Wolves.

[NewHopePoultry]

Im not going to get into this since I dont live in the area, but I do love wolves and know alot about them and their crosses.
A male wolf will mate with a female coyote and the young can reproduce. BUT male coyotes don't mate with female wolves(At least, their offspring don't survive)
The hybrids are smaller than the wolf, more reddish in color, and wolf-like howls mixed with coyote yips. They can breed with either wolves or coyotes (& even dogs).
Alot of people (experts, zoos,etc) believe that the red wolf is nothing more then a cross between a wolf and a coyote.

 

[aprophet]

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ya might want to google "red wolves" and read a little bit really fascinating animals we have a few 30-75 miles south of me

 

[goldeneggtees]

My husband was kayaking around Rainbow Lake in the Adirondacks a few years back and he swears he came upon a wolf in the brush. He had stopped paddling and was just enjoying the scenery and so was very quiet. When he looked up, he saw a huge animal with a silvery, gray coat that was much larger than a coyote. We went to a ranger's station and inquired about what their thoughts were on it. They didn't deny that it could have been a wolf and one guy even admitted that he'd heard wolves howl near his cabin not far away from where my husband saw the wolf.

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[mom'sfolly]

I used to see coyotes fairly regularly when I lived in NY, they seemed to like hanging out along the Thruway. I've also seen them here in Texas, and I have seen wolves in Wyoming and Alaska. The western coyote is a far different creature from the eastern. The ones in NY are huge in comparison, I would say almost twice the size of the ones that I see here in Texas. Texas coyotes are small, and dusty colored; and the ones I've seen in NY are much larger and grayer, with darker markings. But neither look quite like wolves. As for hearing them...all the coyotes I've heard sound pretty similar, but I have heard wolves in Northern Minnesota and Wyoming.

 

[Alas]

My brother and I came across a wolf here in Louisiana a couple of years ago. He had been bought by some people who raised pit bulls for fighting and they had left him tied to a tree to starve for some reason. I took him home and took care of him until he was healthy again and found a home for him. Wolves are not native to Louisiana, but people breed and sell them. People buy them, thinking they are like dogs, and then realize they are much more work than dogs. A lot of them release them into the wild for lack of better options. All of the wolf and wolfdog sanctuaries in the US are full. The wolves that are "fostered" are kept in 10X10 kennels until a new home in a state that allows them is found. Essentially, the wolves will most likely spend the rest of their lives in that kennel, so people would rather let them go than send them to be fostered. I had my guy for a year and he was an absolute sweetheart, as long as you were a dog or human. Anything else that crossed that fence was food. Generally, they are scared of people and will stay away from them. If they have an opportunity though, they will kill the chickens in a heartbeat. Remus would eat cats, possums, mice, birds, and if one of the chickens was silly enough to hop the fence he'd eat them too. Chicken wire is not strong enough to keep out wolves, so make sure your coop is secure and your chickens (and any other animals) are put up for the night. BTW, a wolf howl can be heard for miles away. You may never even see the wolves. They usually stick to the woods unless there is a lack of food there. We have a LOT of coyotes here. I am pretty far out of town and there's a lot of woods for them to live in. I'll occasionally lose a chicken that wandered out of the fence. I know its gross, but my husband will pee by the fence line that borders the woods. Coyotes are not scared of dogs, but they are scared of people, so it keeps them out of the yard. I hope your flock stays safe and I hope the wolves stay away so they can stay safe too. Here's a picture of my guy, just for the heck of it

 

[Alas]

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yep know a few who have moutain lions, and the other bigger cats to..

LOL, I know a man just outside of Gulf Shores, Alabama that you can buy a tiger cub from. If you can buy a tiger, I'd be willing to bet you can buy a mountain lion.

 

[woodmort]

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I agree with everything you say except for the size/color of the offspring. Going by what is happening in the northeast, if would seem the wolf/coyote offspring are larger than a normal coyote by about half again, at least, and approach the size of a wolf. Also many of the eastern coyotes are darker and wolf-like in color.
As far as the red wolf actually being a coyote/wolf cross--whether one believes this is the case or not seems to depend on whether they have and interest in preserving the red wolf as a species. Those that are seem to pooh-pooh the idea and DNA evidence.

 

[CMV]

He's pretty, Alas. I had a wolf hybrid for 13.5 years. She was the best animal I could have asked for, but I knew what I was getting into when I got her. I ruled over her with an iron fist, and we made a great team until the day I had to say good bye to her. I still keep her ashes on my mantel. I miss the old girl, but I would never get another hybrid. It's hard to raise an animal that is nearly as smart as you and has a wild streak a mile wide.

 

[greeneggsandham]

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I have to disagree with you. As a teen I knew of a couple that lived about 3 miles from me that did have a moutian lion as a pet. She was beautiful and in a huge enclosure. I had the honor of meeting her a few times. Of course I was not allowed in her pen, but she would rub up against it and almost make a purring sound. They had her for 12 years until the husband passed away unexpectedly and the wife was selling the house.

 

[mamaKate]

In answer to why anyone would want to keep a wolf: I rescued a wolf from neighbors who were wanting to shoot her. She was just standing on the train tracks looking desolate. I let her out at night for several nights on the hope that she had simply wandered from her home but she didn't leave. I wouldn't call her a pet; more like an awesome animal friend. We taught her not to eat the chickens and she was always ok with the cats. She did really like ducks, though. She killed three of ours before we gave up and just protected the ducks. The last time she tried, my daughter caught her in mid bite with the duck's head halfway down her throat and Sheena just froze and tried to pretend nothing was wrong.lol The duck was slimy but unharmed. She was miserable when we moved into town. Long walks really didn't cut it. We finally lost her when an insane neighbor broke into my house and poisoned her because he had an irrational fear of wolves. My daughter and I still miss her and I'd love to have another if I lived in a place wild enough to let her run. Oh, and the eye thing is pretty amazing, too. If we encountered a dog on her walks, they would often panic and run when she looked at them.
Also, there is a man in a neighboring county who keeps several big cats as pets. My son-in-law went to a party at his house and petted them.