Wolf Filmed Walking in Iowa Cornfield [VIDEO]
There have been quite a few animals that we would normally find in the northern parts of the United States and Canada that have made their way to Iowa as of late.
Could this possibly be because of the Canadian Wildfires?
According to Reuters, Canada endured its worst wildfire season last year as 47.5 million acres burned, which is nearly 7 times more than normal. There was a young dead wolf spotted in Scotty County in February and who can forget about Rutt, the Moose on the Loose! Rutt traveled from the Dakotas to Iowa, and back up through Minnesota back in the later parts of 2023.
It's not impossible to see these Canadian animals in Iowa but I think it'd be fair to say it's unusual. I'm curious if some of these animals just decided to head south until they couldn't smell the Canadian wilderness burning, and then they ended up lost. This wolf ends up in SOUTHERN Iowa!
This wolf was spotted in Greenfield, Iowa. If you're unfamiliar with Greenfield, it's in Southwestern Iowa and it's not very far from the Iowa/Missouri border.
Two different subspecies of gray wolves once called Iowa home. The "Great Plains wolf" used to roam around the western portion of Iowa. These wolves would follow bison herds and feed on the stragglers that fell behind. The second subspecies of wolf was the more commonly known, gray (timber) wolf. The Iowa DNR believes wolves were extirpated from the state by the late 1800s.
What To Do If You See a Wolf
While this probably won't happen to you...it's better to be safe than sorry. If you ever do come across a wolf the Alaska Fish and Game says do not run away.
"If you are approached, act aggressively and maintain eye contact if the wolf is looking at you. Aggressively use poles, pepper spray, rocks, limbs, noisemakers, or other handy items to discourage wolves."
Could we be seeing more wolves in Iowa soon? Only time will tell. Hopefully, we see more of these 8 animals on Iowa's endangered list.
Eight Iowa Animals That Are Threatened or Endangered
Gallery Credit: Getty Images/Unsplash/YouTube
Things Iowans Were Afraid of When They Were Young
Gallery Credit: Gabe Glidden