Wolves are some of the coolest animals on the planet. They’ve been interacting with humans for thousands of years. With so many wolf species, many don’t get the attention they deserve, while others hog the spotlight.

Being Aware Of Their Presence

Many people know the gray wolf, but there are far more subspecies that deserve our attention. With wolves nearly populating every continent, it’s no wonder that they come in so many varieties. Some of the following types of wolves are endangered and need all the help they can get. The first step is being aware of their presence.

1. Red Wolf

The red wolf is one of the smallest wolf breeds and that could have contributed to its numbers dying out. By the 1980s, the species was thought to be extinct in the wild.

Thankfully, a number were kept in captivity to keep them from going extinct overall. Since then, they have been reintroduced into the wilds of North Carolina, though their numbers are still extremely low.

2. Mexican Gray Wolf

The Mexican gray wolf is a subspecies of wolf that lives in the southern United States, where it’s much warmer. This breed of wolf, also being small, was nearly hunted to extinction. Efforts to breed them in captivity have kept their numbers up, but only around 100 are known to be in the wild.

3. Arabian Wolf

The Arabian wolf is one of the hardiest wolf species, adapted to the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a small species, weighing only around 40 pounds. However, it is endangered due to hunting and people encroaching on its habitat.

4. Mackenzie River Wolf

Adapted to the cold climate of Canada’s Northern Territories, this wolf breed is large and has a thick coat. With almost no contact with humans, this species has remained largely unnoticed, which means it is a rare species to encounter.

5. Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf

The northern Rocky Mountain Wolf is a large wolf breed with a different-colored coat. It is endangered and lives in the Rocky Mountain regions of Canada and the U.S. Recently, conservation efforts have led to some of the population being introduced to Yellowstone National Park, where it can be seen hunting elk.

6. Vancouver Island Wolf

The Vancouver Island wolf lives on Canada’s Vancouver Island and primarily hunts deer and marine life. They live far from humans, which means they aren’t observed very often. Only 200 wolves are believed to still be on Vancouver Island.

7. Himalayan Wolf

The Himalayan wolf’s small body and thick coat help it stay warm in the harsh mountains of the Himalayas. However, it often encounters farmers and is killed to protect their livestock, making this population vulnerable.

8. Ethiopian Wolf

Most Ethiopian wolves are found in the Bale Mountains National Park in Ethiopia. Weighing only around 35 pounds, they are the smallest wolf species on this list and look almost like coyotes. The wolf is considered endangered and one of the rarest species to spot in the wild.

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20 Endangered Wolves That Could Go Extinct

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