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Wolf Conservation in the Great Lakes States After Federal Delisting
by Adrian P. Wydeven
On March 27, 2006, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced the beginning of a delisting process for gray wolves in the Great Lakes region. The population of wolves being delisted is the Western Great Lakes Distinct Population Segment (WGLDPS), and the area includes Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota as well as portions of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota (see map). Wolves live mainly in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin; in late winter 2006 the population was estimated at about 4,000 wolves, of which threequarters live in Minnesota. The delisting is expected to be completed in early 2007, and by the time this article is published the delisting process may have been completed.
Visitors in Gray: Habituated Wolves in Europe
by Florian Wetzel
Wolves searching for food in yards and crossing road junctions? These wolf sightings are hard to imagine, especially in Europe. The wolf in Europe is, on the one hand, seen as a symbol of wilderness, of freedom and untamed nature. On the other hand, many people still fear wolves, and in many European tales the wolf is the evil antagonist, the man-eating beast. When wolves broke out of an enclosure in Germany in 2002, worried mothers wrote: "Aren't there enough dangers for our children? Everywhere you have to be in fear of the wolves. . . . Restore our forests to the state we once liked." A study conducted in Southern France revealed that a remarkable proportion of the interviewed people said that they would be afraid to hike in woods where wolves are present. However, many people in European countries strongly support wolves and their reintroduction.
What is the prey of wolves in Riding Mountain National Park in Canada?
by Walter Medwid
On my voice mail was a message left by an outdoor writer living in Oregon. He was eager to find out whether the fragment of a story he had heard on the radio about someone recently killed by a wolf in the lower 48 states was true. Since I had heard nothing about a wolf killing from my usual trustworthy sources, before I returned his call, I took time to Google the news to see if such a story was in print. While some interesting articles came up from my search words, including information on Wolf Blitzer and a variety of horror films (this being the end of October), I found nothing about a human recently killed by wolves.
Joining the Gone but Not Forgotten Pack
by Lori Schmidt, Wolf Curator, International Wolf Center
On Tuesday, July 11, 2006, Lucas, the dominant male of the International Wolf Center's Retired Pack, was euthanized at the Center in Ely, Minnesota. After observing Lucas for several days, the wolf care staff and area veterinarians determined that he would not recover from what appeared to be a chronic, degenerative spinal condition and other age-related ailments. Born in April 1993, Lucas was one of the original pack that served as ambassador wolves for the Center.
WOLVES OF EUROPE
Will Wolves Return to Austria?
b y Heinz Dungler
Austria's spectacular alpine wilderness is traditional wolf country. Many old names in Austria show the historic presence of wolves, but by 1882, hunting, trapping and poison had eliminated the breeding population. While single animals are occasionally sighted, no viable packs exist in the country.
WOLVES IN THE UNITED STATES
Back to the Wild: The Twentieth Anniversary of the Red Wolf Reintroduction
by Corneila Hutt
In 1980, red wolves were considered extinct in the wild. Habitat destruction and human persecution had forced the last red wolves into marginal habitat along the Texas and Louisiana coasts, where they interbred with coyotes and succumbed to parasite infestation. After years of captive breeding, eight red wolves consisting of four breeding pairs were reintroduced to the wild in 1987 at the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge (ARNWR) in northeastern North Carolina. This was the first attempt ever to restore an officially extinct carnivore to a portion of its historic range.
WOLVES IN BELARUS
A Bold Conservation and Management Plan
by Vadim Sidorovich
In Belarus, a nation slightly smaller than Kansas, natural and semi-natural vegetation (dry land, grassy marches, dry-land meadows, raised bogs) covers about 65 percent of the country. Additionally, large tracts of extended woodlands and forests remain intact. Wolves are present in all regions of Belarus, but their population density varies (see distribution map).
Over the Next Ridge
by Kristy Raines
Silently, our group of 16 hikers trekked across the tundra, all of us focused on a single goal- locating a family of wolves. If successful, we would find a hidden place to observe their activities without intruding or stressing them. The pace was moderate on the varied terrain, across areas of spongy lichen, through tangles of stunted birch trees, and over ridge after rocky ridge. We were just about to reach a hilltop when Canadian biologist Dean Cluff, who was at the head of the line, suddenly signaled us to halt, drop to our knees and stay low. I could feel the pebbles scraping my knees and palms as we started crawling back toward the way we had come. In excited whispers, Cluff explained the reason for our hasty retreat. Just over the next ridge lay a pure-white adult wolf slumbering in the midday sun. How rare to be so close-just 30 yards away from a wolf in the subarctic barren-lands.
Little Red's Ongoing Story
by Kelly Burns
You have all heard the Little Red Riding Hood story, right? But have you really? In your version, does Little Red trick the wolf and escape? Does she get gobbled up with her granny?
Chicken Little and Wolf Education Don't Mix
by Nancy jo Tubbs
The-sky-is-falling headlines and promotional photos of dead wolf pups can provoke strong emotions and may result in public support for a cause, but fostering fear, catastrophe or even adoration of wolves to get you to send money is not our style.
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