Catherine Rusoff
Three wolves roaming the mountains in northeastern Nevada would have been notable for a state without an established wolf population. But a recent sighting of a trio of wolf-like animals in that area turned out to be a false alarm, after an investigation and round of genetic testing revealed the creatures are almost certainly coyotes, the Nevada Department of Wildlife said. he said.
Coyotes are common throughout Nevada, including in some of its main cities. Wolves are not, and are, rarely seen in the state, despite populating neighboring regions in Idaho, Oregon and northern California. Nevada wildlife officials told the Las Vegas Review Journal In 2017, it was confirmed that a lone wolf had been sighted within state borders – the first in nearly a century.
So when a government-contracted helicopter crew flying over rural Merritt Mountain in March saw three animals that looked like wolves, their potential discovery sparked a full investigation. The wildlife department said its own biologists carried out new searches and helicopter surveys of the terrain to collect samples of hair, feces and urine believed to belong to the mysterious creatures. The samples were subjected to DNA analysis at two independent laboratories and the results showed with 99.9% certainty that they came from coyotes, authorities said.
“Although initial observations indicated the possibility of wolves in the area, DNA results from samples collected indicated that these animals were, in fact, coyotes,” department director Alan Jenne said in a statement. “We appreciate the diligence of our biologists, assisting laboratory personnel and the cooperation of the public throughout this process and will continue to monitor the area for any indication of the presence of wolves.”
“We understand the significance of such sightings and the importance of accurate identification,” Jenne’s statement continued. “NDOW will continue to work closely with state and federal agencies to uphold our mission of protecting Nevada’s ecosystems and wildlife while maintaining transparency as a top priority in all of our communications with the public.”
Hunters have certainly confused wolves and coyotes before. In January, a hunter in southwest Michigan harvested what he thought was a large coyote. The hunter discovered through subsequent DNA testing that the animal was actually a gray wolf, normally found exclusively in the state’s Upper Peninsula, CBSDetroit reported, citing the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Previously, in the fall of 2022, New York environmental officials confirmed that an animal captured during a coyote hunt in upstate the previous year it was actually a wolf.
And in 2018, a huge creature apparently belonging to an unrecognizable wolf-like species in Montana it was determined, after undergoing testing, to also be a gray wolf. Before the tests, the wolf with seemingly unusual features went so far as to spread rumors about “Bigfoot” online. How to identify the animal’s species left even wildlife experts in the area perplexed, with a representative from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks telling The Great Falls Tribune at the time that “we have no idea what this was until we received a report from DNA.”
—Caitlin O’Kane contributed reporting.
