The appearance – and demise – of a wild Eastern gray wolf in western Massachusetts is stirring up speculation about whether the charismatic canids might ever repopulate northern New England.

An 85-pound male was shot last fall after a farmer in Shelburne reported that something had mauled more than a dozen lambs. Tests confirming the animal as a wolf were reported today in the Boston Globe.

It’s the first confirmed wolf appearance in Massachusetts in 160 years, although a couple were found in Maine in the 1990s. The last confirmed sighting in New England was a wolf shot by a hunter in Jackman in 1993.

Wolves that appear here are believed to have strayed down from Canada, and some experts say such visits increase the chances of a comeback here.

It’s far from impossible. Maine and northern New England sit squarely in the wolf’s historical range and have plenty of suitable habitat.

And consider that scientists didn’t think Canada lynx were breeding in the state until 8 years ago, and now the cats have been tracked across more than 10,000 square miles of northern Maine.

Look here for more on wolves.

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