Do grey wolves reside in the state of Illinois?

Question

I live in Decatur, Illinois. On Monday, May 14th 2007, at exactally 4:00am I saw a Timber "Grey" wolf. I was driving on the outside of town when I saw something run out into the road. At first I didn't know what it was and then once I was within 15 feet of it, I realized it was a very large "dog." I stopped the car on the highway (no one was on the road at that hour) and got within 5 feet of it, staying in my car the entire time. It stopped in the middle of the road, turned around looked right at me, and then trotted off....turning around several times to see where I was at. It was greyish tan....it's the easiest way to describe it. Later on Monday night I was driving in a small town outside Decatur, when a Coyote crossed the road in front of me. Now, seeing both animals I am SURE that it was a wolf I saw earlier that morning. I was told they are extinct in this region...is there a comeback? Any information regarding this would be helpful! Thanks!

Answer 1

yes

Answer 2

It appears that, while they are not expected to be in your region, it is not surprising that you may have spotted one.  In particular, it is always important to remember that climate changes, human interference, and just random chance may sometimes force an individual of a species to be found a significant distance from it's "normal" habitat.

Answer 3

This wouldn't be "shocking" to have seen a Gray (or Timber) Wolf in Northern Illinois.  The top reasons for this spotting would include:

*The wolf has been displaced from his pack and is a "loner"

*Wolf has become lost

*The wolf has gotten "free / loose" from someone or someplace

In the region Gray Wolf packs roam through Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Wisconsin (upper portions of the state) and a good chunk of Minnesota.  The status for the groups across our region is threatened.

At one point gray wolves covered almost all of the Northern Hemisphere -- more than any other land mammal.

It might be a good idea to contact the local branch of The Nature Conservancy to see if a local expert might be able to help look for tracks near this spotting.  Good luck!

Answer 4

I live in Ohio and we defiantly have gray wolves and coyotes living here.  We see them quite often because we live a bit out of town.

Answer 5

While gray wolves are most populous in areas north and west of you, they are nomadic in nature and it is not unlikely that you did encounter a gray wolf.  These animals have seen a surge in population in recent years, due mostly to a sucessful breeding program in Yellowstone National Park.  

FYI - Our idiotic government is trying to take this creature off the protected list, meaning people will be able to hunt them, probably back to the brink of extinction.