An animal suspected to be a gray wolf near the Grand Canyon is set to be captured and DNA tested. If the creature turns out to be a gray wolf, it would be the first of its kind in the area in more than 50 years.
The animal was first photographed more than a month ago near the Grand Canyon’s North Rim. Now, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued an emergency permit to catch it and determine if it is one of the endangered wolves.
The creature is wearing a tracking collar, but the signal is too weak to determine its species. A department press release said capturing the animal and fitting it with a brightly colored GPS tag is essential to its safety, as deer season is starting.
A department spokesperson said it could be a gray wolf or wolf-dog hybrid. If it is a gray wolf, it has likely traveled hundreds of miles from the Rocky Mountain region.
