Is it possible...

[Wolfayne]

I'm from Huntsville, AL, right in the middle of the city near the research park and arsenal. There is this pack of coyotes that roam around the area. You'll see them mostly at night and sometimes in the early morning as you drive by some of the fields and parks. But since about three years ago, they had a new addition to their family that no one really expected.

They have a grey wolf with them.

It's a small grey wolf, no doubt about it, and it's been sighted with them on multiple occasions. Looking at the group, you can tell the difference between them immediately. The wolf is obviously bigger, stockier, and, well, wolfish than its packmates.

I did a little research since I was curious about it. The red wolf, while it was native, had been reportedly extirpated in Alabama since the 1920's. Other than that, there is surprisingly little evidence of true wolf sightings in the area. Besides, it was very obviously NOT a red wolf.

I was wondering if maybe I was just seeing things wrong, or is it really possible that there is a wolf up here.

[wolficat3]

there is a possibility that you did see a wolf with those coyotes. It's possible that the wolf grew up only knowing coyotes therefore thinking its a coyote itself but that's only my thought on the matter. It could be some other reason entirely. As for the grey wolf part, I'm not so sure myself.

[Nor-easter Forecast]

My guess is that what you are seeing is a feral wolf-dog. Someone probably bought it as a pup, realized it was a wild animal and it ended up roaming the streets.

There's also the possibly you are seeing a coydog (coyote and dog), with a "wolfish" breed (husky) as one parent. That actually seems more likely to me, as it would explain it's closeness to the coyote group.

You are definitely not seeing a wild wolf, either red or gray. Coyotes would never raise one as there own, and an adult wolf would kill the coyotes rather than working with them.

[Frodo1]

My guess is that what you are seeing is a feral wolf-dog. Someone probably bought it as a pup, realized it was a wild animal and it ended up roaming the streets.

There's also the possibly you are seeing a coydog (coyote and dog), with a "wolfish" breed (husky) as one parent. That actually seems more likely to me, as it would explain it's closeness to the coyote group.

You are definitely not seeing a wild wolf, either red or gray. Coyotes would never raise one as there own, and an adult wolf would kill the coyotes rather than working with them.

Could it possibly be a coywolf? Granted that it does seem unlikely, given your location...
Aside from that possibility, I would agree with Lobo- you're likely seeing a coydog with a wolfish breed or wolfdog being one ancestor. If you had a picture of it, that would be helpful, but particularly since you did note that it's a "small" wolf I would guess that it is either not purely wolf or is actually a wolfish dog or coydog.

[alfa miko baka]

My guess is that what you are seeing is a feral wolf-dog. Someone probably bought it as a pup, realized it was a wild animal and it ended up roaming the streets.

There's also the possibly you are seeing a coydog (coyote and dog), with a "wolfish" breed (husky) as one parent. That actually seems more likely to me, as it would explain it's closeness to the coyote group.

You are definitely not seeing a wild wolf, either red or gray. Coyotes would never raise one as there own, and an adult wolf would kill the coyotes rather than working with them.

Not exactly true lobo. There are hybrids of wolves and coyotes up here along the east coast called coywolves. Its breeding between eastern wolves and coyotes. I've spotted the animals myself up here, after all I did find an abandoned densite maybe not so abandoned but just not in use?

[Nor-easter Forecast]

Not exactly true lobo. There are hybrids of wolves and coyotes up here along the east coast called coywolves. Its breeding between eastern wolves and coyotes. I've spotted the animals myself up here, after all I did find an abandoned densite maybe not so abandoned but just not in use?

Coywolf is also possible, indeed. That didn't occur to me. However its seems a little less likely than a coydog purely because of the fact that there are a lot more dogs to breed with in Huntsville, AL then there are wolves. I extremely doubt there are gray wolves anywhere near AL, and to my knowledge the wild red wolf population (about 50 animals) is almost exclusively in North Carolina. So possible, but highly unlikely.

[Loustake]

I agree with Lobo Laughing, that probably was a coy wolf.

[Koa]

I think a coywolf might be a little less likely as well, given that their "definitive" range seems far to the north (Figure 1 for current range - http://www.coywolf.org/wp-content/uploa ... rsion2.jpg ; Figure 1 for historical path of coyote colonization, page 2 http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/ ... 5.full.pdf).

There's also this:
http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/c9184db ... 1F.1-0.jpg

I would think a feral wolf-dog or certain coydog, like Lobo proposed, would be more likely.

[Celestial-Howl]

You might have seen a wolfdog that was illegally released, or a coywolf which is just a non-natural breeding combination. They seem more likely, but a clear picture of the canine would help with references.

[Koa]

or a coywolf which is just a non-natural breeding combination

I wouldn't describe it as "non-natural;" coyotes and wolves have been and still are capable of breeding. It's a common occurrence.

[Celestial-Howl]

or a coywolf which is just a non-natural breeding combination

I wouldn't describe it as "non-natural;" coyotes and wolves have been and still are capable of breeding. It's a common occurrence.

I just describe it as non-natural because they are technically "supposed" to breed.

[alethe]

honestly I'd say no since you live in Alabama. Its probably a coydog.