According to an article on Boston.com, the Grey Wolf has not been in Massachusetts in about 160 years. Last fall, a wild Eastern gray wolf was seen on a farm Western Massachusetts before it was shot and killed after it had mauled over a dozen lambs. The Wolf was completely run out of Massachusetts by hunters in the 1850's, to eliminate the threat to their livestock.

Scientists are excited to find a Grey wolf in New England, and say that it probably didn't breed here, but instead came from Canada or the Great Lakes region. The populations of moose, beaver, and deer were also nearly wiped out, but have bounced back and are now in abundance. Researchers feel that if the Grey Wolf came back to the Northeast, that it may restore balance in this eco system that has been overrun by deer as of late.

There is mystery surrounding how the wolf got to Mass, but researchers are thinking that it must've traveled alone, hundreds of miles, crossing highways and many other obstacles. This is an amazing feat for the wolf, and even though it was only one lone wolf, it shows real promise for the animal to make a resurgence in the deep New England woods.

Share