The primary threat to gray wolves (Canis lupus) would be either from humans killing or trapping gray wolves, or from habitat loss. Historically these have been the downfall of the gray wolf (Canis lupus) in the lower 48 states, so it would make sense that these threats still remain present, especially given the relatively small population of reintroduced wolves. Back in the late 1800s as ranchers and hunters began pushing out further west, they began to encounter more and more wolves and they also started using more wolf territory as farmland. This led to wolves having less space and less available prey options which caused them to eat the livestock of the farmers. This caused a great push by farmers and hunters to eradicate the gray wolf from the western US and they were successful. Today, wolves still cause problems for farmers in the areas where they have been reintroduced and so the threat of farmers deciding to fight back against the wolves still remains, although there are now much greater legal protections for the wolves. In addition, much of the gray wolves previous habitat is being used by humans and so wolf populations will always face the threat of habitat loss. Lastly, only 66 wolves were reintroduced, meaning that genetic diversity could potentially be a concern for the longevity of the wolves. For example, if a disease were to spread between the wolf packs, it’s possible that all the wolves would be eradicated if none of those original 66 carried a gene that was resistant to the disease.
Gray Wolf (canis lupus). SN bighorn sheep. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2021, from https://www.sierraforestlegacy.org/FC_SierraNevadaWildlifeRisk/GrayWolf.php.
