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The Gray Wolf is a North American mammal closely related to the domestic dog. They are by far the most iconic species of wolf, and are among the best studied animals in the world. Gray Wolves live in packs of around 7-8 composed of a mating pair of adults, and the pair’s offspring. Gray Wolves are monogamous, and mate for life. A pack of Gray Wolves lives in a territory; in the event of the death of one member of a pair, the other is usually able to quickly find a mate. The territory of a pack of Gray Wolves is scent: Urine is used to mark the boundaries, which a Gray Wolf’s nose, 100x stronger than that of a human’s, can pick up. The territory of a Gray Wolf pack can be between 50 to 1000 square miles, depending on how plentiful food is in the area. An adult Gray Wolf will usually eat 30 pounds of meat in a single meal, but can last weeks between meals with no ill effects. Gray Wolves are born blind and deaf, and are cared for until they reach 10 months old.

The Gray Wolf was once the most widespread mammal in the world, but has since gone extinct in many parts of North America. Seen by farmers as a threat to their crops and by others as a threat to their children, the Gray Wolf was nearly hunted to extinction by the early 1900s. Reintroduction and conservation efforts have been very successful: around 100 Gray Wolves are living in Yellowstone National Park today following their reintroduction in 1995. Due to their widespread habitat and steady numbers, the Gray Wolf is of Least Concern. This doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do to help; for the Gray Wolf to remain Least Concern, conservation efforts need to continue.