Yes, Newfoundland does have wolves — and wildlife officials are studying them

Provincial wildlife officials are welcoming reports of unusual canids — coyotes and wolves — as they continue to track and try to better understand the animals’ presence on the island and in Labrador.

The idea of wolves on the island came to the fore again recently, when Nikita Compton came across and posted images online of a small pack of animals near Goose Arm, between Deer Lake and Corner Brook, sparking speculation.

Were they some form of coyote and dog hybrid? Or even coyote and wolf?

While wildlife officials said it is very difficult to know what the animals are without testing, they hope to better understand the canid population at large.

Labrador wolves documented on the island

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Department of Forestry, Agriculture and Lands, which oversees the Wildlife Division, said in an email Thursday evening there was a Newfoundland wolf, thought to be distinct from the Labrador wolf. However, the subspecies is extinct and has been since the 1930s.

That said, the email said Labrador gray wolves have been more recently documented on the island, with the first cases in 2008 and 2012.

Beginning in 2013, the Wildlife Division has investigated their movement. Biologists have obtained genetic results from about 500 canid (wolf and coyote) carcasses gathered in the province. Of those, five animals were of an ancestry featuring a mix of coyote and domestic dog. However, four animals from the island were confirmed as Labrador wolves.

There was evidence of some measure of wolf DNA in 28 samples.

There are another 427 samples from dead animals gathered from 2023-2025. The wait is on for the results from genetic testing on those animals.

Wolf population on the island low: province

“Genetic evidence suggests that wolves on the island have interbred with coyotes, but given the much larger coyote population (thousands), the wolf genetics are likely to remain diluted within the island’s canid population,” the staff state.

Department staff note it can be difficult to tell the genetic background of a coyote just by looking at it. Coyotes are naturally diverse in size, colouring and body proportion.

“While an individual coyote may not look typical for the species, that does not mean it is a recent wolf or dog hybrid,” they stated.

However, interest in the canid conundrum is welcome. There’s potential to assist the ongoing research into animal life in the province.

There is an incentive to hunters and trappers for submission of coyote and wolf carcasses, from which provincial staff glean both information on the impacts of coyotes’ colonization on the island, and what might be allowing wolves to travel from Labrador to the island.

“We are also working on increasing the number of canid samples from Labrador to improve our ability to detect animals with wolf genetic ancestry,” the response stated.

In other words, it is not only about the island. Hunters and trappers in Labrador are encouraged to contact the Wildlife Division about canid carcasses.

If you encounter a coyote or wolf

At this time, provincial wildlife is reminding the public coyotes and wolves are rarely aggressive towards people. At the same time, people should not encourage contact with people, or feed wild animals.

If you encounter any type of coyote or wolf, it’s recommended you stay calm, do not run, and make some noise if the animal comes closer, like yelling or clapping. You can wave your arms to appear larger. If the animal does not leave, you should continue to make noise while slowly backing away.

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