In many ways, a pack of wolves and a tribe of Indians have significant similarities. They both work for the greater good of the pack or tribe, they hunt for all to eat, and are both led by a single leader. It isn’t surprising that because of these similarities, the Native American Indians had a great respect for wolves and viewed them as a significant part of the world with which they lived harmoniously.

Misconceptions at times arise over the dangers a pack of wolves present. In reality, a healthy, thriving pack of wolves presents no real danger to humans and threaten only livestock. However, a pack of wolves hunts only what it needs to feed the pack and doesn’t hunt just for the kill. In fact, ranchers near Yellow Stone National park during the period following the reintroduction of wolves to the park in 1996 stated that the loss of livestock caused by a particular pack of wolves only accounts for a small portion of their overall loss.

Nonetheless, wolves remain a protected species in the United States and the reintroduction to wilderness areas in the U.S. is difficult. Much like their harmonious friends the Native American Indians, the wolf has been allocated only specific areas in which they can live. The adaptation of a pack of wolves into semi-wilderness is difficult as they often hunt domesticated animals like cats and dogs. This practice is naturally upsetting to people near areas where the reintroduction is attempted.

Though the US population of wolves is significantly less than what it was even a hundred years ago, North America is still home to many wolves, even the Timber Wolf and the Grey Wolf. Canada supports over an estimated 50,000 individual wolves with its vaster wilderness areas. It is presently illegal to hunt a pack of wolves in the United States, but the coyote, a close relation to the wolf, does have an open season. Coyotes are also pack animals, but are known to stray singly more so than wolves. Their population is denser and they have adapted better to human interference.

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