hold a club over your little nephew’s face as his eyes look up at you so innocently. Maybe your own children? Where does it start? Where does it end? Will you appoint yourself as the judge, the leader who makes the decision to exterminate your own friends and neighbors? I guess its easy when you think of mankind as masses and not living, breathing individuals. I feel sorry for you. Hitler would have loved you!
450 miles…..dont think so. More to this story than being told.
It’s amazing how many wildlife experts we have in the area and that they know our regional wildlife expert is wrong and somehow involved in a conspiracy to fool people about this wolf (or is it?) and her travels. Reminds me of the chicken-little story, “The sky is falling, the sky is falling!” – now the mantra of those who live in fear and paranoia about any federal agency.
I thought I was an idiot! Then I read comments on here and feel like a wise man! But I know I’m still an idiot.
You are an idiot.
LOL
Speaking of wild animals in our back yards, What ever happened to the mountain lion & offspring spotted/ reported last week in the 600 n 400 w area of St. George?
I can only hope to shoot that thing dead while I’m out coyote hunting north of the ditch this year- if I’m lucking to get it I will hang it’s dead body from a BLM or Forest service sign –
I can’t stand people like you that have to destroy every living creature you come across. Your a sick individual, may God have mercy on you.
I hope a mountain lion tears you to shreds. scumbag!
My, my did he ever yank you Best Friends memorial chain.
Well I bet the wolf is smarter than you
This is such a lovely part of the country filled with intelligent, thoughtful, law-abiding and well-educated people. It makes a body proud.
Take your hat off, change your socks and stay a while Anthropologist. You sounds like your fitting right in. (Hum), you don’t get on- line all the time using the Washington County jail computer system , do you?
Nah, but I don’t always get wi-fi in my handcart.
I was just going to say, I’m glad you are just visiting, we sure as heck don’t need the likes of you here to save us.
Save you? LOL
Oh you people….your memories are so short. Theodore Roosevelt, a man widely known for his environmental activism, declared the wolf as “the beast of waste and destruction” and called for its eradication for good reason. I hope one of these “majestic” animals shows up in your yard so you can take a really close look.
I think it’s awesome this wolf has traveled so far. I hope she lives a good life.
I believe a “wolves only” highway is a good way to keep those animals who trek 450-miles safe. Maybe a fundraiser is in order. #wolves.only.highway
i hope they kill it! The only good wolf is a dead wolf!
No need to worry about a wild wolf. There are thousands of mountain lions in Utah, but I doubt anyone has ever seen one or been harmed by one. Same goes for the wild wolf.
Yeah the doctor slapped your mother for having you
She slapped him back and said “it isn’t mine!”
All you animal best friends, environmental, tree huggers should leave society and go back to living in caves fighting off the wolves with a stick.
We would but you already have a stick and live in cave.. we can hold a fundraiser for you so you can make some shoes for your stupid ugly kids if that helps. or as you would say in caveman.. ugga mugga ooga ooh ooh nugga nugga booga booga
Can’t give much credence to the crowd that tells me we need to issue thousands of deer tags (to hunters with ATVs, bows and rifles) to keep the deer population “under control”–but thinks that a lone wolf at the Grand Canyon is going to devastate the deer population. Methinks they are just a wee bit self serving.
Hunters don’t kill cattle and sheep wolves do. BIG difference. Also this wolf won’t be “lone” for long.
Wolves and deer did a pretty good job of regulating their population together for thousands of years…..until humans decided cattle and sheep were more important. That pretty much wiped out the wolves, as well as all the natural grasses and forage for the deer. Actually, it pretty well wipes out everything but the humans. No worries though; our own arrogance will destroy our habitat and thin our herd very soon.
I once hiked in that area and was so hungry I wolfed down my food. I don’t think anyone saw me.