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Updated January 2001
The Biological Resources Division of the U. S. Geological Survey,
formerly the Division of Wildlife Research of the U. S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, has been studying the wolf population trend in
the central Superior National Forest around Ely, Minnesota since
1968. Drs. L. David Mech and Mike Nelson are the primary scientists
involved.
The main method involves live-trapping, drugging, radio-collaring,
aerially radio-tracking and counting members of several packs (families).
Each pack usually occupies about 30-100 square miles (an area about
5-10 miles across).
The budget for the project is very low, so the biologists cannot
afford to follow the wolves as often as usual. Thus, there will
be large gaps in the data. Wolves that are farthest away will be
followed the least.
Another reason why entries may stop being added to the data list
is because some wolves disperse, or leave the area and travel hundreds
of miles away. They are seeking new areas and mates to form their
own packs. It is too expensive to follow them, so USGS biologists
must give up gathering data about these animals.
Other times, wolves die from starvation, by fighting with other
wolves, or sometimes illegally or accidentally by humans. When that
happens, we will post a notice.
View
photos on how this survey is conducted.
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