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Wildlife and Environmental Disasters: Surviving
Wind, Flood and Fire in Red Wolf Country
by Cornelia Hutt
Gray wolves exist in comparatively large numbers throughout the Northern Hemisphere,
but coastal North Carolina is the only region in the red wolf's historical range where
approximately 130 of these wild, rare predators live. Imperiled species like red wolves
are especially vulnerable to the effects of natural disasters, and small, isolated
populations stand the chance of being wiped out in a single event.
Wolf 258's Long Trek Across Alaska and the Yukon
by John Burch
Wolf 258 was an impressive wanderer. In early May 2011, this male wolf left Yukon-Charley
Rivers National Preserve, Alaska, and headed out on a 2,000-mile (3,219-kilometer)
journey over seven months through north-eastern Alaska and western Yukon Territory,
Canada. But this wolf's journey was not unique. Probably hundreds of wolves every year
throughout wolf range take similar trips. What was unusual about 258's journey was
that the wolf was wearing a GPS collar, allowing us to track his movements almost daily.
Recovered Collar Details Canadian Wolf's Journey Through Minnesota
by Tim Davis
For the 10-hour drive from Winnipeg to Thunder Bay, I had thrown a radio-tracking
antenna on the roof of the car to keep an ear out for my missing wolves before I crossed
into Ontario. Little did I, or anyone else, know that had I made the trip a few months
earlier, I would have picked up the telltale beep of a tracking collar. However, it
would not have been in Manitoba, near where the wolves were first caught, but minutes
outside of Thunder Bay, a distance of over 300 miles (483 kilometers). This wolf that
wore the collar, a yearling male, vanished from the initial study area within a week
of being collared, traveled from eastern Manitoba, south and east to Lake Superior,
passing through the Quetico-Superior wilderness of Ontario and Minnesota.
Montana Wolf Hunt Report
by Jess Edberg, information services director
The wolf harvest season in Montana, which started September 3, 2011, will run through
February 15, 2012, and has claimed 137 wolves [1]. State officials extended the season
from December 31 to February 15 in some areas to achieve the statewide quota of 220 wolves.
by Mary Ortiz
After 25 years of helping the Center teach the world about wolves, I likely have left
"dents" in the wolf universe-most of them good, I hope. It is time for me to retire
and spend much more time with my husband, Gene, my family and friends. You can still
find me searching for animal tracks with my grandkids and heading out any dark night
to howl for wolves. I hope to spend many days of my retirement outdoors, where my world
feels whole and in balance.
It's That Time Again: Pups in 2012!
by Lori Schmidt, wolf curator, International Wolf Center
The International Wolf Center will be raising pups in summer 2012 per our management
policy to introduce new members to the Exhibit Pack every four years. The four-year
rotation prevents overpopulating the Exhibit Pack and allows the older wolves to have
several years of retirement before the next generation retires.
Japan Seeks to Bring Back its Once-Sacred Wolves
by Tracy O'Connell
The gates to the temple are guarded by two stone figures, both canine. The animal on
the right was depicted with its mouth open; the one on the left, with its mouth closed.
Together, they created a mystical symbol-the Japanese words for "open mouth sound" and
for "closed mouth sound" in combination created the word "aun," known in Sanskrit as
"om," the sound of the universe.
A New Wolf Pack in Kananaskis Country
by Jeff MacIntyre
The sunrise was lovely as I headed into Kananaskis Country in western Alberta, Canada.
That in itself made my day a success, but little did I realize how great a success it
would eventually be. About an hour into my drive, I spotted a gorgeous silver grizzly
sow with two fat, silver yearling cubs grazing beside the road and stopped, staying
in my car to watch them. The sow did not seem to pay me any attention. The cubs glanced
my way, and all three bears continued to graze as I observed them. Berries or rosehips
appeared to be their forage. As they seemed undisturbed by my presence, I continued
to observe them from my car, and they grazed a bit closer. When they got roughly 50
feet (15.24 meters) from me, between road and tree line, the sow alerted, and all three
bears started toward the tree line east of the road.
I thought they'd alerted to my presence, and I started to pull away to leave them to
feed when right beside my car on the same side of the road a gray, adult wolf appeared-to
my great surprise.
The International Wolf Center is proud to bring back International Wolf's youth page,
beginning with this issue. As adults, we know the importance of wolves and wildlands
to the overall health of our environment. We also know that many of you share our wish
to connect more young people with the importance of the natural world.
Wolves Must be Managed to Minimize Conflicts with People
by Mike Jimenez
In 1995 and 1996, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) reintroduced 35 wolves
into central Idaho and 31 wolves into Yellowstone National Park (YNP) with the goal
of re-establishing a viable wolf population throughout the Northern Rocky Mountains
(NRM). Recovery goals were set at 30 or more breeding pairs comprised of 300 or more
wolves that were well distributed among the recovery areas of central Idaho, Yellowstone
and northwestern Montana. Shortly after reintroduction, wolves began dispersing and
recolonizing parts of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Wolf recovery became a remarkable
conservation success story when recovery goals were met in 2002.
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