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-His Holiness the Dalai Lama Wolves were once feared and hated (still feared and hated by some people)..... today, the wolf is a wonderful symbol of our wilderness. There have only been 3 recorded instances of wolves attacking humans in North America, but none of these attacks were deadly. 
In the western world, people feared and hated wolves, and this legacy is reflected in stories like Little Red Riding Hood and The Boy Who Cried Wolf,
and stories about Werewolves have made the wolf a symbol of evil. The wolf was often portrayed as the Anti-Christ, epitome of evil.
Myths and lies about wolves in popular culture have resulted in the persecuting of wolves for thousands of years.
These stories and fables are not based on fact!The scary part about this... ask children about wolves... see what they know. If they are not taught the truth, this is what you'll get back: They huff and puff and blow houses down? They disguise themselves as Grandma in order to trick people? They appear during a full moon and attack? Teach your children the truth about wolves.. not these mythical or fairy tale stories. Teach them the reality and its relationships with animals, humans and the environment. In these tales the wolf is made out to be a killer of people and livestock. Wolves have killed cattle and sheep, but there are no records of wolves killing humans in the United States or Canada. When wolves were seen close to rural communities, there was fear among the people. Today, scientist live close to the wolves to study them and have not been attacked. They have even taken pups from dens and the wolf parents usually just run away, returning later to take their pups to a more private site. In areas where wolves are hunted or trapped, they fear people and are very wary of them. But in remote places, like Canadian Arctic, they show little fear and often let people live close to them. Myth: Wolves are dangerous to humans. Fact: You stand a better chance of getting hit by a meteorite than killed by a wolf. Although wolves are large, powerful animals that could kill humans, they do not. According to wolf expert Dr. L. David Mech, there is no documented case of a healthy wild wolf killing a human in North America. By comparison, more than 20 people are killed and 3 million attacked each year by man's best friend, the domestic dog. Myth: Wolves will eliminate or substantially reduce prey species. Fact: Wolves and large grazing animals lived side-by-side for tens of thousands of years before the first settlers arrived. Food availability and weather regulate wolf populations. When their prey is scarce, wolves suffer too. They breed less frequently, have fewer litters, and may even starve to death. Wolves often enhance prey populations by culling weak and sick animals from the gene pool, leaving only the strongest animals to reproduce. Myth: The Endangered Species Act prevents the control of wolves that prey on livestock. Fact: Both "endangered" wolves (such as those in northwestern Montana) and "threatened" wolves (such as those in Minnesota) are routinely controlled when they prey on livestock by the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal Damage Control (ADC) units. If wolves are reintroduced into the Northeast Forest Region, they will not fall under full endangered species protection, but rather a special designation that allows land-owners more flexibility in controlling problem animals. Myth: Wolves kill thousands of livestock each year, forcing farmers out of business. Fact: Farmers are compensated for livestock lost to predation. By increasing the amount of compensation, wolf kills by farmers would more likely be reported and total wolf kills by farmers would be reduced. Wolves do not kill thousands of livestock per year anyways... the numbers are MUCH lower. Myth: A large percentage of wolves have rabies. Fact: Paranoia still exists around the idea of rabid wolves. Contrary to popular belief, very few wolves contract rabies. Most incidents of rabies occur in raccoons, skunks, foxes or bats. In Alberta Canada in 1952, one rabid wolf was discovered. As a result of paranoia, in the next four years, 4,200 wolves were poisoned. As well, over 50,000 foxes, 35,000 coyotes, and 1,850 bears also were killed by this non-target poisoning. Some of this information is from Defenders of Wildlife and http://www.wolvesontario.org Photo copyright © Monty Sloan / Wolf Park |