As a result, tar sands oil companies are destroying a pristine forest the size of England, accelerating the rate of climate change, causing thousands of wolves, bears, migratory birds, and caribou to die, and leaching toxic chemicals into rivers, as downstream communities experience a spike in cancer rates.
Extreme variations in climate may cause the population of wolves on Isle Royale to fluctuate above and below the density threshold.
"Disease, specifically rabies and canine distemper, carried by domesticated animals, even more than habitat destruction and human encroachment, is the main cause of wolf mortality.
Territorial fights are among the principal causes of wolf mortality, with one study concluding that 14 65% of wolf deaths in Minnesota and the Denali National Park and Preserve were due to predation by other wolves.
Livestock depredation has been one of the primary reasons for hunting wolves, and can pose a severe problem for wolf conservation: as well as causing economic losses, the threat of wolf predation causes great stress on livestock producers, and no foolproof solution of preventing such attacks short of exterminating wolves has been found.
The Fish and Wildlife Service has shot 19 wolves to curb their depredation, and Defenders of Wildlife, which has long advocated reintroducing wolves, has paid out $27,000 to stockmen for losses caused by Yellowstone wolves.
In Yellowstone, the extermination of wolves caused the elk population to explode.
As a result of magnetic activity caused by convection, Wolf 359 is a flare star that can undergo sudden increases in luminosity for several minutes.
Tapeworms generally cause little harm in wolves, though this depends on the number and size of the parasites, and the sensitivity of the host.
In the 17th Century, so afraid were they of wolves, mostly rabid wolves, they were cursed in Gallic folklore by the story of Little Red Riding Hood.
Time of day influenced the behavioral response of wolves to human infrastructure, likely caused by the diurnal activity pattern of humans.
