The wolf's pelt and other products are very valuable making it the target of hunters and trappers.
The killing of livestock by wolves causes them to be regarded as a pest by livestock keepers.
After near extinction, Greenland's wolves have repopulated themselves. The last wolves were extinct in the British Isles by the 1700's. By the 20th century, wolves disappeared from most of western Europe and Japan. Remnants of wolf populations exist in Poland, Scandinavia, Russia, Portugal, Spain, and Italy.
The grey wolf is considered as "Extinct in the Wild" in Mexico, as "Lower Risk" sub-category "conservation dependent" in Spain and Portugal and as "Vulnerable" in Italy. CITES lists the species as "Appendix 2" except for the populations in Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan which are listed as "Appendix 1".