Why has the Wolf remained one of the more fascinating mammals in N. America?

The pictures are of Canadian wolves - these are all Grey Wolves! I have always been fascinated by this wild creature.  I have only seen wolves in Yellowstone National Park in the U.S.  They were transplanted Canadian wolves brought back into an ecosystem in which they flourished decades ago! My understanding is that at one time the wolf (Canis Lupus) roamed almost all of the Northern Hemisphere - North America and Mexico! A friend of mine who is a retired animal biologist once told me that there used to be about thirty species of wolf.  Today there are only four recognized main wolf species, or five if you count the British Columbian Raincoast Wolf as a distinct species that evolved in isolation along our rainforest.  Alaska and Northern Canada has the most abundant populations of grey wolves -- but hunting (both legal and illegal) have reduced their numbers significantly.  It's hard to say why I've always been fascinated by this creature - except that it was present in my dreams as a child (a solitary white wolf in the forest that followed me) and then my one and only encounter in Yellowstone.  I have always vowed that when I finally have the opportunity to travel to the northern regions of British Columbia for a longer trip -- I will bring along my best camera equipment and hopefully make some decent sightings of a wolf pack in their natural habitat engaging in their natural behaviour!

Maybe it's the fact that they seem to have an intelligence about them that is hard to put into words, or their sheer beauty, or their quiet dignified and strong appearance.  They seem to blend into their surroundings easily and quietly, appearing and disappearing at whim, and exude a kind of spiritual gaze when one happens to look you in the eye.  Whatever it is, I continue to have the same dream, even now, many years later -- and yearn to visit their wild territory when I get the chance.  I cannot dream of a future without the Wolf and the Wilderness in which they live.  I, like many others, try to spread the word about their value to the place we call home, whether it be in Canada, the U.S., or Mexico!  We find it frustrating that their plight rarely gets much coverage -- and especially now in this global world in which other issues seem to be of more importance; i.e. world economies, poverty, diseases, hunger, etc.!  But as important as these issues are, the plight of the Wolf is just as important -- as are the other endangered species who are on the brink of extinction.

I will continue to work to help in any way I can ... because I cannot give up on such a magnificent animal!