Eastern Wolf (aka Algonquin Wolf) - 32.5% to 35.5% Coyote and the rest is Grey Wolf.
Red Wolf - 76% Coyote and 24% Grey Wolf.
Eastern Coyote (A cesspool of genes and varies with regions) In the Atlantic Provinces - 62% Coyote, 14% Grey Wolf, 13% Eastern Wolf and 11% Domestic Dog.
Obviously, the most dominant DNA of a species will dictate the appearance and behavior of any animal. With so much Grey Wolf DNA in the Eastern Wolf it is more wolf like than coyote like. They even howl like wolves and people pay money to go listen to them howl in Algonquin Park.
The issue is not whether of not they should or shouldn`t be classified as a separate species. If they were confined to the Parks that argument would be moot. Unfortunately, the Eastern Wolves routinely leave the invisible borders of the parks and enter the townships that border them.
The issue is that the government expanded the area around the parks to the townships bordering the parks and banned the hunting and trapping of coyotes in them in order to protect the Eastern Wolves. Obviously, that was a bitter pill to swallow for not only Trappers and hunters, but also for livestock owners in those townships. SSS is at work with many residents.
I sympathize with everyone in the townships effected by the expansion of the protected area outside of the Parks and I support them in getting that quashed. Protect the Eastern Wolf within the boundaries of the parks, fine. If they leave the confines of the park then they should be fair game. For me there's no doubt in my mind that they aren't just a coyote though.
If anyone thinks that further DNA testing of the Eastern Wolf is going to prove that these animals are merely coyotes they`re howling up the wrong tree. IMO what they should be focusing their energy on is fighting the reasons for expanding the protected area into the townships. THAT`S where they might be able to make headway but I`m sure that they are already fighting that battle.
Marty, although I admire your desire to help ON Trappers with this issue, like I stated, it is complex. It`s not as easy as lighting your hair on fire and declaring that it`s an anti-trapping conspiracy that will be the catalyst that effects trapping everywhere Canada.
Is this a Wolf or a Coyote?
