What is the biggest wolf in the world? Meet the deadly canine apex predator – as well as its domestic rivals

By Stuart Blackman – Discover Wildlife

Several species go by the name of ‘wolf’: red, grey, Ethiopian, African and maned. They’re found around the world, from the Arctic wolves in the High Arctic to the Italian wolf.

Once hunted to near-extinction across mainland Europe, wolves have been naturally migrating west from Poland and can now be tracked in Germany – although not everyone has welcomed their return.

The largest wolf (and the biggest member of the entire dog family) is the grey wolf of North America and Eurasia. The heftiest males can reach about 80kg in the wild.