Mackenzie Valley wolf

		Mackenzie Valley wolf
		He is a wild animal


Origin			Canada
Translation			Francis Vandersteen

The possession of this animal is not authorized Royal Decree establishing the list of mammals not kept for production purposes that may be kept (M.B. 24.08.2009)

The Canis lupus occidentalis, also known as the Mackenzie Valley wolf, Alaskan wolf, timber wolf or Rocky Mountain wolf, was classified as a subspecies of gray wolf in 1829 by Sir John Richardson, MD. subspecies of wolf in North America.

Mackenzie Valley wolves inhabit much of western Canada and Alaska, including Unimak Island. In 1995-1996, they were brought from Canada to re-establish populations in Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho. In Alaska, wolf packs are generally between 6 and 12 wolves strong, although some are as large as 20 to 30. Their territory in Alaska is around 1,550 square kilometers. In Yellowstone, the average pack size is 9.2 wolves, with an average area of 900 sq. km. In Idaho, the average pack size is 11.1, with territories averaging 945 sq. km.

Average males weigh between 45 and 66 kg, with females weighing approximately 10 to 20 percent less. The heaviest recorded was captured in Alaska in 1939, weighing 79.5 kg. Although the Guinness Book of Animal World Records mentions an unconfirmed specimen weighing 104 kg. They measure 81 to 91 cm in shoulder height and 1.52 to 2.15 m in length, from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail. Their long, powerful legs enable them to cover distances of up to 110 km a day, and through rough terrain such as deep snow. They can reach speeds of up to 65 km per hour for short periods of time. Their skull is about 30 cm long. A combination of powerful jaw and neck muscles enables them to break bones and bring down large prey.

The size of Mackenzie Valley wolves is due in part to their great abundance of food. They will hunt bison, elk, caribou, muskox, moose, Dall sheep, Sitka deer, mountain goat, beaver, ground squirrel, vole, snowshoe hare, lemming and salmon.

The breeding season is generally in February. Dominant males and females in the pack breed to try to maintain pack strength. Usually, 63 days after mating, 4 to 6 cubs are born. They leave the den in 4 to 6 weeks, and by autumn are big enough to travel and hunt with the pack. They become adults in 6 to 8 months, reaching sexual maturity at around 22 months.

Like most other wolves, human activity (hunting, trapping, etc.) is by far the greatest threat. However, the protection afforded to the Mackenzie Valley wolf has enabled its population to increase dramatically. The wolf population in Alaska was estimated at between 7,000 and 10,000 in 2006. The wolf population in the northern Rockies (Greater Yellowstone area, northwest Montana and Idaho) was estimated at around 1,200 and growing. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided to remove the gray wolf from the federal endangered species list for the northern Rockies and western Great Lakes. Courts have overturned past attempts to remove them from the list. Legal battles are expected.