There's a wolf in California!

[MADem]

40. We've got coyotes the size of Saint Bernards, damn near!

I was on the Cape last year around this time, and a giant coyote crossed my path chasing after some poor critter--I almost hit the thing, and it was BIG.

There are gray wolves in western MA, not a lot of 'em, but some. There's also a wolf habitat in Ipswich, but that's kind of a tame-ish thing.

Apparently, the coyotes and the wolves have gotten friendly enough to be called, in some cases, "coywolves:"

http://www.thewildlifenews.com/2010/01/07/in-new-england-coywolves/

Important genetic study confirms Massachusetts coyotes are part eastern wolf-
Dr. Jon Way who often comments on this forum is the lead author of a paper about to appear entitled, “Genetic Characterization Of Eastern “Coyotes” In Eastern
Massachusetts.” He has allowed me to post a draft of this paper.

These relatively large canids are hybrids of western coyotes colonizing the area and eastern timber wolves, canis lycaon. None of animals’ DNA showed a mixture of coyote and domestic dog. So the term “coydog,” which is in common use, is not appropriate....