According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), a suspected Great Lakes gray wolf was recently spotted in Carroll County. DNR Fur and Wetlands Biologist Vince Evelsizer says the large canid was first reported in the area Thursday.
Rough estimates place the animal at 75 to 100 pounds and around three feet tall at the shoulder. Evelsizer notes the animal is too large to be a misidentified coyote, but he cannot say with 100 percent certainty that it is a true gray wolf without a DNA test. He encourages Iowans who happen to encounter the animal to leave it alone.
The DNR took a similar report of a large canid in Hamilton County on Oct. 10. While it is not clear if this was the same animal, it would be consistent with a Great Lakes gray wolf moving southwest out of Wisconsin. Evelsizer says the animal does not pose a significant threat to humans.
Evelsizer says the suspected wolf will likely move out of the region relatively quickly if it has not done so already.
