A hunter earlier this year thought he harvested a coyote during a legal hunt, but genetic testing by Michigan wildlife officials revealed the animal to be a gray wolf.
In Tuesday's statement, Brian Roell, a carnivore specialist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, called the incident "an unusual case" because the hunt took place in the middle of the state while gray wolves are confined almost exclusively to the Upper Peninsula.
"While rare, instances of wolves traversing vast distances have been documented, including signs of wolves in recent decades in Michigan's Lower Peninsula," Roell said, adding that officials are trying to learn more about the animal's origin.
Officials say the incident happened in January when the hunter was legally hunting coyotes with a guide in Calhoun County, which is east of Kalamazoo. However, one sign something was off was that the animal weighed 84 pounds while eastern coyotes tend to weigh between 25 and 40 pounds.
Although wolves are considered an endangered species by the federal government, the release did not say that the hunter would face any criminal charges.
According to the release, research shows that wolves are capable of traveling thousands of miles, and in the past 20 years, there have been at least three instances of wolves found in other parts of the state.
However, Michigan's DNR said the public does not need to be concerned about a broader wolf presence in the county or the Lower Peninsula.
