It is a wildlife mystery why it was in Kentucky, where no specimens had been seen for 150 years. But the story of the first free wolf in the modern history of the US does not have a good ending: he was killed by the bullets of a local hunter, despite belonging to an endangered species.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
It is a wildlife mystery because it was in Kentucky, where no specimens had been seen for 150 years. But the story of the first free wolf in the modern history of the US does not have a good ending: it was killed by the bullets of a local hunter, despite belonging to an endangered species.
And his killer won't have to pay even a fine, since, according to the authorities of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, there was no reason why he could have expected a wolf in that territory. Mistaken for a coyote, was slain while hunting on a farm. The death occurred in March and state officials were, at first, even skeptical of the matter.
To confirm the animal's identity, they even sent DNA samples for analysis to the laboratories of the US Department of Agriculture's National Wildlife Research Center in Colorado. The results thus confirmed that it was indeed a endangered gray wolf, with a genetic makeup similar to the native wolves of the Great Lakes region.
How did it get to Kentucky? He may have wandered great distances or lived part of his life in captivity. It is the second hypothesis, in particular, that is considered the most credible. He had a large amount of plaque on his teeth, characteristic of wolves that have been in captivity. Certainly he, the wolf, will not be able to tell us, since March 16 was killed by the bullets of a rifle, while a hunting forum, as a last humiliation, boasts some gory photos presumably of the animal.
Roberta Ragni
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