Population

With an estimated population of 180, Vancouver Coastal Sea Wolves are one of the most rare and isolated endemic predators in Canada. Unfortunately they are not protected on the IUCN endangered species list as, despite being genetically unique from Grey Wolves, they have not been deemed as a unique species or subspecies. Thankfully humans and the reclusive VCSW's rarely cross paths, which gives them a natural buffer from hunting and trapping. However, the reason they have been pushed to the coast from the mainland in the first place is due to over-hunting and over-trapping Grey Wolves during the early 1900's.

Thankfully, Grey Wolf populations are now back at a healthy level throughout Canada. The sad part of that is that British Columbia has little protection against the senseless killing of wolves and blame their return for diminishing Caribou and Elk populations. In 2015, the B.C. Provincial Government enacted a 5-year long legal wolf cull throughout areas of B.C., including just east of northern Vancouver Island. Despite pleas and protest, the government not only upheld that decision, but decided in 2020 that they would keep the cull in place and continue hunting wolves.

What makes VCSW's so unique is the way they have evolved to thrive in such a unique environment. These wolves have evolved to become expert swimmers and scavengers as opposed to the usual stalking and hunting techniques of other wolf species. Sadly, the characteristics that make them special are what make them so rare. With such little undisturbed coastal landscape, their distinctive lifestyle does not promote a large population or allow for much room for such territorial animals to thrive. Another reason their numbers remain so low is from what is known as a "population bottleneck". This means that the population was once reduced to a small group, and now that group has been responsible for replenishing the current population, but are too genetically similar to truly thrive. With so few wolves initially adept enough swimmers and accustomed to living on the coast, there is not enough genetic diversity for VCSW's to thrive.

Conservation Efforts

With ecotourism becoming such a booming industry, this once vast, distant landscape has become easier to get to for the casual tourist. Selfies, close-ups, and a lack of general knowledge on how to properly interact with wildlife rarely ends up as a positive for any wild animal. While the tourism helps the local economy, not knowing how to maintain a proper distance can not only cause negative interactions but also force the wolves to move their homes to avoid humans.

As the human footprint encroaches on the wilderness it becomes more and more important to educate and regulate people and their interactions with wild animals. While the area they live in is beautiful, visiting it should have its limitations and rules to be followed. Hunting and deforestation are affecting wildlife in ways that we don't even know how to quantify so we assume the predators are the problem. Without being able to defend themselves, VCSW's need people to be their voice and take steps in the right direction to promote a healthy population.

Resources:

• Call Of The Coastal Wolves - British Columbia sea wolf mini-documentary. (2020b, December 26). YouTube. Retrieved September 25, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cev7hGXRvME

• Coastal wolf • Canis lupus. (n.d.-b). Biodiversity of the Central Coast. Retrieved September 25, 2022, from https://www.centralcoastbiodiversity.org/coastal-wolf-bull-canis-lupus.html

• Keller, J. (2015, January 16). B.C. launches wolf hunt to save caribou. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved September 25, 2022, from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/bc-launches-wolf-hunt-to-save-caribou/article22480868/

• Vangoidtsenhoven, J. (2021, September 21). Sea Wolf! On A Secret Stretch of the Pacific Coast Lives the Elusive Fish-Eating Grey Wolf. Destination: Wildlife^TM. Retrieved September 25, 2022, from https://www.destinationwildlife.com/blog/the-fish-eating-grey-wolf-of-north-americas-pacific-coast

• Voutour, N. (2022, January 26). Cease and Desist Letter Issued to B.C. Government for Controversial Wolf Cull. Pacific Wild. Retrieved September 25, 2022, from https://pacificwild.org/press-release-cease-and-desist-letter-issued-to-b-c-government-for-controversial-wolf-cull-for-contravention-of-provincial-law/

Key Words: endemic, reclusive, trapping, cull, population bottleneck, nomadic, ecotourism