Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Arctic Wolf

Such beautiful creatures and very much maligned. Photographed at the Calgary Zoo - I'm never likely to get a chance to see them in the wild, but would love to. "The Arctic Wolf (Canis lupus arctos), also called Polar Wolf or White Wolf, is a mammal of the Canidae family, and a subspecies of the Gray Wolf. Arctic Wolves inhabit the Canadian Arctic, Alaska and the northern parts of Greenland." From Wikipedia. "Originally, the Grey Wolf was the world's most widely distributed mammal. It has become extinct in much of Western Europe, in Mexico and much of the USA, and their present distribution is more restricted; wolves occur primarily in wilderness and remote areas. Their original worldwide range has been reduced by about one-third by poisoning and deliberate persecution due to depredation on livestock. Since about 1970, legal protection, land-use changes and rural human population shifts to cities have arrested wolf population declines and fostered reintroduction and natural recolonization in parts of its range. Continued threats include competition with humans for livestock, especially in developing countries, exaggerated concern by the public regarding the threat and danger of wolves, and fragmentation of habitat, with resulting areas becoming too small for populations with long-term viability. Although the Grey Wolf still faces some threats, its relatively widespread range and stable population trend mean that the species does not meet, or nearly meet, any of the criteria for the threatened categories. Therefore, it is assessed as Least Concern." From www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/3746

On a couple of occasions when I've been at the Calgary Zoo, I happened to be near the Wolves when sirens were heard in the distance. Just like Coyotes in the wild, the captive Wolves lift their head and "howl" along with the sirens. It's quite an experience to both see and hear them do this. This white, female is an Arctic Wolf and she is the dominant one in the enclosure, which she shares with three female Timber Wolves.

This Arctic Wolf shares a large enclosure with three Gray Wolves at the Calgary Zoo. She is the dominant one of the group. "The Arctic Wolf (Canis lupus arctos), also called Polar Wolf or White Wolf, is a mammal of the Canidae family, and a subspecies of the Gray Wolf. ..... The Arctic Wolf is the only subspecies of the Gray Wolf that still can be found over the whole of its original range, largely because, in their natural habitat, they rarely encounter humans." From Wikipedia.

This beautiful Arctic Wolf at the Calgary Zoo was far in the distance of the enclosure. A gorgeous creature. Not sure if this white one is a female and the others males. (No, all are females).

Ended up using my old Canon S3 IS for a while when I was at the Zoo last time. I had accidentally moved the Diopter setting on the new camera, so I thought everything was not focussing. This group of three Timber Wolves and one Arctic Wolf is interesting to watch. LOL, I heard a rustling sound in a tree just within their enclosure and I soon found out why the Wolves were so interested in that little area. A peacock emerged, looking somewhat dishevelled and, I suspect, with a few tail feathers missing! Would love to see a Wolf in the wild ...maybe one day...