Oct. 11, 2002 Wolves, Then and Now

The history of the wolf goes back millions of years, and they are found in different forms throughout the world. Coyotes, jackals and some dogs have the same paternity. Wolves in the Nipissing District are centered in the safe haven of Algonquin Park, where they have been studied over the years by various biologists and park staff. Knowledge and beliefs have evolved over time in the light of their findings, studies elsewhere, and the attitudes of people.

Drawing by Christine Kerrigan of wolf from new book on wolves. Photos courtesy of the Friends of Algonquin Park.

In the early days of the park after its formation in 1893 and until 1958, wolves were considered a liability and were trapped, shot and poisoned by park rangers as a part of their duties. The main reason for the killing is that the wolf is a meat eater and lives primarily on beaver, deer and moose, which the park wanted preserved for tourist viewing. Wolves are seldom seen. Fifty or sixty wolves were killed in the park most years, with 128 in 1931. Outside the park there was a bounty on them for years, and farmers still have the right to shoot them if they come near their livestock.

Park rangers with a wolf kill in the early days of Algonquin Park. Photos courtesy of the Friends of Algonquin Park.

Living three kilometers from the park, I have an interest in park wildlife and have seen numerous moose, bear and other animals, but never a wolf. My wife and daughter saw a wolf and cub across a beaver pond ten years ago, and I have heard them howl on occasion. The township where I live usually has two or three sheep killed each year by wolves on their excursions from the park, and wolves are seen occasionally by residents. Killed farm animals are paid for by the township at market value, as is the case in most municipalities. A couple of years ago, one sheep farmer lost several sheep, and one man lost a small horse to wolves.

I became interested in wolves recently after reading several articles in the Raven, a publication of the Friends of Algonquin Park produced as a part of their membership and made available through the park's twenty-eight access points. The Friends and the Ministry of Natural Resources have produced various documents on wolves over the years. Sixteen articles on wolves from past issues of the Raven was recently published, covering the period from 1963 to 2001.

Most of the articles are of a semi-scientific nature, but the most recent was a flashback provided to show how there has been a 180 degree turnaround in the attitude of most people toward wolves. The last article in the book is based on a 1928 article in a U.S. publication where Tom Wattie, a park ranger out of South River, was mentioned in detail. A copy of the 1928 article was shown to me by Rhoda Wattie, the wife of Tom's son Gord, while I was doing some research on Tom Tomson who was a friend of Tom Wattie. One of the Wattie relatives drew the park's attention to the artilce and it was published in The Raven in August 2001. The article told in detail about two incidents, one observed by the man from the U.S. where wolves were seen swimming after a deer and were run down, clubbed and drowned.

Most of the other Raven articles show how various facts about wolves have been discovered by researchers and park staff. The most startling discovery, which stopped the ranger kills, was that there is a natural balance of wolves that was almost exactly the same as when they killed fifty to sixty a year. The approximate 150 wolves reproduced each year to a level of about 300 each summer. Depending on the food supply and weather, about 150 primarily very young or old wolves died each winter, making external culling unnecessary.

They also found that in other places where the wolves were eliminated, other animal populations exploded, and besides losing the fascinating wolf, they had other problems. One of the park's biggest events, their wolf howls, began when they used human howls to track packs (five to seven wolves) along the Highway 60 corridor. Today, usually during August, hundreds of visitors gather to hear the wolves (usually) respond to the ranger's howls. Some consider it a thrill of a lifetime on a dark and starry night in the wilderness. There have been well over 100,000 participants to date.

The Raven points out that the pendulum has swung too far from the "big, bad wolf" to an over idealization that can be dangerous. Wolves are basically predators with incredible stamina whose primary motivation, besides reproduction, is food. Cartoons where they have human characteristics and other interpretations that make them like friendly dogs have proven misleading. There have been several incidents in recent years where fearless wolves have approached campsites in the park and in their search for food-- and in their need to show dominance -- have bitten people. For years park people stated that no one had ever been attacked, but now their policy is much more cautious and several overly friendly wolves have been put down to prevent a serious attack, which would have a devastating ripple effect. In the meantime, the larger population continues to be protected by, among other things, the temporary moratorium on their hunting and trapping in thirty-seven townships around the park.

I have only touched on the story of wolves. The Raven book is only $2.95 and has several beautiful illustrations by wildlife artist Christine Kerrigan. They have several other books on wolves. Contact the Friends at www.algonquinpark.on.ca, or phone (613) 637-2828. Fax (613) 637-2138; or by e-mail at orders@algonquinpark.on.ca. You can also ask for their 2002-2003 Merchandise Catalogue to see hundreds of books, videos, maps, posters, clothing, etc. for people with an interest in the out of doors. The Past Forward Company Store also sells a number of Algonquin Park related books.