Genetic tests results are back on mysterious ‘Wolf-Dog’ found dead on Alaska road
Genetic test results are back on the black-and-gray creature known as “Gary the Wolf-Dog” that captivated Alaska’s largest city this fall.
But plenty of mystery remains about the animal that won fans and inspired a Facebook group before its death in October.
It turns out Gary — who was found dead by the side of a road on Oct. 7 in Anchorage, likely hit by a car — was a female wolf hybrid, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game wrote in a Nov. 26 new release.
That was determined by the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory at the University of California, Davis, which tested samples collected by the Fish and Game department, the Alaska agency said.
“The degree of hybridization, or percentage of wolf DNA, is not determined,” the agency said, noting the test “consists of 3-4 types of assays and analyses” and can detect hybrids within three generations.
Gary was an older female and weighed about 67 pounds, officials said.
When biologists from Fish and Game examined Gary’s remains, they found that the animal “did not exhibit the physical characteristics expected with a wolf,” the news release said.
That prompted them to send samples for testing.
Though Gary’s genetics now are better understood, plenty of questions linger: Namely, where did the animal come from and where was it living before it caught the public’s attention this fall?
Wolves are rarely seen in Anchorage, and it’s illegal for people to have wolves or wolf hybrids in Alaska, the release said.
“How the animal ended up suddenly appearing on the streets of Anchorage, and where or how she lived her days until then, remains a mystery,” officials said.
This story was originally published November 29, 2024 at 12:39 PM with the headline "Genetic tests results are back on mysterious ‘Wolf-Dog’ found dead on Alaska road."
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