Wolf Subspecies In North American Zoos

[Brayden Delashmutt]

Hey! I was wondering if anyone has data on which Wolf subspecies are/aren't kept in North American Zoos, and where they're kept. In particular, I'm interested in where Arctic are kept and if any populations are even pure Arctic at all. Anyways, thoughts?

 

[Wisp O' Mist]

Hey! I was wondering if anyone has data on which Wolf subspecies are/aren't kept in North American Zoos, and where they're kept. In particular, I'm interested in where Arctic are kept and if any populations are even pure Arctic at all. Anyways, thoughts?

Red and Mexican wolves are commonly bred in zoos for reintroduction projects.

Northwestern wolves (AKA: The Mackenzie Valley wolf/Alaskan timber wolf/Canadian timber wolf) are in zoos as well. They aren't bred, functioning instead as ambassador animals for their wild counterparts. Most are rescues from the wild or problem animals who had to be removed after becoming habituated to people.

I've seen Arctic wolves in wolf sanctuaries, don't know of any in zoos. Although I'm doubtful that many, if any, of them are "purebred". Most seem to have been rescued from the private trade.

 

[Great Argus]

Red and Mexican wolves are commonly bred in zoos for reintroduction projects.

Red Wolf is now usually considered its own species rather than a subspecies of lupus.

 

[JVM]

I know you're probably looking for current information, not out of date, but in case it helps: I believe Arctic wolves were held at Milwaukee County Zoo in the recent past. I think they switched to timber wolves for some time before they went out of wolves entirely, but I may be incorrect.

I think Brookfield was once misreported as holding Arctic wolves when they held Northern timber wolves. They switched to Mexican gray wolves in 2003 with a single northern wolf persisting for a year or so after the Mexican gray wolves joined the zoo.

In general, Arctic and northern wolves have been phased out a lot in favor of the Mexican gray wolf and red wolf programs, since they are highly endangered, especially since many zoos only have space for one wolf exhibit and some have gone out entirely. (Milwaukee, Denver)

 

[Great Argus]

I know you're probably looking for current information, not out of date, but in case it helps: I believe Arctic wolves were held at Milwaukee County Zoo in the recent past. I think they switched to timber wolves for some time before they went out of wolves entirely, but I may be incorrect.

I think Brookfield was once misreported as holding Arctic wolves when they held Northern timber wolves. They switched to Mexican gray wolves in 2003 with a single northern wolf persisting for a year or so after the Mexican gray wolves joined the zoo.

In general, Arctic and northern wolves have been phased out a lot in favor of the Mexican gray wolf and red wolf programs, since they are highly endangered, especially since many zoos only have space for one wolf exhibit and some have gone out entirely. (Milwaukee, Denver)

Most to potentially all of those Arctic wolves are probably mixed subspecies - very few facilities have had pure Arctic Wolves on either side of the pond in recent years at least. The subspecies purity status of most gray wolves in NA other than the SSP Mexican gray is pretty muddled.

 

[birdsandbats]

I'm pretty sure baileyi is the only pure subspecies around in American zoos, at least the only one around in decent numbers. Some pure occidentalis might also be around. Plus Domestic Dog, Dingo, NGSD and Red Wolf if you want to count them.

Any claimed captive lycaon you see will be hybrids with other (sub)species.

 

[kermodei]

Speaking locally, the Greater Vancouver Zoo had a pack of Arctic wolves up until very recently, though how pure their genetics were is unknown to me. Said pack has since been replaced by 13 grey wolves.

@snowleopard Didn't the zoo also house a few Vancouver Island wolves back in the day, too?

 

[elefante]

The privately owned Bear Country USA has Arctic wolves. I've actually only managed to see Mexican wolves at Dakota Zoo in Bismarck. Everywhere else I've been except Bear Country has exhibited gray wolves of likely variable heritage.

It's a shame there are no Indian or Arabian wolves in North America.

 

[Great Argus]

The privately owned Bear Country USA has Arctic wolves.

Highly doubt they're pure - a lot of places slap "Arctic" on any white wolf for extra wow factor. I see they claim Timber as well, likely mixed.

 

[snowleopard]

Speaking locally, the Greater Vancouver Zoo had a pack of Arctic wolves up until very recently, though how pure their genetics were is unknown to me. Said pack has since been replaced by 13 grey wolves.

@snowleopard Didn't the zoo also house a few Vancouver Island wolves back in the day, too?

Yes, the Greater Vancouver Zoo did have some Vancouver Island Wolves up until perhaps a dozen years ago. They were replaced by "Arctic Wolves" and now there are Grey Wolves. Perhaps the Vancouver Island group simply died out via old age?

 

[elefante]

Highly doubt they're pure - a lot of places slap "Arctic" on any white wolf for extra wow factor. I see they claim Timber as well, likely mixed.

They probably aren't pure. Technically timber wolf isn't a specific subspecies name either though. White wolves can occur in many populations. I've even seen one in Yellowstone.

 

[birdsandbats]

They probably aren't pure. Technically timber wolf isn't a specific subspecies name either though. White wolves can occur in many populations. I've even seen one in Yellowstone.

"Timber Wolf" generally refers to lycaon or at the very least hybrids with a high degree of lycaon heritage and/or phenotype.

 

[Brayden Delashmutt]

Also, out of curiosity does anyone know of the history of wolves in USA zoos? How common were the historically? Were any extinct subspecies ever held in zoos, even temporarily?