Gray wolf found dead on Scott County roadside; caution urged for coyote hunters

A deceased young adult male gray wolf was discovered on Monday morning in the median of I-80 in Scott County, near the interchange with I-280.

The wolf, estimated to be around two years old, underwent a full necropsy at the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in Ames on Wednesday.

State furbearer biologist Vince Evelsizer and state wildlife veterinarian Dr. Rachel Ruden concluded, based on the examination, that it was a gray wolf.

He was in fair shape physically, with not much fat under the hide but a good amount of fat internally,” Ruden said. “He was also moderately parasitized by tapeworms, including Echinococcus, which is not unexpected as wild canids are the definitive host. However, this particular parasite can infect people through the ingestion of eggs in feces, so this serves as a good reminder for our hunters, trappers and wildlife rehabilitators to take care when handling coyotes and foxes.

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) plans to conduct DNA testing on tissue samples to confirm the wolf's species identity and determine if it is a purebred gray wolf or a hybrid.

Evelsizer says the wolf likely originated from the Great Lakes population in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

He emphasized the rarity of wolves in Iowa and reminded coyote hunters to exercise caution in target identification, as wolves are protected in the state, and there is no open season for hunting them.

The Great Lakes wolf population has shown stability or slight increases in recent years, and Iowa has seen an average of one to five wolves over the last five years.