Eastern Wolf Survey
A non-invasive genetic monitoring program tracking Eastern Wolves across Ontario's unprotected landscapes.
Unique to Canada, the Eastern Wolf faces an uncertain future. Once widespread, the population is now estimated at only 205–1,466 mature individuals. Listed as Threatened in Ontario since 2016, the species still lacks full provincial protection due to challenges in species identification and major gaps in data. Most protections are limited to hunting and trapping restrictions within provincial parks, leaving wolves outside these boundaries highly vulnerable.
As a keystone species, Eastern Wolves help regulate prey populations and maintain healthy, functioning ecosystems. Their decline threatens the biodiversity and ecological balance of the regions they inhabit.
About the Survey Program
Earthroots' Eastern Wolf Survey Program is a non-invasive genetic monitoring study conducted in collaboration with academic partners, NGOs, and First Nations. Using DNA collected from scat within the species' suspected range, we identify the presence of Eastern Wolves outside protected areas, information critical for recovery and long-term conservation.
Through DNA-based sampling in unprotected areas, we are identifying where Eastern Wolves live, information critical to improving recovery strategies, provincial protections, and habitat conservation planning.
How DNA Research Works
Earthroots citizen scientists and community partners collect wolf scat and urine samples from unprotected landscapes, focusing on priority areas between major provincial parks. Samples are processed at Trent University's Natural Resources DNA Profiling & Forensic Lab, where scientists determine:
Species
Eastern Wolf, Grey Wolf, or Eastern Coyote
Sex
Male or female
Individual Identity
Genetic "fingerprint"
Maternal Ancestry
Lineage tracing through mitochondrial DNA
Family Relationships
Pack structure and relatedness
Survey results contribute to academic research and are used to update species distribution maps through the Ontario Natural Heritage Information Centre.
Collecting Samples
Wolves heavily scent-mark their territories and samples are often found along trails, roads, beaver dams, bridges, and prominent landmarks. Collection occurs mainly in late fall, winter, and spring, when snow helps indicate recent activity.
All sampling is non-invasive and causes no disturbance to wolves or their habitat.
A Call to Action
The future of the Eastern Wolf hangs in the balance. Once spread across the entire eastern hardwood forest region, they are now confined to shrinking pockets of habitat under fragmented and inconsistent legal protection. Their survival is not only a matter of conserving a species but of safeguarding the health of entire ecosystems.
Earthroots continues to advocate for:
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Immediate implementation of a science-based Recovery Strategy
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Permanent no-hunt and no-trap buffer zones around core populations
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Stronger legislative protections that uphold ecological and scientific integrity
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Further field studies to clarify distribution, hybridization rates, and ecological needs
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Public education campaigns to correct misconceptions and build support for wolf protection
The Eastern Wolf is not only a symbol of Ontario's wild heritage, it is a linchpin in the ecological web of our forests. Protecting it means protecting what is left of the wild.
Learn More
Journal of Applied Ecology (2024)
Tracing Eastern Wolf Origins From Whole-Genome Data in Context of Extensive Hybridization
Molecular Biology and Evolution (2023)
Ontario Species at Risk Evaluation Report for Eastern Wolf
COSSARO (2022)
