• There are three primary wolf species in the world and approximately 20 subspecies.Wolf image by Petra Kohlst?¡èdt from Fotolia.com
  
  In some parts of the world, seeing a wolf in the wild is still a common occurrence. In Canada and Alaska, there are several wolf packs roaming wild in national parks and protected areas. Canada holds the second-largest wolf population after Russia, and even though there are many protected locations for wild wolves, their numbers are dwindling.
  
  

Denali National Park and Preserve

• As of April 2009, Denali National Park biologists recorded only 65 wild wolves in this Alaskan preserve. From 1989 to 2009, wolves in this park averaged around 100. As of 2010, Alaska overall is home to 7,000 to 11,000 gray wolves, the largest count in the United States, according to Defenders of Wildlife. Wolves in the Denali National Park are usually black or dark gray. Wolves are supreme hunters, sometimes traveling 30 miles to find food. They can also run up to speeds of 45 mph.
  
  Denali National Park and Preserve
  
  Alaska RR #3, George Parks Hwy.
  
  Denali Park, AK 99755
  
  907-683-2294
  
  nps.gov
  
  

Parc Omega

• Parc Omega in Quebec, Canada, is an 1,800-acre park and home to a variety of animal species, including Arctic and timber wolves. Visitors to this park can see wolves in their natural habitat by way of a 10-km driving tour. The timber wolves of the park are the largest in the North American canine family. Timber wolves are usually a dark gray color but can also have a black or pure white coat. The Arctic wolves at Parc Omega are a subspecies of the timber wolf. The Arctic species are generally found in the Arctic regions of Canada and Greenland. Their fur is snow white and works well as a camouflage.
  
  Parc Omega
  
  323 North Rd.
  
  Montebello, Quebec Canada JOV 1LO
  
  819-423 5487
  
  parc-omega.com
  
  

Banff National Park

• At Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, there were approximately 40 wild wolves roaming in four packs as of 2009. Wolves of this park are monitored regularly because they returned there in the late 2000s after an extended absence. Canada is home primarily to the gray wolf species. Their size and shape have been compared to that of a large German shepherd or malamute dog species. Most of the wolves at Banff are a darker gray color and travel regularly between the Bow Valley and Lake Louise areas. Banff participates in the Wolf Project to try to understand how to regulate the wolf's predatory needs, as well as help conserve the elk population in local areas.
  
  Banff National Park
  
  Bow Valley Parkway
  
  Banff, Alberta Canada T1L 1K2
  
  403-762-1550
  
  pc.gc.ca
  
  

The Haliburton Forest Wolf Centre

• Located in Ontario, Canada, the Haliburton Forest Wolf Centre is a 15-acre enclosed wildlife property. This privately owned facility protects and studies wolves and other wild animals, in addition to allowing them to reproduce without any outside harm from harvesting organizations. Since its inception in 1996, several wolf pups have been born there and donated to various wildlife parks across North America. The reserve is home to numerous gray wolves. The reserve concept came about in 1992. The wolf reserve founders had raised wild wolf pups previously and wanted to ensure this magnificent species was treated properly and not allowed to disappear.
  
  Haliburton Forest and Wild Life Reserve Ltd.
  
  RR#1
  
  1095 Redkenn Rd.
  
  Haliburton, Ontario Canada K0M 1S0
  
  705-754-2198
  
  haliburtonforest.com