Quote:Mysterious wolf-like creature shot in north-central Montana near Denton.Great Falls Tribune:
'Was it a wolf, some type of hybrid, or a creature that hasn't been seen in Montana since the Ice Age?
On May 16 a lone wolf-like animal was shot and killed on a ranch outside Denton.
With long grayish fur, a large head and an extended snout, the animal shared many of the same characteristics
as a wolf; but its ears were too large, it's legs and body too short, its fur uncharacteristic of that common to a wolf.
So far, the exact species is a mystery.
So what was it? At this point, no one is 100 percent sure.
"We have no idea what this was until we get a DNA report back," said Bruce Auchly, information manager for Montana
Fish, Wildlife and Parks. "It was near a rancher's place, it was shot, and our game wardens went to investigate.
The whole animal was sent to our lab in Bozeman. That's the last I ever heard of it."
Social media from around the Lewistown area was buzzing last week; with many people chiming in on what they believed
the creature to be.
Grizzly cub? Dogman? Dire wolf? Or what?
"That's a grizzly cub," one commentator wrote. "Under a year and starving from the look."
"Maybe a dire wolf," wrote another, "because I don't believe they are all gone."
Speculation roamed as far as identifying that animal as a crypto-canid species said to roam the forests of North America.
"That could very well be what’s being called Dogman," one poster suggested
"They’re spotted each day and the government quells any and all reports. Several people report being strong armed into
keeping quiet about their reports by men wearing black suits. These are just facts. Look into if if you don’t believe it."
Auchly doesn't.
"First off (dire wolf) was a song by the Grateful Dead from 1971," he said of the prehistoric species speculation. "I know;
I listened to it many times. Number two, it's a prehistoric animal, like mastodons and saber toothed tigers; so it doesn't exist."
As for the Dogman theory; there's a regular Friday night YouTube broadcast called "Dogman Encounters" for those who wish
to follow up on that line of thought. It comes on right after "Bigfoot Eyewitness" radio.
Nonetheless, there remains an element of uncertainty about the creature, even among wildlife biologists.
"Several things grabbed my attention when I saw the pictures," said Ty Smucker, wolf management specialist for Montana FWP.
"The ears are too big. The legs look a little short. The feet look a little small, and the coat looks weird. There's just something off
about it."
Possible wolf/dog hybrid
Smucker's own speculation runs toward some type of wolf/dog hybrid.
He noted several occasions within the last few years in which canid predators, neither all wolf nor all dog were causing problems
with ranchers east of the Continental Divide.
"We've had a few instances of wolf/dog hybrids out there," Smucker said. "One was out somewhere in eastern central Montana
killing sheep like crazy. Finally, we caught it and it turned out to be a hybrid."
Wolves and dogs are unique in the animal world, in that they can interbreed and produce offspring that can, in turn, produce their
own litters. This is unlike the pairing of a horse and a donkey, which will produce a mule; but mules are always infertile and incapable
of producing offspring on their own.
Wolfdog ownership and interbreeding by private citizens remains controversial.
According to the International Wolf Center, nearly all wolfdogs are bred in captivity. Wolves and dogs can breed in the wild, but this
occurrence is very rare; largely because wolves are very territorial and more likely to kill an unfamiliar dog that enters their home
range rather than accept it into a pack.
Wolfdogs are heavily regulated and hybrids should have a tattoo identifier.
The behavioral tendencies of wolfdogs are unpredictable, ranging from bold, aggressive and territorial; to placid, submissive an
friendly -even among pups within a single litter. For that reason, the breeding of wolfdogs in captivity is highly regulated.
"If you have a wolfdog hybrid it's supposed to have a tattoo on a lip, and it's supposed to be registered with the state," Smucker said.
"A lot of those people don't bother following regulations."
The unfortunate consequence is that some wolfdog owners discover they are either incapable or unwilling to care for their animals,
and end up releasing them into the wild.
"Every year, thousands of pet wolves or hybrids are abandoned, rescued or euthanized because people purchase an animal they
were not prepared to care for," the International Wolf Center states. "A few facilities exist around the country that take in unwanted
canines, but their resources are usually very limited."
It is not clear whether the animal shot in Denton falls into this category, but the problem of irresponsible wolfdog owners is well known
by FWP officials. "Over the years we've had incidences of hybrids where someone has a wolfdog - and I don't know if it gets too big
or if it just wants to be free and wanders off,"...'
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