THE GREY WOLF
(Canis lupus)

The Grey Wolf, sometimes called the Timber Wolf, is estimated to have a population of between 8,000 and 10,000 individuals in the Province of Ontario, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources.

This figure could be wildly inaccurate as it is only an estimate which was made over 40 years ago!

Although once abundant over much of North America, Europe and Asia, the Gray Wolf now inhabits only a small portion of its former range.

The Grey Wolf - Le loup, Canis Lupus

This is because of widespread forest clearance and farmland development, the movement of humans into its habitat, and the resulting human-wolf encounters that spark fear and often the destruction of these animals.

It is also not known how many of these animals are living in the more populated, southern part of their range.

Although Wolves are more common in the North, there are sightings of Grey Wolves in Southern Ontario and small packs appear to have survived here or have made their way into the area in recent years.

In early February, on County Road 52, between Aylmer and Springfield, Ontario, I spotted a large, wolf-like animal running along the side of the road beside the snow-drifts - I'm not sure if this was a Coyote or not, but it was being chased by two large dogs, so I hope it got away.

There was nowhere for the animal to run to get off the road, until it came to a gap in the snow, when it bounded through the space and leaped over the snowdrift, and headed for the woodland nearby!

les loups - two Timber Wolves in Ontario

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In Ontario approximately 500 wolves are trapped every year for the commercial sale of their pelts, but there are no accurate records of how many wolves are hunted every year or killed because they were viewed as vermin or a threat on private property.

Population figures alone are not the only indicator for the long-term survival of the Grey Wolf population.

Human activity, including hunting and trapping can affect wolf behavior and the social integrity of the wolf pack.

There are, however, protected areas for Wolves in the Province of Ontario, which are off-limits to hunters & trappers.

None of these are in the southern part of the province, so the Wolves which find themselves here, are on their own, so to speak!

Mating usually occurs between January and April, the farther north, the later it occurs, with a pack usually producing a single litter.

A pack usually only produces a single litter unless the breeding male mates with more than one female, however normally, only the dominant pair mate and produce pups.

Grey Wolf cubs on a log - petits loups

Today, the Grey Wolf is protected in some areas, hunted for sport in others and are subject to extermination as perceived threats to livestock and pets.


If you would like to read Coyote reports from previous years, you can read them below.

Archived Wolf Sightings from 2009 - 2012


Grey Wolf Info ...

Wolves Ontario Website - Grey Wolf info
Information concerning Wolves, Les loup, in Ontario


Have you seen Wolves in Southern Ontario?

Are there Wolves near where you live?

Have you heard Wolves howling in the night?

Do you have a story or picture that you would like to share with our readers?

What Other Visitors Have Said

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

Black Wolf Fanshawe Park at Clarke Road London 
This is a little belated, and I thought that I had forgotten all about this incident. My memory was put into hyperdrive last evening January 9, 2022. …

Possible Wolf sightings 
One of our readers said ... my co-worker said that he has a Timber Wolf visit his property during the winter in broad daylight. He said that the animal …

Coyote, Dog or Wolf? You tell me! 
Not much of a story, this was captured on a trail cam near Port Burwell Ontario. This cam captures lots of wildlife but it's the first time …

Is this a Wolf? 
I originally had a few sightings of this animal(s?) back in June when I was walking my dog on the trails behind our house in Cambridge, Ontario. There …

Wolves or Coyotes? 
One of our readers said ... When we are camping in The Pinery Provincial Park we can hear them howling at night, between 11 pm and 2 am. There are lots …

Wolves in Ottawa 
Several of our readers wrote to tell us about their Wolf sightings in Ottawa January 28th, at 4:30 am Connaught Ave a Wolf running down the street. …

Wolf, Coyote or Coy-Wolf - you decide 
Hello Dear Readers - We get reports of Wolf and Coyote sightings daily, and usually those reports are easy to categorize as either a Coyote sighting or …

Definite sighting of two Wolves! 
Monday 25th January we awoke at 3.20 am to a very loud commotion close to our home. We live in a condo overlooking the 10th tee of Kanata Lakes …

Indiana Road East Cayuga 
August 10 2015 (6:15 am) I am a knowledgeable wild animal enthusiast, and I saw an amazing sight this morning. On my way from the house to …

Pair of Wolves Near Middlemiss 
My partner and I were driving north on Melbourne Rd in a huge thunderstorm around 11:00 pm this Sunday night. We were around Middlemiss when large …

Wolves and Coyotes in the Oakville area 
While driving in November 2012, on Dorval Road, right at Upper Middle Road, a definite Wolf cut across all lanes of traffic on Dorval, one lane …

More Wolf than Coyote  
I took these pictures not far from my house.

Guelph area Coyotes 
On Sunday February 15th 2015 Gary from Guelph, Ontario, wrote to say ... we spotted a Wolf just 30 feet off of the north shoulder of the 401 just east …

Wolves in London, Ontario 
We often get reports of Coyote, Wolf or Coywolf sightings, but this was a little unusual. In the space of a week we received three Wolf sightings from …

Coywolf? 
Today as I was walking to school with two of my friends, we were walking through a trail in a forest leading to our school. Anyway, we were walking …

Recent Wolf sightings 
Terry from Orono wrote to tell us ..... My wife and I own a hobby farm in Orono, Ontario, (highway 115 / 401) and today, in broad daylight, we saw a Wolf …

North of South River Ontario 
On a secluded path north of South River on Louke Lake, I came face to face with a beautiful Grey Wolf. He scared me to death, but didn't appear in …

Wolf in Red Hill Valley 
Last night we spotted what we think was a Wolf on our quiet street near Mt. Albion Road and King Street, in the Red Hill Valley around midnight when our …

Wolf near Lindsay 
Here's a photo of a Wolf taken by my sister recently. She said it was in one of their fields; their property backs on to a conservation area and Sturgeon …

Near Sassafrass Point, Cootes Paradise, Hamilton 
Last night about midnight (Friday March 21, 2014), I saw the biggest "Coyote" that I have ever seen. It was about 30 yards away, walking fast southish, …

White Wolf sighting in Milton Ontario 
It's March 10, 2014 at 10:30 pm, I just took my small dog out in front of my house and I saw a white Wolf cross from the west side of Tremaine Rd just …

Two Wolves in Milton 
Friday February 14 2014, in the morning while driving to work, I spotted two animals walking in single file near a creek at the intersection of Trafalgar …

Wolves Galore! 
Morgan from Kingston wrote to say ..... Surprise! A pair of magnificent grey, healthy Wolves ambling together up the ice on Cataraqui Creek under the bridge …

White Wolf, Eastern Ontario 
Was driving home tonight and we are pretty sure we saw a white Wolf. We were on a country road and spotted a white animal In the middle of the road …

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Wolf or Coyote near Ancaster 
I saw a large, very handsome, well coated - somewhat reddish - individual in daylight approximately 11:45 am. Not sure if it was a Wolf or Coyote …

Wolves in Ontario 
A reader from Bradford, Ontario, wrote to say ... We live on 10th Side Road. We hear coyotes all the time. On December 3rd around 12:30 we heard …

Wolves in Monaghan Forest 
Friends were walking their dogs around 1 p.m. on walking trails in the Monaghan Forest between Old Richmond Road and Moodie Drive, when what they believe …

Wolves in Stayner  
I was walking my two dogs, a Maltese which weighs 4 pounds and a Yorkshire terrier who is 6 pounds on Sunday September 22 2013 around 8:00 - 8:30 pm around …

Wolves on the Bruce Peninsula 
My wife and I were returning from Cabot Head Lighthouse on the Bruce Peninsula, June the 2nd, when two Wolves ran across the road. One of the …

Wolf Sightings across Ontario 
Melissa from Milton, Ontario, wrote to tell us of her Wolf sighting ... Walking my two little dogs this morning down at mill pond Milton, Ontario, around …

Wolves in Ipperwash 
Ipperwash beach near Grand Bend, Ontario, is where two sightings of possibly a Wolf were observed in 2012. Last week in February 2013, after a snowfall, …

Baying at the moon 
My wife and I live in Smithville, Ontario, and are well acquainted with Coyotes, Coy-dogs and Bush Wolves. Their yipping is quite familiar - especially …

Sighting of Wolves in Milton (Feb 20, 2013) 
I saw a pair of grey Wolves tonight while I was driving on Trafalgar Road towards Derry Road. The pair was crossing the road and walking towards dense …

Wolf spotted in Wainfleet? 
I just came back from my walk with my dogs that I do daily, down the friendship trail between Burnaby Road and Golf Course road and I saw a very large …

Wolves on Ottawa Aviation Parkway 
My wife I and drive down the Ottawa Aviation Parkway every morning from Orleans. Last Tuesday, November 27th, at about 8 a.m. we were headed East towards …

Wolves in Pottageville Schomberg area 
My friend recently moved to this area and lives off Concession Rd 7 just north of Lloydtown Aurora Road. He mentioned that there was a lot of howling …

Possible Wolf or Coyote pack in Collingwood 
I live on the SW part of Collingwood, Ontario, that is bordered by forest and farmland. Over the past couple months there have been sightings of …

3 wolves then a cougar 
November 13 2012 Two weeks ago I was ground hunting with a bow. I was hunting a feed plot that contained a salt lick and deer Cain. I was also using …

Is this a Wolf 
My son spotted this wolf-like creature behind our house in a residential area of Kitchener. I'm not sure, but perhaps one of our readers can tell whether …

Wolf in field in Rockcliffe Park, Ottawa 
A friend and I were walking my dog across a huge field (Called the Mile Circle) between the Ottawa River, the Ottawa River Parkway, and the community of …

Wolves in the backyard in Waterloo  
One night in October at about 1:00 am I awoke to the sound of clear and close howling. I live on a rural property not 5 minutes from west Waterloo, …

Huge Canine Prints 
Back about 15 yrs ago, my boyfriend and I were walking through the woods near Sarnia, Ontario. There was a good layer of snow on the ground at that time …

A Grey Wolf South of Georgetown 
South of Georgetown, in daylight ... a Grey Wolf! I spotted this majestic creature in a farmer's field, very close to a row of houses and livestock, …

Wolf 
I am very confident that we saw a wolf last week. We were travelling westbound on highway 7/8 between New Hamburg and Kitchener. At the side of the …

Wolves almost got me tonight in London 
I went out for a run at around 10:30 pm on November 13th. At the end of my run, I decided to take a shortcut and found myself in the middle of a field …

Niagara Peninsula Wolves Not rated yet
James reported seeing a black and grey Wolf in Chippewa ... I saw two Wolves last week, when traveling Fort Erie bound on the QEW just before Lions Creek …

Wolf sighting in Ajax neighborhood  Not rated yet
I live close to the 401 and I work the night shift and was leaving for work one night when I saw a large white wolf surrounded by a dozen smaller ones …

Wolf sightings Not rated yet
One of our readers from Glen Williams wrote ... just now I was walking my very small dog and saw two big grey wolves. I also know the difference …

Potential Wolf Sightings Not rated yet
One of our readers from Collingwood said ... I have spotted Coyotes way too many times in Toronto and the GTA and up north of course. In regards …

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Wolf sighted near Ancaster Not rated yet
Wolf seen in woods behind my home in mid-December 2022. My neighbour got a good photo of it, and after research we believe it to be a Gray Wolf. …

What is this? Not rated yet
Hangs out alone and not very afraid of humans. Thanks for sending us this picture - I'm not sure what it is but perhaps one of our readers or our …

Wolves Everywhere! Not rated yet
Anthony R from Cambridge wrote ... I was approached by a white Wolf in Dumfries Conservation Area April 2022 only 10 feet away. I contacted the GRCA, RARE, …

Wolf in South Bruce County Not rated yet
I saw this in Southern Bruce county in a field between Teeswater and Wingham, on March 4. I wish had a better camera, but managed to get a couple of …

Is this a Wolf track? Not rated yet
I live outside of Port Stanley Ontario. I came across this track December 13 2021 around 1:00 pm at the edge of a corn field my dog and I walk daily. …

Tasty Mailman? Not rated yet
December 3 2021 - south east of Aylmer, Ontario. I deliver rural mail out of Port Burwell and see all manner of animals and birds, but I didn't expect …

Coyote, Wolf or Coy-wolf? Not rated yet
Saw this little beast in my backyard just seconds before I brought my dog back inside. I’m in Aurora and although there are Coyotes, this guy looks …

Grey Wolf Not rated yet
One of our readers from South Frontenac wrote and sent this trail-cam picture, he said ... I picked up on a trail camera recently in the woods near Collins …

Wolf - Coyote mix? Rouge Park Not rated yet
Saw this today. Is it a coyote-wolf mix? Thank you for sending these pictures. I don't know whether this is a Coyote or a Wolf-Coyote hybrid, but …

Wolves sighted Not rated yet
On December 17, a huge white wolf crossed the road in front of me as we were driving eastbound to Bailieboro from Millbrook on the main road. It looked …

North Grenville Wolf?  Not rated yet
I came across some pretty large paw prints in the Ferguson forest. I looked up and about 100 yards out, I saw what I believe was a Wolf trotting by. …

Possible Wolf Sightings Not rated yet
Michael wrote to report ... just for a few seconds he crossed my property here in Marmora, Ontario, just south of highway 7. He was as large as a German …

Wolves Howling - St. Catharines, Ontario Not rated yet
We recently just moved from Port Dalhousie where dozens of times we saw coyotes and the coywolf just trotting down the middle of the sidewalk, mid-day …

Wolf Sightings Not rated yet
Me and my partner were driving northbound today, January 21, 2018 at around 12:30 pm on Jane just south of King Road as we often do to take a break from …

Wolf or Coywolf sightings Not rated yet
Several of our readers have written to report their Wolf and / or Coywolf sightings. Mary from Guelph, Ontario, said ... I was walking my dog this evening …

Wolves Everywhere! Not rated yet
Over the past several months we have received reports of Wolf sightings from our readers. Angela from Tamworth said ... Our German Shepherd was very …

Wolf in Ottawa - Range Road Not rated yet
Last week I was driving down Range Road and I noticed a Wolf caught in the fence along the side of the road (I originally thought it was a deer). …

Wolves Not rated yet
One of our readers reported ... We were watching the White Tailed Deer graze in the field behind our home at Scotch Block Lake, Speyside area. They …

Wolves Everywhere Not rated yet
On March 2 2016, Al wrote to tell us about his Sawmill Creek sighting ... On March 1, 2016 around 8 pm I heard an animal breaking through the …

Wolves/ Coyotes in Ottawa Not rated yet
On March 1, after nightfall at 8 pm, I heard a large animal breaking through the snow crust. I was in the ravine on the east bank of Sawmill …

Sighting in Port Stanley Not rated yet
On March 28, 2015, at 6:49 am I ran, literally running, right into one's path and stopped dead 10 feet from it, as it surprised me at the top …

The Wolves of Winter Not rated yet
We have received a dozen sightings of Wolves or Coywolves from around Southern Ontario. Here they are - they make interesting reading! Cindy Baldwin …

Wandering Wolves  Not rated yet
One of our readers from Newmarket says ... A Wolf spotted in Newmarket?  I swear a wolf was just in my yard. My dog and I were up on our deck and she was …

I will never forget this, feeling blessed! Not rated yet
The most amazing thing happened last night. I got up around 12:40 and as I was walking past my side bedroom windows, the newly installed sensor light …

Wolves in Southern Ontario Not rated yet
My father use to run a sled team of dogs in the mid-late 70's and early 80's near Baden Ontario. He knows the difference between Coyotes and Wolves …

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Wolf Eating Apples Near Mill Pond Conservation Area Not rated yet
At least I believe it's a wolf - it looks too big to be a coyote, though we have heard coyotes yipping and baying recently to celebrate a kill. In any …

Appleby and Lakeshore Not rated yet
July 4, 2014 - Appleby & Lakeshore Hi there, I had my twin girls at my Mom's on July 4, they live in a condo on the Lakeshore. We went for a walk …

Wolves in Caledonia Not rated yet
My wife & I were woken up one night by a loud howling just outside our bedroom window. We got up and looked out the back yard to see three large …

Just outside Coboconk, Four Mile Lake Not rated yet
I was out for a run this morning, May 31 2014, and a large Wolf (?) popped out of the bush and onto the road ahead of me, as soon as he saw me he dashed …

Sightings of Wolves Not rated yet
Connie from Dundas, Ontario, wrote to tell us ... we were driving on York Road near Valley Road, about 9:30 am, when we spotted what looked like a very …

Pair of healthy Grey Wolves in Kingston Not rated yet
Surprise! A pair of magnificent grey, healthy Wolves ambling together up the ice on Cataraqui Creek under the bridge at Bath Rd. On Feb. 06 2014, …

White Grey Wolf in Kingston Ontario  Not rated yet
I literally almost got into car accident crossing paths with this animal! A bit shocked as I even honked the horn and yet he still didn't seem scared! …

Wolf Sighting - Kingston Not rated yet
I am a resident of Kingston, Ontario. Just a few minutes ago I was driving home on Highway 38, and thought I'd take a shortcut to my home, so I took …

Wolf Christmas Eve Day 2013 Not rated yet
Had a Grey Wolf or Timber Wolf loop around the house as my wife and parents watched on. My wife initially spotted the Wolf while working in the …

Howling At Night Not rated yet
It led me to this website and I back onto the Rockwood Conservation Area. I heard a bunch of animals howling and googled to see what it was. …

Wolf in Windsor Not rated yet
Driving along Lauzon Parkway Windsor, Ontario, around 3:00 am and I spotted one on the side of the road - it just stared at my car. It was like a deer …

Wolves on the Bay of Quinte near Belleville Not rated yet
Our dog, which is Shepherd, was barking last night and so I turned on our flood lights on the back yard which is about 400 ft to the Bay of Quinte. …

Possible Wolf Tracks Not rated yet
In 2010 I was walking along a road by Loon Lake, near Haliburton, Ontario, and came across these tracks. It was early morning in Winter, maybe 7:00 …

Wolf near Woodslee Not rated yet
In early spring 2013 I was driving down a concession about 5 km's east of Woodslee, Ontario, when I saw what at the time, looked like the biggest Coyote …

Sighting on the Canada Trail Not rated yet
We had a close encounter with a lone wolf this morning. Our meeting occurred while we were walking our dogs - an elderly black Lab and a youthful Norwich …

Gorgeous Wolf north east of London  Not rated yet
I had surgery this summer, so I haven't been able to ride my horse at all, after the wheat came off, I took my mare out to the field to eat the wheat stubble. …

Wolf spotted in Milton on busy road Not rated yet
15/July/2013 I was heading home from the gym one night at around 2:00 am driving west-bound on Steeles in Milton, Ontario, and saw what I thought was …

Night howling on the Bruce Peninsula Not rated yet
We were camping twenty minutes or so outside of Tobermory, Ontario. In the middle of the night we heard howling, far too deep to be Coyotes, from several …

Wolves in Hamilton Area? Not rated yet
I live on the outskirts of a town called Caledonia. I only live about 20 minutes from the city of Hamilton here in Southern Ontario. I used …

ISLAND WOLF Not rated yet
In the Spring of 2013, we heard of one of our island neighbour's dogs being attacked by a Wolf. We did not believe it as we are on a fairly large …

Wolf sighting Mill Pond Milton Ontario  Not rated yet
On June 3 2013 walking my two little dogs down at Mill Pond, Milton, Ontario, around 10 am; my husband and I parked our car in the small parking area beside …

Coyotes and Wolves in the Blossom Park area Not rated yet
I live in the Blossom Park development off Queensdale and Bank Street. We have seen many Coyote and Wolf sightings right behind our house along the path …

Wolf Encounter at Night Not rated yet
Myself and 3 other people have been going into the forest in Kanata, Bridlewood area, at night for the past few months to listen to Coyotes. We would sometimes …

Black Wolf in London Not rated yet
It was about 6:00 am and I was leaving London turning off Wellington Road heading towards Windsor where Wellington Road and the 401 meet, when a …

Wolf, Coyote, or Dog? Not rated yet
On February 2, 2013 my partner and I spotted an animal running through a field near the Blair Trail in Cambridge. We figured it was a lost dog and called …

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Wolf sighting Christmas day Not rated yet
I saw a big brown Wolf that looks just like a Timber Wolf on Ogilvie Road and Rockcliffe Parkway, West of Ogilvie. I also heard noises like a animal …

Georgetown Wolf Not rated yet
We live on the Fourth Line south of #15 Sideroad (west of Georgetown) and last Sunday, December 16th, 2012, we spotted a very large, mainly white and grey …

Grey Wolf in Caledon East Not rated yet
Today, December 18, 2012, I saw a Grey Wolf crossing my property in Caledon East. It was a large and healthy Wolf, busy going somewhere through the …

Grey Wolf sighting north of Highway 7 Not rated yet
Our Grey Wolf sighting on December 3rd, 2012 on Neil Road about 1 mile North of Highway 7 at 12 am. The Grey Wolf was bounding across open fields and …

Backyard Meal in Kitchener Not rated yet
These sightings happened several years ago, but I am just now discovering your page. I was recently looking for information as I had read reports …

Definitely a wolf Not rated yet
It's almost 2.30am. North London, Ontario. Went downstairs for a cup of water, just as always I looked outside through the window and for the first time …

Wolf in Burlington October 21st, 2012 Not rated yet
Spotted a very large Grey Wolf crossing Upper Middle Road \Burloak Drive, on Sunday night around 11:45pm. My husband and I were coming back from …

Wolf beside our house  Not rated yet
I think yesterday, Tuesday 23 October at 3:30 o'clock in the morning I did hear the same sound in this video beside our house we lived in Kanata, Stittvile, …

Wolves in Glen Williams Not rated yet
At around 8:30 pm on September 12 2012, I came outside to have a smoke, when I saw three Wolves running down Main Street in Glen Williams. They were …

Driving east on Highway 2 Not rated yet
Driving home with my son late in summer, we saw two large and very furry Coyotes run across the road in front of us. Looking at pictures and learning …

Wolves or Coyotes? Not rated yet
I am not sure which it is, but we do hear howling not yipping at night. I have caught a quick sight of a smaller one and a larger one together, and …

Wolf spotted in Rockwood Not rated yet
Dr Syed Naqvi reports - My wife and three kids spotted a huge beautiful Wolf standing a few feet away from our patio door outside our home in Rockwood, …

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