Folklore also has contributed to the wolf's bad reputation.  In many old sayings, the animal is a symbol of badness or evil.  For example, "to keep the wolf from the door" means to prevent hunger or poverty.  "A wolf in sheep's clothing" describes a person who acts friendly but has evil intentions.  Fables and other folk tales pass on the misleading notion that wolves attack people.  In the story of Little Red Riding Hood , a wolf threatens to eat a little girl.

          Hatred and fear of wolves have led people to destroy large numbers of them.  In the United States, organized hunts have killed thousands of wolves.  Bounties have been offered for their pelts.

          The United States government has classified the gray wolf as an endangered species in every state except Alaska and Minnesota.  This wolf is a threatened species in Minnesota.  The red wolf is classified as endangered in all the Southern States.  Gray wolves have been reintroduced into the wild in Wyoming and Utah, where they once roamed in great numbers.  Red wolves have been reintroduced into the wild in North Carolina and Tennessee.