Gray Wolfタイリクオオカミ

Canis lupusLC— Least Concern

The gray wolf (Canis lupus) is the largest living member of the dog family, historically ranging across Eurasia and North America. A highly social carnivore, it hunts large ungulates in family-based packs and can travel tens of kilometers a night, especially in winter. Though widespread globally, it is extinct in Japan and classified as Least Concern overall despite regional declines.

Gray Wolf (reference photo)
Photo: Wilfredor / CC0 / Source / cropped

Species Data

Classification
Carnivora / Canidae Source
Distribution
Historically distributed across Eurasia and North America, though persecution by humans has reduced its range to roughly a third of its historic extent. It is extinct in Japan and the British Isles. Source

Did You Know?

  • Packs are typically family units of a mated pair and their offspring; the once-popular 'alpha/beta' hierarchy model is now considered outdated. Source
  • Wolves are largely monogamous, with mated pairs usually remaining together for life. Source
  • Tama Zoological Park is the only Japanese facility keeping the European wolf subspecies, with breeding underway since 2001 and its first successful birth in April 2026. Source

Where to See This Species

2 facilities · 0 individuals

東京都多摩動物公園 (Toukyoutotama Doubutsu Kouen)TokyoOpened in 1958

亜種ヨーロッパオオカミを飼育。国内でこの亜種を飼育する唯一のJAZA施設 Source

Hirakawa ZooKagoshimaJR指宿枕崎線「五位野駅」から徒歩約20分、またはバスで「福平農協前」から「谷山・動物園行き」に乗車し終点下車。

亜種シンリンオオカミ（Canis lupus lycaon）を飼育 Source

Conservation Story

Conservation Status

種全体はIUCNレッドリストで低懸念（LC）だが、地域個体群には保全課題がある。

Habitat

北半球の森林、草原、ツンドラ、山地など。

Threats

  • 生息地の分断
  • 人との軋轢
  • 地域的な捕殺

Conservation & Breeding Efforts

  • 地域個体群の保護
  • 家畜被害対策
  • 飼育下での群れと血統の管理

Sources

ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

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FAQ

Are gray wolves found in Japan today?
No. The Japanese wolf subspecies went extinct in the early 20th century, and the gray wolf species no longer occurs in the wild in Japan. Source
How do wolf packs work?
Packs are usually family groups formed around a single breeding pair and their offspring, not a rigid dominance hierarchy as once believed. Source

Source: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org