10/23/2024
It's National Wolf Awareness Week!
This week was established in 1996 by the Defenders of Wildlife to drive meaningful conversations about the ecological importance of wolves and why they need continued protection.
There are two universally recognized species of wolves living in the United States, and those are the gray wolf and the red wolf. There are four subspecies of the gray wolf: the artic, great plains, Mexican, and northwestern. There are no subspecies of red wolves, and they are the most endangered wild animal in the US, with less than 50 individuals left in the wild.
We have 3 amazing northwestern gray wolves: Oconee, Suwanee, and Ogeechee. They are beautiful and playful. They enjoy most of their enrichment and have been seen leaping into trees to grab tasty treats. They are intelligent and have a very keen sense of stranger danger. They remember individuals for a lifetime and form special bonds to those they enjoy being around. They love to play chase and wrestle, but also absolutely love a good nap under the shade of a tree.
It is important to bring awareness to all wolf species within the US because they are a keystone species. Keystone species are those species whose presence significantly impacts the function of the ecosystem. They are apex predators that help keep the herbivore populations in check, which in turn prevents overgrazing and promptes vegetation growth.
Before modern civilization, wolves roamed abundant and free in almost the entire US. Sadly, however, wolf hunting and killing reached a high point in the late 1800 and early 1900's, virtually eradicating all species of wolf. It has been a long and hard battle to build back up their wild numbers for many reasons, the largest being human and animal conflicts.
Numbers of gray wolves are finally on the rise and legislation is being created and supported in order to keep them protected.
It is our sincere hope that the beauty, intelligence, and playfulness of these amazing creatures will inspire you to help them where you can!!!!
