ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — Scientists confirmed that a large animal shot by a hunter in central New York was a wild gray wolf, the first verified and documented case of the species south of the St. Lawrence River in decades. The discovery proves that wolves occasionally travel hundreds of miles into the state from populations in Canada and the Great Lakes.
Researchers from the New York State Museum and Princeton University used DNA testing to identify the wolf, killed in December 2021 in Cherry Valley. The specimen is now displayed at the state museum in Albany to help the public understand the relationship between wolves and coyotes.
Identification took so long because it’s so difficult to distinguish a wolf from a coyote. Wolves typically have blockier snouts and smaller, rounded ears compared to the pointed ears and narrow snouts of coyotes. The wolf in question weighed 84 pounds, significantly heavier than eastern coyotes that rarely exceed 50 pounds. But male wolves typically weigh between 70 and 145 pounds.
Proposal pushes DNA testing to protect wolves mistaken for coyotes in NY
Eastern coyotes or coywolves, a common hybrid species that colonized New York after wolves were wiped out, are larger than their western cousins. They confuse hunters and wildlife officials alike, because the average coyote in New York is about 25% wolf, though ancestry can range from 16% to 42%. To solve the mystery of the Cherry Valley grey wolf, the research team compared genomes of 435 sampled wolves, coyotes, and dogs…