Saturday, December 8, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
Wolf politics raise hackles in U.S. West
Fears of wild wolves have spurred a backlash in Montana, where officials recently legalized trapping, lifted kill quotas and lengthened the hunting season. (Photo: U.S. FWS)
The gray wolf is no longer an endangered species in several U.S. states, thanks to decades of federal protection in the Northern Rockies and western Great Lakes. But amid escalating efforts to curb its comeback — namely via public hunting and trapping — many conservationists say the iconic predators aren't out of the woods yet.
One major battleground in America's wolf wars lately is Montana, where state officials last week loosened an array of restrictions on wolf hunting. Passed by the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission in a 4-0 vote, the new rules allow trapping for the first time since gray wolves were removed from the endangered species list last year. They also extend the length of the hunting season, and remove a statewide limit on how many wolves can legally be killed per year.
This is welcome news to many ranchers and hunters in Montana, who often suggest wolves pose an existential threat to livestock and wild elk populations. And with biologists reporting at least 650 wolves in the state this year, up from 500 in 2009, advocates of looser hunting laws have found ample support from local politicians.
"We need to make sure we keep the wolf population in balance so they're not attacking more elk, more deer, more antelope," Gov. Brian Schweitzer told Billings' KTVQ Thursday, "but we're going to maintain a healthy wolf population in Montana as well."
Not everyone agrees that Montana's wolves are a problem, though, or that more hunting and trapping is a good strategy for ecological balance. Montana had a population of 2.5 million cattle and sheep in 2011, notes ecologist George Wuerthner in a recent blog post on Wildlife News, yet wolves killed fewer than 100 of those animals last year. The MFWPC's decision, he writes, "will likely lead to greater conflicts between humans and wolves because [it] ignores the social ecology of predators."
Image: U.S. National Park Service
Gray wolves inhabited most of North America 200 years ago, but they were virtually wiped out of the Lower 48 states in the 19th and early 20th centuries by government-sponsored eradication campaigns, which portrayed them as deadly pests. Only later did scientists realize their importance as a "keystone predator" — an animal that helps regulate the food web by, for instance, keeping grazer populations in check so they don't eat too many tree seedlings and hinder forest growth.
U.S. wolves were added to the endangered species list in 1974, and wildlife officials later reintroduced small numbers to the Northern Rockies in the 1990s. After a slow start, the species is now self-sustaining in several states, including Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Meanwhile, another rebound has unfolded in the western Great Lakes, where Canadian wolves have repopulated parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin.
As wolves return to their former hunting grounds, however, they've found a changed landscape — one populated not just with familiar prey like deer and elk, but also with millions of chickens, cows and sheep. This has predictably renewed their ancient rivalry with humans, ultimately leading to their removal from the endangered species list and the return of legal wolf hunting. And while those hunts have so far been limited to the West, Wisconsin will also hold a wolf season this fall, in which 25 percent of its wolves may be legally killed. Minnesota is similarly mulling a plan that would let 13 percent of its wolves be hunted or trapped per year.
Wolf attacks on livestock are relatively rare, but they can still be costly for ranchers. Wisconsin has about 800 wild wolves, for example, which have been blamed for 64 incidents of livestock harrassment, property damage or other problems so far in 2012. (There were 182 such incidents reported in 2011, but not all were confirmed.) To reduce tension, Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources issues paymentsto people whose livestock are attacked — it has paid more than $214,000 so far in 2012, up from $155,000 in all of 2011 and $203,000 in 2010.
HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF: Wolves stare down an elk in Yellowstone National Park. (Photo: NPS)
Another rationale for allowing wolf hunts is to reduce competition for game animals like elk, whose populations are also smaller than they were 200 years ago. Butaccording to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, while "elk will probably never return to their historic numbers nor to all of their historic range, far more elk inhabit the United States than at any other time in the last 100 years."
Experts generally agree that wolves are now stable in much of the U.S., and many say they exceed the numbers needed for a healthy population. There is substantial local support for wolf hunting in states that have wolves, but there's also a firm opposition that sees public hunting and trapping as archaic ways to manage wildlife.
"In 2012, it's just mind-boggling to me that we're still talking about trapping. It's such an inhumane and torturous method," Pam Guschausky of Great Falls, Mont., told the MFWPC during Thursday's public meeting, according to Reuters. And beyond ethical issues, Wuerthner argues that unfettered hunting and trapping could make wolf-human relations even worse than they already are.
"Hunting predators tends to skew populations toward younger animals," he writes in Wildlife News. "Younger animals are inexperienced hunters and thus are more likely to attack livestock. ... In addition, just as occurs with coyotes, under heavy persecution, wolves respond by producing more pups. More pups means greater mouths to feed, and a need to kill even more game — thus hunting and trapping may actually lead to greater predator kill of game animals like elk and deer."
Montana hunters killed 166 wolves last year, well below the quota of 220, a disparity supporters cite as a reason to soften state laws. Yet conservationists point to the 20th century as evidence that loose hunting laws can push wolves to the brink of extinction, and animal-rights advocates add that tactics like trapping are cruel. "It's barbaric and it's uncalled for," Kim Bean of Helena, Mont., said at Thursday's meeting, according to the Helena Independent-Record. "You need to stop this trapping. It's not fair chase."
As MFWPC chairman Bob Ream said Thursday, such battles over wolves will likely continue long into the future. Rather than trying to end them, he hopes to simply contain them to sustainable levels — much like what Montana wildlife officials aim to do with wolves themselves. "This is a tough issue," Ream said, noting that the MFWPC received more than 7,000 public comments about wolf-hunting rules. "It's become so polarized. My hope for the future is that we can get to the point where we treat this large predator like we do any large predator, like mountain lions."
Liberty Adjusts to New Home
The wolf-dog originally discovered at Pennypack Park in Philadelphia has a new home at the Wolf Sanctuary of Pennsylvania and a new name. NBC10's Dawn Timmeney shares the story.
Wolf Dog Adjusts to New Home, Gets New Name
Two weeks since his capture, the infamous Pennypack Park wolf-dog is adjusting to his home at the Wolf Sanctuary of Pa. in Lititz, Lancaster County.
“He seems shy and withdrawn,” said Dennis Binkley of the Wolf Sanctuary. “But every day he seems better.”
It was the Wolf Sanctuary that helped search for the elusive animal late June in Pennypack Park. Local residents had spotted him many times in the area but were unable to catch him. After seeing him on television, a man who claimed to be the owner of the wolf-dog came forward.Kasey Lyon, 21, told NBC10 he purchased the animal from a breeder in Florida when he was only 4-months-old and named him Levi.
Wolf-Dog hybrids are only legal in Pennsylvania with a special permit. When the Pennsylvania Game Commission finally caught him two weeks ago, Levi relinquished him to the sanctuary. With his new home comes a new name.
“When I first thought about Philadelphia I thought of the Liberty Bell,” said Binkley. “So we’re going to call him Liberty.”
The Wolf-Dog is in quarantine until medical tests clear him to join the other wolves and wolf hybrids in more spacious quarters.
“We want to get him in with some other wolves,” said Binkley. “Wolves in general don’t like to be alone because they are pack animals.”
Liberty is currently about 25 pounds underweight. DNA testing will reveal how much of him is wolf and how much of him is dog.
“If it’s 65 percent or more wolf content the last I know now it would be illegal to own one in Pennsylvania,” said Binkley.
While his exact DNA has not yet been revealed, Liberty has made it clear that he has a good amount of dog in him. The Sanctuary says he was stealing dog toys from the yards aligning Pennypack Park.
“We understand in Pennypack Park he had these toys spread all over the place,” said Binkley.
Liberty’s DNA tests will be released at the end of the month.
Friday, June 8, 2012
The TEAM LUPUS Pack
This is our Team Lupus pack. So far there is me, wolveRawesome12,
or Shadowind, my partner Blaze, my pup Aribeth, and two more pups. We are accepting pack members at the time. THIS WILL BE UPDATED DAILY
Shadowind - a loyal and trustworthy Alpha
male who hates strangers and will
do anything to keep his pack alive.
Blaze - a protective yet stern
Alpha female with high
domestics. She loves to be with her
pack and family all the time.
Moved on - Pup - aribeth - a wolfdog pup who is
on guard and smart all the time. She
is bonding with her mother Jade
anytime she gets.
Moved on - Pup - Paw - A beautiful young pup
who loves to play and mess around
with her siblings, and claims
her last family was a pack of
coyotes.
Pup - Fate - A young male pup who
is very domestic and protective of his
pack and siblings.
Pup - Silvie - A smart playful pup that
was born only a few days ago. She is
beautiful.
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Questions and Answers about Wolves
What is a wolf pack?
A wolf pack is a group of wolves either related or past lone wolves that joined the wolf pack. The wolf pack is normally closest to a hunting ground. When there is a bigger herd in the hunting ground, then the wolf pack is going to be a bigger amount of wolves. And normally a wolf territory (the land which the wolf packs is in) is far away from another wolf territory.
What does a wolf do while hunting?
When wolves hunt they hunt in groups or packs. The picture below shows a bull being chased by some grey wolves. As you can see, the wolves are surrounding the bull. Wolves do this because they probably want to stop or again surround the bull so the wolves can have a better chance in killing the bull.
What are the rankings of the wolf pack?
Well, there are 4 rankings: First, there are the leaders of the pack - the Alphas. The alpha wolves lead the pack and control the whole pack. Second, there is are the Beta wolves. They normally follow second in the pack. They are a little bit lower in rank of the alphas. Third, there are Deltas. They are lower than betas and alphas. And fourth - the Omega wolves. They are the lowest rank. Normally, the deltas and omegas play to train instead of play-fighting like betas. If the omegas try and mate, the alphas will stop them.
What do wolf pups do?
Wolf pups are normally born in the Spring, and wolves mate during Winter. Pups stay in the den until they are about 3 or 2 weeks old. Then they start to come out of the den and explore the world. The pack immediately greets the new pups, and the pack will all work together to care for the pups. But - to really answer your question, wolf pups learn and play everyday. I've seen on some sites, people are selling wolf pups - and I think that is cruel. Wolves belong in the wild.
About the Wolf Howl
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About the Howl
Ask anyone about wolf vocalizations
and the howl invariably springs to mind.
Even though wolves bark, woof, whine, whimper, yelp, growl, snarl and moan a
lot more often than they howl, it is howling that defines the wolf, and fascinates us.
So why do wolves howl?
The center of a wolf's universe is its pack, and howling is the glue that keeps the pack
The center of a wolf's universe is its pack, and howling is the glue that keeps the pack
together. Some have speculated that howling strengthens the social bonds between
packmates; the pack that howls together, stays together. That may be so, but chorus
howls can also end with nasty quarrels between packmates. Some members, usually
the lowest-ranking, may actually be "punished" for joining in the chorus. Whether howling together actually strengthens social bonds, or just reaffirms them, is unknown.
Although some people believe wolves howl at the moon at night. Scientists have
discovered that saying is just a myth. Drawings and articles have been of wolves howling
at the moon - but it's a myth.
Wolf Photos
Wolf Photos
About Wolves
\Wolf Range
Wolves are legendary because of their spine-tingling howl, which they use to communicate. lone wolf howls to attract the attention of his pack, while communal howls may send territorial messages from one pack to another. Some howls are confrontational. Much like barking domestic dogs, wolves may simply begin howling because a nearby wolf has already begun.
Wolves are the largest members of the dog family. Adaptable gray wolves are by far the most common and were once found all over the Northern Hemisphere. But wolves and humans have a long adversarial history. Though they almost never attack humans, wolves are considered one of the animal world's most fearsome natural villains. They do attack domestic animals, and countless wolves have been shot, trapped, and poisoned because of this tendency.
In the lower 48 states, gray wolves were hunted to near extinction, though some populations survived and others have since been reintroduced. Few gray wolves survive in Europe, though many live in Alaska, Canada, and Asia.
Red wolves live in the southeastern United States, where they are endangered. These animals actually became extinct in the wild in 1980. Scientists established a breeding program with a small number of captive red wolves and have reintroduced the animal to North Carolina. Today, perhaps 100 red wolves survive in the wild.
The maned wolf, a distant relative of the more familiar gray and red wolves, lives in South America. Physically, this animal resembles a large, red fox more than its wolf relatives.
Wolves live and hunt in packs of around six to ten animals. They are known to roam large distances, perhaps 12 miles (20 kilometers) in a single day. These social animals cooperate on their preferred prey—large animals such as deer, elk, and moose. When they are successful, wolves do not eat in moderation. A single animal can consume 20 pounds (9 kilograms) of meat at a sitting. Wolves also eat smaller mammals, birds, fish, lizards, snakes, and fruit.
Wolfpacks are established according to a strict hierarchy, with a dominant male at the top and his mate not far behind. Usually this male and female are the only animals of the pack to breed. All of a pack's adults help to care for young pups by bringing them food and watching them while others hunt.
If you have any questions, comments, or anything else, visit the Comments and Suggestions page. Thank you.
Wolves are the largest members of the dog family. Adaptable gray wolves are by far the most common and were once found all over the Northern Hemisphere. But wolves and humans have a long adversarial history. Though they almost never attack humans, wolves are considered one of the animal world's most fearsome natural villains. They do attack domestic animals, and countless wolves have been shot, trapped, and poisoned because of this tendency.
In the lower 48 states, gray wolves were hunted to near extinction, though some populations survived and others have since been reintroduced. Few gray wolves survive in Europe, though many live in Alaska, Canada, and Asia.
Red wolves live in the southeastern United States, where they are endangered. These animals actually became extinct in the wild in 1980. Scientists established a breeding program with a small number of captive red wolves and have reintroduced the animal to North Carolina. Today, perhaps 100 red wolves survive in the wild.
The maned wolf, a distant relative of the more familiar gray and red wolves, lives in South America. Physically, this animal resembles a large, red fox more than its wolf relatives.
Wolves live and hunt in packs of around six to ten animals. They are known to roam large distances, perhaps 12 miles (20 kilometers) in a single day. These social animals cooperate on their preferred prey—large animals such as deer, elk, and moose. When they are successful, wolves do not eat in moderation. A single animal can consume 20 pounds (9 kilograms) of meat at a sitting. Wolves also eat smaller mammals, birds, fish, lizards, snakes, and fruit.
Wolfpacks are established according to a strict hierarchy, with a dominant male at the top and his mate not far behind. Usually this male and female are the only animals of the pack to breed. All of a pack's adults help to care for young pups by bringing them food and watching them while others hunt.
If you have any questions, comments, or anything else, visit the Comments and Suggestions page. Thank you.
Wolves
Gray wolves once populated large portions of North America, Europe, and Asia, but were hunted to near extinction. Their numbers have rebounded due to conservation and reintroduction efforts
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