Top predators are an important part of maintaining healthy ecosystems through top-down regulation and their influence on trophic cascades. Eastern Wolves (Canis lycaon cf.) are assessed as threatened in Canada by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and they are largely limited to protected areas of Ontario and Quebec. They have also been assessed as threatened by they Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO) with the new name "Algonquin Wolf" (Canis sp.). Here, I provide resources to help people understand the importance of conserving carnivores and how to coexist among top predators. It also serves as a place to post the latest conservation news about Eastern Wolves and other Canis species. We try to keep this page up to date with wolf conservation news, events, and initiatives - it is a work in progress and we are currently working to update the site for summer 2022.
Photo copyright: Michael Runtz
COSSARO scheduled to assess Algonquin Wolves March 31 - April 1, 2022.
Eastern wolves on the priority list for COSSARO species assessment March 31 - April 1, 2022. Check the list here.
Conserving the Eastern Wolf Population in La Mauricie National Park
Click here to read about Parks Canada initiative in La Mauricie National Park.
August 9, 2020
Read the OpEd by Linda Rutledge in The Conversation (also reprinted through Creative Commons License at Canadian Geographic) on how the provincial government is failing to properly protect Algonquin wolves in Ontario.
Government of Quebec Report on Eastern Wolves (2017)
Identification génétique et répartition spatiale des grands canidés sauvages au Québec. Read the report here.
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Today, the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario released her annual report, "Good Choices, Bad Choices" with a chapter dedicated to conservation of eastern wolves, also called Algonquin wolves in Ontario.
Publication of our research in Diversity and Distributions led to expanded protection for Eastern Wolves in Ontario. The research paper is open access and can be found here. Click here to view the map of Ontario's expanded wolf protection.
Click here to access the Eastern Wolf Survey Photo Gallery. Pictures include field research, outreach programs, and trail cam photos. All photos on this website are copyrighted and permission is required from the copyright holders to use these images for any purpose.