Does The Hudson Valley Have Wolves?

A seemingly simple post on the neighborhood-based 'Nextdoor' app has sparked a pretty wild conversation about what types of animals are, and are not, found roaming the Hudson Valley.

Ulster County Resident Says There's Been A Wolf In Backyard Recently

Last week, a woman named Jackie who lives in the Crescent Avenue area in Highland posted on the nextdoor site the following information:

We've had a wolf in our backyard for a couple of nights.

In the days that followed, many Hudson Valley'ers (some who appear to be self-proclaimed know-it-alls when it comes to the different types of animals that call the Hudson Valley their home) have chimed in to state their side, defend, or rip apart the simple claim that there's been a wolf in the Hudson Valley.

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There were some light-hearted and sarcastic responses, like Michael from Hyde Park who said he saw '3 little pigs' last week, and others who explained their reasoning as to why there couldn't possibly have been a wolf in Highland.

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Other comments include:

Probably a dog or coyote. Not a wolf in this area.
I highly doubt it was a wolf. Most likely a coyote or a coy dog (cross between a coyote and a dog). Or it could have been a lost German Shepard.
Coyote...no wolves around here. Feed them and they will be friendly to you.

One confident respondent from LaGrange made it known this was not true, simply by stating that 'there are no wolves in this state.'

So Are There Wolves in the Hudson Valley and/or New York State?

While it's not an animal we tend to come across every day during our Hudson Valley travels, the truth is there have been wolves here in the area. Back in the summer of 2022, a report came out that shared that a DNA test was performed on an animal shot in New York State that affirmed that the animal was '99% wolf.'

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In October of last year another report was published about a confirmed wolf roaming the Empire State, again using DNA testing to confirm the animal was indeed a wolf. The coverage went on to indicate that 'the natural recolonization of wolves in New York is unlikely' - but that doesn't mean they can't be found here, right?

(WARNING) Gruesome, but one of the people who commented on the Nextdoor thread about the wolf in Highland shared that her own dog was attacked last year in front of her by a wolf that was more than 150 pounds and the size of a deer.

While we continue to follow this story, and hopefully get some photos of the animal visiting this Highland backyard, have you ever spotted an animal you were surprised to see in the Hudson Valley?