The national animal of Estonia is the grey wolf. This is a very important species both historically and symbolically as well as just being a literal keystone predator. They have played an important role in the folklore and mythology of the people of Estonia and were voted in as the country’s national animal.
Wolves are among the most recognizable predators in the world, given that all breeds of man’s best friend, the dog, derive from species of wolf.
Wolves in Estonia are seen as important symbols for a variety of reasons and play a big role in the symbolic life of the nation.
Let’s find out more.
What is the national animal of Estonia?
The national animal of Estonia is the wolf, also commonly referred to as the grey wolf.
This is a large canine that is native to huge swathes of Eurasia and North America, and there are more than thirty recognized subspecies of Canis lupus.
Dogs, of course, as well as the dingo, are all derived from wolves and considered subspecies, though the term “wolf” comprises only wild species.
The grey wolf is the largest living member of its family, distinguished by their less pointed ears and muzzles and also having shorter torsos with a longer tail.
They are slender with a powerful build, and a large, descending rib cage.
They have a heavily muscled neck which helps in tearing flesh from prey as well as in hunting.
They have large, heavy teeth, making them excellent at crushing the bones of their prey.
They are not, though, quite as specialized at this task as hyenas are.
Adults measure around 41 to 63 inches long and around 30 inches tall at the shoulder.
Their tails are usually around 11 to 20 inches long, and their size and weight increase proportionally in accordance with the latitude at which they live.
Their mean body weight is around 88 pounds, with the largest recorded specimen being 175 pounds.
European wolves are on average slightly heavier than North American wolves, being on average 85 pounds to North American 79 pounds—so there’s not a great deal in it.
They live and hunt in large, socially stratified groups called packs.
They commonly hunt very large ungulates like bison, and will pursue their prey over long distances in complex, organized endurance hunts.
They specialize in preying on vulnerable individuals of large, herd prey and particularly of hoofed mammals.
Since they live over such a wide range, though, they of course eat a variety of prey depending on where they are in the world.
Why is the wolf the national animal of Estonia?
The wolf is the national animal of Estonia for a number of reasons.
It’s worth noting that, as mentioned, they were chosen by popular vote over other native animals.
They are seen as symbols of strength, pride, courage and, perhaps more importantly, unity.
Their pack nature and their spirit of the forest reputation made them the perfect candidate for this cold, northerly country that sits so close to the wilds of Siberia in Russia.
With that in mind, then, the other reason for the choice of the wolf as the national animal is the fact that they are embodiments of the natural Estonian landscape.
They are seen to embody the natural beauty of Estonia, its wild forests, and snowy hilltops, and so this is another reason they have been chosen as the national animal.
In this case, though, since they were chosen by popular vote, it may be that you get a different answer to this question depending on the person you ask.
There may be lots of diverse reasons why the wolf is considered the national animal of Estonia, depending on the context and the person.
Are grey wolves aggressive?
Generally speaking, grey wolves are not aggressive to humans and will prefer to avoid contact with people altogether where possible.
They are an elusive species and will prefer to flee from human intrusion on their territory rather than actively fight.
Of course, though, grey wolves are more than capable of hurting people and if cornered then they would absolutely become aggressive and extremely dangerous.
They are much larger than you generally expect and they have extremely powerful claws and teeth, so you can rest assured that they are certainly physically very dangerous; just that they would prefer to avoid a confrontation where possible.
Where are grey wolves found?
Grey wolves have a fairly huge natural range and can be found across North America and Eurasia.
They are found virtually throughout all of Russia, and as far south as Yemen and Oman.
In North America they are more common the further north you go, and are much more common in Canada than they are in the United States.
They are, though, found in Alaska and in some northern parts of the U.S.
They once roamed much of Europe though their range in this part of the world has been considerably reduced over time.
Even still, their range is enormous.
It’s quite difficult to overstate the role of wolves in human history, both in a literal and symbolic sense.
They have lived alongside us in so many different times and places, and indeed without them we would not have dogs.
It is not surprising, then, that they should have won out for the position of national animal in Estonia where they are still relatively common today.