Winter 2017
“Trophic cascade” is the term used to describe the effect predators may have on an entire ecosystem. Trophic refers to nutrition, and when wolves prey on other animals to get their food, the effects can cascade throughout the environment. Scientists have not reached agreement on the topic, but a recent study in Wisconsin supports the notion that wolves—and their nutritional needs—do benefit the ecosystem.
Apex Carnivore Competition: What does the return of the wolf mean for cougar populations in Oregon?
by Beth Orning
Cougars have rebounded in Oregon since the 1960s, and wolves have expanded into the Pacific Northwest since reintroduction elsewhere in the 1990s. Now, important questions arise as to how these carnivores will coexist and what effects they may have on prey species. Researchers from Oregon State
University and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife are collaborating to find answers.
by Avery Shawler
When a shepherd in northeastern Oregon is awakened by barks and snarls, he knows his dogs are facing off with predators—and because of the Wood River Wolf Project, he may now have tools to protect his flock and preserve the wolves. No wolves have been killed in the project area since 2008, and while the project is not the only deterrent, it appears to be a significant one. Download full article.
Departments
From the Executive Director
Peanut Butter-Flavored Bubbles
by Rob Schultz
Throughout the year, our wolves at the International Wolf Center endure many of the same challenges faced by wolves in the wild—rain, wind, snow, and cold and hot temperatures, to name a few. And as anyone who has visited northern Minnesota can attest, there’s one more factor our wolves face—bugs!
Tracking the Pack
Summer Enrichments
by Lori Schmidt, wolf curator, International Wolf Center
During summer, wolf care staff conduct a daily program called “Wolf Enrichment” to provide stimuli to the Exhibit Pack during the noon hour, when members are typically less active. This program allows wolf care staff to get a mid-day assessment of the wolves’ conditions related to biting flies, heat and humidity. The guaranteed
presence of the wolves also draws a large crowd at the auditorium windows to watch the behavioral responses to a variety of enrichment activities.
Member Profile
A Rendezvous with Ann Beyer
by David Kline
When wolf enthusiasts think of the word “rendezvous,” they probably picture a wolf pack’s meeting site. But to long-time International Wolf Center member Ann Beyer, it has another definition.
Wolves of the World
Wolves: Revered, Reviled, Researched, Robotized
by Tracy O’connell
Proponents of reintroducing wolves in Japan to counter destruction by herbivores have had a difficult time gaining public support. Now a robot has been developed to help counter the destruction—or at least part of it.
The return of wolves to Denmark has been met with a flurry of predictable, conflicting responses. Queries about how many wolves lived in the country have arisen
since the first wolf of recent times was documented five years ago.
There has been no evidence of wolves in an area designated for a major new airport, according to the development company involved. Environmentalists were concerned that the airport siting would adversely affect Indian wolves in the area (see Wolves of the World, IW, Spring 2017) along with other endangered species.
A wolf sacrificed 500 years ago and adorned with fine Aztec gold has been found buried in the heart of Mexico City.
Personal Encounter
As an elementary school teacher, I began studying wolves through the books and films of Dave Mech and Jim Dutcher more than 20 years ago, and I’ve been watching the
wolves in Yellowstone National Park, documenting their travels and behavior ever since. I followed their reintroduction to Yellowstone, never thinking I would ever see wolves in the wild. But I took classes and purchased a spotting scope, and soon I was hooked. I decided that my heart was in Yellowstone and retired early to move near the park so I could watch the wolves.
WildKids
Ambassador Wolf Behavior
International Wolf Center visitors often ask our staff what the ambassador wolves might be thinking—especially when the wolves come up to the windows and peer inside. People assume they may be interested in food or looking for wolf care staff, but in fact, we have no way of knowing exactly what animals think or feel.
Book Review
A Look Beyond
What Will Happen When Wolves Show Up?
by Nancy jo Tubbs
Dr. L. David Mech asked in the title of his 2017 paper in the journal Biological Conservation, “Where can wolves live and how can we live with them?” It’s a pithy, key question, the answers to which will determine the future of wolves in places dominated by human populations.
degrees or removed.”