Canis lupus

Großen Dank, Heide!

> Yet most people are afraid of wolves but not of dogs;-)
Some _major_ behavioral differences tied up in that handful of genes! ;)

> To hear the wolves howling was quite something!

We hear coyotes here pretty commonly, and that sound can elicit some primal reactions--particularly when you're out hiking! ;)

Wolves are back in the American and Canadian west, several distinct packs have moved into Oregon after being re-introduced in Montana and Idaho. There is one male & female pair in my area that had three cubs last year. Very interesting! Of course, livestock ranchers aren't happy, but it's still illegal to hunt them. Many American and Canadian ranchers are getting guardian dogs like Pyrenees and Anatolians as a way to live with the wolf population. I actually saw a local Anatolian dog in - of all places - Walmart last month and didn't have my camera! He was enormous and very sweet. (I'd love to have a big dog if I had a yard!)