The wolves disappeared from much of the northeastern United States by the late 19th century, but ideal habitat for the animals remains in remote parts of Maine, New Hampshire, and New York's Adirondack mountains.
Wolves can travel hundreds of miles as they wander from where they were born, seeking food, mates, and new territory.
The Path of a Wolf
If this wolf originated in Canada, the experts say, it likely crossed the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, went through Maine, then navigated hundreds of miles of roads, rivers, and communities before reaching Shelburne.
"I'm a little bit flabbergasted, but that being said, when it comes to wolves, never say never," said Peggy Strusacker, a Vermont-based wolf expert with the Natural Resources Defense Council.
"Wolves always make us eat our words, wild wolves particularly."
Massachusetts state biologists visited Shelburne last October to check the sheep farmer's reports, which came a few weeks after another nearby farmer reported losing sheep and rams to an unknown predator.
Healy said the farmer did not kill the wolf but that someone else—whom Healy would not identify—shot it one day after the biologists visited. Then local wildlife officials examined it and turned it over to federal authorities.
Gray wolves usually eat deer and moose but will adapt to eat other animals if necessary. Indeed, bits of lamb, bone fragments, and tufts of wool were discovered in the Shelburne wolf's stomach after it was killed.
Todd K. Fuller, a professor of wildlife conservation at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, was among the experts who examined the carcass.
He said the wolf was large for its species and probably was young because it had no obvious signs of disease, hair loss, tooth damage, or other age-related problems.
"I think once they get to Maine, it wouldn't be that unusual," he said of the lengthy migration, "but do I think it's a very rare occurrence."
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