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Beyond 2000:
Realities of Global Wolf Restoration
23-26 February 2000
Duluth, Minnesota USA
Andreas S. Chavez, Eric M. Gese, Department
of Fisheries and Wildlife, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322,
USA
The timber wolf population in Minnesota has recovered
in all of the wolf management zones in which they were expected
to colonize and has recently begun expanding into agricultural
regions, or what was presumed as "less suitable wolf habitat".
Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is located in the agricultural
region of northwestern Minnesota on the very western fringe of
the wolf range in the Upper Midwest. The Refuge lies in Zone 5
of the Eastern Timber Wolf Recovery Plan, a zone which the Eastern
Timber Wolf Recovery Team suggested should be kept "wolf free"
because of its preponderance of agricultural land. This designation
was established to reduce potential conflicts between wolves and
human interests. In spite of this, wolves have been resident on
Agassiz NWR since the early 1980's.
Agassiz NWR is adjoined by Eckvoll and Elm Lake
Wildlife Management Areas forming a 130-square mile "island" (Agassiz)
of wildlife habitat that has supported up to three wolf packs
at one time. Agassiz is characterized as being completely surrounded
by agricultural lands, including 33 livestock pastures within
3 miles of the border of the refuge. Conditions such as marginal
habitat and lack of human tolerance can prohibit wolves from occupying
certain areas. However, the Agassiz wolf population has been self-sustaining
despite experiencing relatively high percentages of human-induced
mortality and natural regulating factors, as well as inhabiting
areas that are predominately agricultural lands.
epredations on livestock have been reported in
the surrounding agricultural community. Within a 5 mile radius
of the refuge, official reports indicate that on average only
one depredation event occurs each year. The role that livestock
plays as a prey item for wolves has been documented to be higher
than the official reports of depredation indicate, suggesting
that scavenging at livestock dumps and/or unreported depredations
may be an important contribution to the Agassiz wolves' diet.
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