Kentucky mammals

Gray Wolf in Kentucky

Canis lupus

Native to Kentucky SX Presumed Extirpated in Kentucky

Not listed as nonindigenous in Kentucky by USGS NAS; native to its Kentucky range.

IUCN Red List status

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

Photo: Robbie Hannawacker · CC0Silver-gray wolf walking along a gravel bank in AlaskaPhoto: Alejandro Santillana · CC0A pale, cream-phase wolf on the move in Yellowstone. Coat color spans cream to coal black.Photo: Piotr Lukasik · CC BY 4.0A black-phase wolf in a Yellowstone meadow at last light.Photo: mefisher · CC0A wolf beds down in open grassland, tail tucked alongside.Photo: Norma Malinowski · CC BY 4.0A gray wolf in winter coat. From the front, the wide head and short rounded ears are unmistakable.

Cream-colored gray wolf walking through dry grass with its mouth open — Photo: Robbie Hannawacker · CC0Silver-gray wolf walking along a gravel bank in AlaskaPhoto: Alejandro Santillana · CC0A pale, cream-phase wolf on the move in Yellowstone. Coat color spans cream to coal black.Photo: Piotr Lukasik · CC BY 4.0A black-phase wolf in a Yellowstone meadow at last light.Photo: mefisher · CC0A wolf beds down in open grassland, tail tucked alongside.Photo: Norma Malinowski · CC BY 4.0A gray wolf in winter coat. From the front, the wide head and short rounded ears are unmistakable.

Gray Wolf in Kentucky, by the numbers

Presumed Extirpated in Kentucky 46th most recorded of 61 mammals logged in Kentucky

13 occurrence records

Records from 2000–2026.

13 total records count every Kentucky occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 12; the monthly chart covers the 10 records with a full observation date.

When the gray wolf was recorded in Kentucky

Most historical records fall in April to May.

10 Kentucky occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence. Based on a small number of dated records; the seasonal pattern may not be representative.

Monthly Kentucky records (table)

Month	Records
January	0
February	0
March	0
April	2
May	2
June	0
July	0
August	1
September	2
October	1
November	1
December	1

Monthly gray wolf occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in Kentucky, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Sparse historical record in Kentucky; the species is extirpated there and the timing of activity was not well documented.

Occurrence map

Where Gray Wolf has been recorded in Kentucky

12 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

12 Kentucky records mapped

Where gray wolf encounters are recorded

Park, forest, or monument	iNaturalist records
Land Between the Lakes Other	2
Daniel Boone National Forest	1

Protected places with the most gray wolf records, from the USGS Protected Areas Database plus named mountain ranges, where encounters are most often recorded, not a full breakdown, so they don't sum to the total. Keep your distance and never approach one.

Where it's recorded in Kentucky

County	Records
Lee County	2
Whitley County	1
Hopkins County	1
Garrard County	1
Lyon County	1
Pendleton County	1
Trigg County	1
Bullitt County	1
Casey County	1
Carter County	1
McCreary County	1
Other localities	1

The complete county distribution, spread across 11 Kentucky counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Gray wolf has no living population in Kentucky; NatureServe ranks the species SX, Presumed Extirpated, in the state. Wolves were hunted and trapped out of Kentucky by the late 1800s along with the rest of the eastern wolf population, and the 13 records in this dataset are historical or misidentified entries rather than evidence of animals on the ground today.

Every large wild canid seen in Kentucky’s woods now is a coyote; there is no wild wolf population left to document. This entry is a record of the state’s past fauna more than a current wildlife-viewing guide.

Occurrence data from GBIF.

Gray Wolf in other states

View all states →

Full species profile Gray Wolf Canis lupus Size 1.1–1.6 m3.4–5.2 ft Weight 23–80 kg50.7–176.4 lb Lifespan Up to 20.6 yr View the full profile

More mammals in Kentucky in the atlas

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources:

GBIFCC-BY 4.0occurrence records behind the range map, elevation, and record counts
iNaturalistCC0 / CC-BY / CC-BY-SAobservations, photos, and audio recordings
NatureServe ExplorerCC-BYthe state conservation rank
IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
USGS NASpublic domainnative / introduced status
Natural Earthpublic domainthe relief basemap
USFSpublic domainnational-forest boundaries
USGS Protected Areas Databasepublic domainthe named parks, forests, and refuges behind "notable places to look"