Wolf Conservation Program

Raincoast’s Wolf Conservation Program is built on peer-reviewed science, public education, and wildlife management reform.

Photo by Michelle Valberg.

Raincoast’s wolf initiatives are working towards shifting the provincial management of gray wolves away from a poorly-informed and exploitation-based model to one that respects the welfare of wolves and their important role in functioning ecosystems. Our ultimate goal is to end the killing of wolves in British Columbia for the purposes of predator control, trophy, and perceived competition for shared prey. 

Moving towards coexistence

The level of human-caused wolf mortality in BC can only be described as staggering. In addition to the hundreds of wolves dying at the hands of lethal control programs (government sanctioned wolf culls), the BC government estimates that some 1,200 wolves are killed annually from recreational hunting and trapping, all sanctioned and encouraged by the province. To ensure that wolves continue their wild ways amidst an uncertain future, coexistence must replace killing wolves.

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A darkly coloured wolf with black highlights walks across the sand in the intertidal zone.
Photo by Colleen Gara.

Science-based approach

Our policy recommendations and advocacy on behalf of wolves are grounded in rigorous, peer-reviewed research and conservation ethics. With our community partners, we continue to gain scientific understanding about wolves across BC. This includes work on coastal wolves – a subspecies that has been found to be genetically distinct from their inland cousins, unique to the Pacific coast. Collaborative efforts among Raincoast scientists, Indigenous Nations, organizations, and several universities are creating contemporary knowledge about this globally unique wolf-deer-salmon system.

Questions we are asking

At Raincoast, we aim to apply and advance research methods that are minimally invasive to wildlife. Accordingly, much of our wolf research hinges on obtaining information from camera traps, acoustic loggers, and samples such as hair and scats, which we collect without capturing or handling wildlife. Through our research along the central and south coasts of BC, we hope to gain a better understanding of wolves and other apex predators in anthropogenically-disturbed populations, and their interactions with prey species in salmon-bearing watersheds. Along the south coast, we are conducting initial surveillance in tributaries of the Fraser River and working collaboratively to develop this research with the local First Nation.

  • How do wolves interact with their environment during disturbance?
  • How does seasonal salmon abundance influence the distribution and behaviour of wolves in wolf-ungulate-salmon systems?
  • How do apex predators, like wolves, contribute to carbon cycling in this unique system? 
  • What are the economic and ecological benefits of wolf presence in anthropogenic landscapes?
Wolf research papers
Wolf reports and books
Hand programming a wildlife cam.
Paul Paquet kneels for the perfect photo.

Episode 7: A special tribute to wolves and women with Paul Paquet

In our seventh Of Wolves and Women episode, Paul Paquet reflects on the profound impact the women featured in this series have had on both his life and his understanding of wolves.
Chelsea Greer sits down in a small clearing while working in the field.

Episode 6: Wolf research and conservation with Chelsea Greer

In our sixth Of Wolves and Women episode, Chelsea Greer shares how her curiosity and passion for wildlife conservation and animal welfare led her to wolves — and to Raincoast.
Gudrun Gudy Pflüger stands in a cutblock.

Remembering Gudrun “Gudy” Pflüger (1972-2023)

Gudrun was admired for her good sense of humour, generous spirit, and infectious love for being out on the land.
Astrid Vik Stronen in the snow and ice on Moon Lake in January, with ski goggles and icicles dangling from her toque and scarf.

Episode 5: Wolf genetics and ecology with Astrid Vik Stronen

In our fifth Of Wolves and Women episode, Astrid Vik Stronen delves into the fascinating world of conservation genetics, revealing how this field can guide wildlife protection amidst rapid environmental change.
Shelley Alexander kneels over some remains in the field with stunning snow covered mountains looming in the background.

Episode 4: The science and ethics of tracking wolves with Shelley Alexander

In our fourth Of Wolves and Women episode, Shelley Alexander reminds us that science, when divorced from ethics, fails to consider the whole picture.
A grey and white wolf stands on the tree line looking out over the grass and meadow flowers.

Episode 3: Wolves, biodiversity, and food security with Susan Bragdon

In our third Of Wolves and Women episode, Susan Bragdon reveals what her observations uncovered about the role of female wolves.
A wolf lies down on a gentle slope in the snow and looks out over the low area.

Episode 2: Wolf social behaviour with Jane Packard 

In our second Of Wolves and Women episode, Jane Packard discusses the importance of learning to see the world through the eyes of another being — whether two-legged or four-legged.
Diane Boyd stands in a cutblock holding a radio antenna up in the air while tracking wolves.

Episode 1: Gray wolf recovery with Diane Boyd

In our inaugural Of Wolves and Women episode, Diane Boyd reminds us “It’s people management, not wolf management.”