A PUBLI CATI ON OF THE I NTER NATIO NAL CENTER FALL 2003

The “Romance” of Owning a Wolf, page 4 A World Without Carnivores, page 8 Wolf Control Controversies, page 11 THE QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER VOLUME 13, NO. 3 FALL 2003 Features Departments The Romance of Having a 3 From the Executive Director 4 Wolf of Your Very Own 14 International Wolf Center When Pat Tucker and Bruce Weide ended up Notes From Home owning a wolf, they embarked on a life of trav- eling ambassador wolf programs. The wolf has Tracking the added a dimension to their lives unachievable 17 otherwise. Has it been worth it? 18 of the World Pat Tucker and Bruce Weide Bruce Weide 21 As a Matter of Fact A World Without Carnivores: 8 Does Wolf Recovery Offer an 22 Book Review Alternative? 23 News and Notes Wolf recovery in the United States represents a stunning conservation success, but most other of large carni- Personal Encounter vores have fared poorly. What can we learn from wolf recovery 24 that would help efforts to conserve other large carnivores? 26 Wild Kids

Mike Possis, Wild Thing Photography Mike Phillips 28 A Look Beyond Wolf Control Controversies 11 Wolves have been shaped by evolution to hunt and eat ungulates— On The Cover such hooved as caribou, elk, deer and moose. Hunters often blame wolves for what they perceive as inadequate ungulate populations. Is it good policy to reduce wolf numbers to improve ungulate populations?

Steve Grooms

“Alpha, Alpha, Beta, Omega” by Mary Roberson Mary enjoys the outdoors and was recently featured in Wildlife Art magazine and in Southwest Art magazine’s “Artist’s To Watch” section. To view and purchase additional artwork, visit www.maryroberson.com, or call 208-788-3865. Sherry Jokinen Publications Director Slanted comparison on in the metropolitan area, and, Mary Ortiz doesn’t help wolves by extension, most of the places Magazine Coordinator people live. Carissa L.W. Knaack Thanks for your excellent publica- So of course a person has a Consulting Editor tion. I am a wolf center member and greater chance of mishap at the Mary Keirstead a wolf lover of 35 . hands of the above-listed examples Technical Editor While feeling great respect and L. David Mech than at the hands of a wolf, because a certain amount of kinship with Graphic Designer the average person lives in far the wolf, I believe we must see Tricia Hull closer proximity to those examples the species clearly. That’s why than to wolves. I read with great interest Liz International Wolf (1089-683X) is We love the wolf, but that is published quarterly and copyrighted, Harper’s article in the Spring 2003 no excuse for sloppy thinking, 2003, by the International Wolf Center, International Wolf, “Are Wolves 3300 Bass Lake Rd, Minneapolis, MN which in the case of this slanted Dangerous to Humans?” Well, the 55429, USA. e-mail: [email protected]. comparison invites those on the All rights reserved. answer has always been, “yes, they other side to dismiss our wolf are, to some varying degree.” Publications agreement no. 1536338 statements as emotional, subjective I think the article shows that. Membership in the International Wolf and poorly reasoned. n I have a problem with one of her Center includes a subscription to Steve Foss International Wolf magazine, free admission comparisons, however. It is an Ely, Minnesota to the Center, and discounts on programs apples-to-oranges comparison. After and merchandise. • Lone Wolf member- ships are U.S. $30 • Wolf Pack $50 • citing the numbers and categories Wolf Associate $100 • Wolf Sponsor $500 of wolf-human encounters, and Executive Director’s reply • Alpha Wolf $1000. Canada and other wolf populations of 10,000 to Your letter in response to Liz Harper’s countries, add U.S. $15 per for 20,000 in Europe, and 60,000 article is appreciated. It certainly is airmail postage, $7 for surface postage. a good reminder for us not to use Contact the International Wolf Center, each in the former Soviet Union 1396 Highway 169, Ely, MN 55731-8129, and North America, she writes: the tactics enemies of the wolf use to USA; e-mail: [email protected]; “A person has a greater chance of demonize it. phone: 1-800-ELY-WOLF being killed by a , lightning, a I would argue your point about the International Wolf is a forum for airing bee sting or a car collision with a article slanting the comparison in the relative risks of deer, bees etc. and wolves facts, ideas and attitudes about wolf- deer than being injured by a wolf.” related issues. Articles and materials to humans because human population printed in International Wolf do not That’s likely true, statistically, centers aren’t factored into the equation. necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the but is an ill-conceived comparison. If one were to look at the northern third International Wolf Center or its board Fact is, deer, , automobiles, of directors. of Minnesota, where the highest pop- bees and lightning come into contact ulation of wolves in the contiguous International Wolf welcomes submissions with human population centers United States is located, where we have of personal adventures with wolves and wolf photo graphs (especially black and far more often than wolves. In most cities like Duluth, Virginia, and Grand white). Prior to submission of other wolf range, human population Rapids, and where we have millions types of manuscripts, address queries remains sparse. The same obvi- of visitor days in the Superior National to Mary Ortiz, publications director. ously is not true of most dog range. Forest, the statement about a greater International Wolf is printed entirely For example, there have been chance of being killed by a dog, light- with soy ink on recycled and recyclable rare reports of wolf sightings ening, deer etc. still applies. My point paper (text pages contain 20% post- is that the statistics “work” regardless around a few Minneapolis– St. Paul consumer waste, cover paper contains of whether we are talking human popu- 10% post-consumer waste). We encourage suburbs. But there are millions lation centers or the heart of wolf range. you to recycle this magazine. of bees, hundreds or thousands of PHOTOS: Unless otherwise noted, or annual lightning strikes, thousands Walter M. Medwid obvious from the caption or article text, of dogs, deer and so on and so photos are of captive wolves.

2 Fall 2003 www.wolf.org INTERNATIONAL From the Executive Director WOLF CENTER

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nancy jo Tubbs Chair Dr. L. David Mech A Changing Landscape Vice Chair Dr. Rolf O. Peterson ith the announcement by the U.S. and Wildlife Service earlier this year Secretary categorizing all gray wolf populations in the contiguous United States (with Paul B. Anderson Wthe exception of the endangered Mexican wolf population in Arizona and Treasurer New Mexico) as “threatened” versus the more protected “endangered,” wolves take Dr. Larry D. Anderson a great step closer to a very different world. And while wolves have always shown a Julie Potts Close remarkable adaptability to change, we humans will have a far more difficult adjustment. Thomas T. Dwight The 30 years during which wolves have been protected by the Endangered Species Nancy Gibson Act instilled in us a false sense that federal law would always protect wolves. Yet the Hélène Grimaud intent of the act has always been that after appropriate recovery measures Cree Holtz and confidence that viable populations of critical species existed and would Cornelia Hutt continue to exist in the future, these species would be “delisted,” or Dean Johnson removed from the endangered species list. When the American alligator Dr. Robert Laud and peregrine falcon were removed from the endangered species list, Mike Phillips the change was largely accepted as a good thing, especially so in the case Dr. Robert Ream of the peregrine, for which strong federal protection remains. Jeff Rennicke But as wolves come closer to delisting, there is a far different sentiment Deborah Reynolds since no such federal protections will remain once they are delisted. Jerry Sanders There is clearly apprehension about what that will actually mean when Paul Schurke Walter Medwid individual states initiate their own plans for managing wolves. By all Teri Williams accounts more wolves will be killed, and the circumstances under which wolves will EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR be killed will be determined by the individual states’ management plans. The people Walter M. Medwid doing the killing will no longer be agents of the federal government but rather private citizens or state employees. All those changes will test our sensibilities of what consti- MISSION tutes good public policy and a reasonable compromise among the various stakeholders. Fortunately, the Endangered Species Act provides for the federal government to make The International Wolf Center advances the survival sure state management does not threaten wolf recovery. of wolf populations by Underlying all this is the good news that gray wolf populations in the western Great teaching about wolves, their Lakes and Northern Rockies are doing well. But as long as they are doing well, conflicts relationship to wild lands and with humans will undoubtedly increase. Some fear that unless we fund the “right” the human role in their future. management programs, we run the risk of developing a backlash against wolves, for Educational services and which they once paid so dearly. informational resources We know that most Americans care deeply about the environment, and we know are available at: too that that caring extends to wolves. We know that there will be some voices calling for the eradication of wolves but also know that the public won’t tolerate extreme 1396 Highway 169 Ely, MN 55731-8129, USA measures in the way we deal with the inevitable wolf-human conflicts. 1-800-ELY-WOLF The one thing certain is that as we adjust to a changing landscape for wolves and humans, 1-218-365-4695 efforts to strengthen our education efforts on behalf of wolves can take no time off. n e-mail address: [email protected] Web site: http://www.wolf.org

International Wolf Fall 2003 3 Koani in her role as an ambassador wolf with the students of Wise River School in Montana The Romance of Having

A modified climbing harness made for walking Koani. Note the wolf wrangling gear: gloves, 9/16-inch nylon tubular webbing and pepper spray clipped to the harness (at right). Moments after a deer carcass was placed in Koani’s enclosure, she sends a clear message that she’s not about to share any of it.

4 Fall 2003 www.wolf.org Te x t a n d p h o t o s b y PAT TUCKER and BRUCE WEIDE

t’s happened again. Koani is loose. It’s always the same scenario: somehow she’s gotten out of the pen or off the leash. She dances just out of reach, and I can see the gears in her brain turning: “What’s Ifirst: Killing that dog down the road? How about those in the pasture on top of the hill? Ooh, look! What’s that little human doing in the driveway?” Before mayhem ensues, I wake up, and relief floods through me. Twelve long years and no disasters. And that is what it’s like to live with a wolf.

o begin with, we never dreamed of humans and to protect humans from. evening, because it mimics a wolf’s T“owning” a wolf. Born in captivity We would not find it romantic to crepuscular activity patterns. These and socialized to humans from the age cage this alien or fasten a collar walks occur every day—including of 2 weeks, 3-month-old Koani came to around its neck. Christmas morning, Super Bowl live with us as part of an ABC docu- By acquiring a captive wolf one Sunday, or after a hard day of skiing. mentary about wolves we’d been hired takes on a legal and moral responsi- Walks keep Koani sane, and we to consult on. For a variety of reasons bility. The first and primary rule of take this responsibility seriously. we ended up with a wolf. Feeling an life with a wolf is that no socialized She doesn’t, however, willingly walk obligation to give her life in captivity wolf can ever be allowed to run at our side or at our pace. The leash, purpose, we founded Wild Sentry and unleashed or initiate human contact connected from Koani to our modi- embarked on a life of traveling ambas- without supervision by a qualified fied climbing harness, keeps her from sador wolf programs. Twelve years, caretaker. Wild wolves avoid humans. attacking dogs or chasing livestock. 1,387 programs and 182,456 people A captive wolf is less shy and there- Being attached to her is like being later, there’s no question that Koani has fore more dangerous. attached to a 100-pound . And succeeded in changing many hearts A captive wolf requires special while she enjoys these walks, we and minds, and that has kept us fencing—a fence 10 feet high with a are constantly reminded that she’d going through some tough and 3-foot skirt and an outer 8-foot fence. enjoy them more if we’d let her go. grueling times. Each needs a minimum of When a strange dog is encoun- Before embarking on reasons why a quarter acre. Psychologically stable tered, we’re jerked, sometimes to the owning a wolf is not as romantic as wolves need a canine companion— ground, by 100 pounds of aroused you may imagine, let me state preferably another wolf of the oppo- muscle. From Koani’s point of view, a site sex. A dog is a poor substitute but dog is a territorial intruder. Denying better than nothing. However, if a contact with the dog is our responsi- wolf and dog are kept together, don’t bility. Even though we outweigh be surprised to come home to a Koani by 40 pounds, she’s amazingly a Wolf strong and quick. A momentary lapse in atten- tion can lead to the death of a neighbor’s pet or of YourVery Own worse. Though constant unequivocally that we love this mangled dog. Place more than two vigilance may be good training for animal. We love her as we would a wolves in a pen and the chance for “living in the moment,” there are psychopathic sibling who is in turn injury increases. Wolves have their cheaper, less dangerous ways to work charming and frightening. We do own rules of engagement, and for a toward Zen mastery than walking a not love her like a child or like our variety of reasons they may seriously wolf. dog, Indy. We love her like you might injure or kill a pen mate; this has While Koani enjoys the stimu- love an adult being from another nothing to do with right versus lating smells and sounds of walking planet—an intelligent being, yet wrong or like versus dislike. in a new place, transporting her utterly lacking human moral values, Wolves need physical and mental there is hardly worth the energy and for whom you are entrusted with exercise. We walk Koani for one to or effort. Wolves don’t possess the the responsibility to protect from two hours in the morning and early “filtering” apparatus of dogs. Because

International Wolf Fall 2003 5 s Left: The first time Koani is a nervous trav- Below: When we allowed Koani in eler, she must be confined directed to get the house, she jumped in a car, Indy on the table. Moments to a 4-by-6-foot kennel. (Koani’s dog later it toppled over. The kennel doesn’t calm companion) knew to get in Below: On occasion, her, but it does prevent the car—Koani when Koani is allowed her from jumping in our didn’t (maybe in the living room, she lap and attempting to

she thought acts in an undoglike I said “on”). s manner, as exemplified wrest the steering wheel

away when she sees an by her behaviors on the couch. approaching semi. And when her bowels loosen from stress, it’s in the kennel instead of on the upholstery. Wolves are social animals. Isolation in a pen without stimula- tion is one of the crueler fates for captive wolves. But before you allow a wolf into your house, put the garbage up on the refrigerator, place soap, food and any other substances that might smell interesting in the closet, and exchange heirloom furniture for junk from the secondhand store. Koani is a good wolf, but she’s a really bad dog. Sure, all dogs are destructive when they’re puppies, and there’ll be occasional “mistakes” on the carpet. You can, however, depend on the fact that after consistent training, your dog s won’t wreak havoc when left home Above: Koani is on alone. To accommodate Koani’s need the cable run we clip her to when we stop for social contact and to keep our for the night while on the road presenting Wild Sentry programs. The debris on the ground is what is left of a pillow she got hold of.

Left: Loading Koani for a Wild Sentry program tour, or even to take s her on a hike in the mountains, is always a chore. In 12 years, she has never once entered the van willingly.

6 Fall 2003 www.wolf.org We owe it to wolves to keep their numbers in captivity to a minimum. home intact, we dug a 40- foot tunnel from her pen Remember, your desire to be “close” to wolves to a living room enclosure. Then there are vacations. We’ve is not their desire. yet to find wolf-sitters listed in the Yellow Pages. Since the Wild Sentry However, another might be more dimension to our lives that could staff consists of two, we are in difficult. Wolves are born with a wide not have been achieved otherwise. the same boat as private individuals range of personalities with traits that Has it been worth it? Neither of us when it comes to activities that don’t become apparent until adult- can speak for Koani. But we know require “going away.” Captive wolves hood. While environment makes a that for us, the educational good she’s need professional, as in expensive, difference, it’s unrealistic to expect performed is tinged with sadness. care. In the 12 years we’ve lived with a wolf to fit into your life like a dog. Not a day goes by but what we’re Koani, we’ve not been away together So are there any reasons to keep made aware of our shortcomings for more than four nights in a row, captive wolves? In the best of all when it comes to providing Koani and that has happened only twice. possible worlds we at Wild Sentry with the life of a wolf. My nightmares of her running loose say, “No.” Unfortunately, we don’t Wolves are wild animals that have really heat up when we’re away. live in that sort of world. Because evolved over millions of years to take Why do we think we should be of this, we do believe captive wolves care of themselves. Wolves don’t able to raise a wolf and other people can serve important educational need us to provide them with food, shouldn’t? We don’t consider our- purposes. However, for these animals shelter or companionship. What they selves special. We just don’t think to fulfill an educational mission, need from us is to leave them space most people would make the personal they should only be part of not-for- on this increasingly crowded planet and professional sacrifices we’ve made. profit organizations, exhibited by so they can provide these things Really, we guess, we think most people knowledgeable people, and in a for themselves. If you love wolves, are smarter. To give us credit though, program reviewed and sanctioned by work to ensure that this dream it’s not that we wanted to make the professional educators and biologists. remains possible. n sacrifices. Again, we never dreamed Educators have an obligation to of “owning” a wolf. We had one help their audiences understand that For more information relating to captive choice, and that was whether to no matter how large and natural- wolves and hybrids as pets: become involved with the film project. looking an enclosure appears, it Go to www.wildsentry.org, navigate to Once we opted in, we started down cannot provide the space and stimu- the education page, and click on a path of narrowing alternatives. lation to fulfill the prey drive and Can You Turn a Wolf Into a Dog? A decision to make a wolf part social interactions that wolves (also available for $2.00 in booklet form). of your life is an “until death do us experience in the wild. Their sacrifice Wild Sentry can be contacted at part” decision with euthanasia the is justifiable only in that it sheds [email protected], or only way to opt out. Should life with light on human ignorance. We owe P.O. Box 172, Hamilton, MT 59840. a wolf prove more demanding than it to wolves to keep their numbers in expected, leaving it consigned to captivity to a minimum. Remember, Pat Tucker is a wildlife biologist, and perpetual boredom in a pen, shipping your desire to be “close” to wolves Bruce Weide is a writer and storyteller. it off to a refuge for ex-pet wolves, is not their desire. Responsible, sensi- Both have directed Wild Sentry: or turning it loose are cowardly tive people understand that caging The Northern Rockies Ambassador alternatives and, in the latter case, wildness is an oxymoron. Wolf Program for more than a decade. also illegal. Look before you leap, and We realize that we’ve concentrated They recently received the National Conservation Achievement Award once you’ve leapt, be prepared to turn on the negative aspects of living for their educational work from the your life upside down or admit with a wolf. That’s because part of National Wildlife Federation. your mistake and kill your “pet.” Wild Sentry’s mission is to discourage Could it be that Koani is an espe- people from obtaining wolves for The authors thank Diane Boyd and Megan cially difficult wolf and that another pets. However, as we stated early Parker for their review of this article. might be easier to deal with? Possibly. on, we love Koani. She has added a

International Wolf Fall 2003 7 fter decades of work and tens of millions of dollars, one can assert that the gray A wolf has been recovered across the northern Midwest and the Northern Rocky Mountains. At the end of 2002, wolf pop- ulations there were distributed over about 5 percent of the species’ historic range and included about 4,000 animals. Notwithstanding specific issues that fuel debate about the A World species’ future, wolf recovery represents a stunning conservation success. Recently I have wondered if wolf recovery offers instruc- tion for conserving other large carnivores. Without In the United States the progress in wolf recovery is an anomaly; most other species of large carnivores have fared poorly. The grizzly Carnivores: has been eliminated from much of its historic range. The is extinct across the Northeast and greatly reduced elsewhere. The mountain has a tenuous hold on east of the Mississippi River. The was recently listed as threatened. The is absent from the Southwest. Long-term prospects for restoring wild populations of red wolves seem bleak. Even where suitable remains in the United States, proposals to reintroduce large carnivores generate signif- icant and polemic resistance despite the success of gray wolf reintroductions. Much of the worldwide conservation move- ment is rooted in the United States, and the rest of the world often looks there for leader- ship. U.S. institutions and individuals have

Jerry Murray promoted and funded international efforts to The grizzly bear has been eliminated from almost all of its historic range in the 48 contiguous states. conserve large carnivores. Despite this, through- out the world many such species are faring poorly. Fuller (1995) completed a review of 30 large carnivore species and found that 22 were considered endangered by the United States or the World Conservation Union. Our success with gray wolf recovery has apparently not catalyzed similar success with other large carnivores. So what can we learn from wolf recovery that would help efforts to conserve other large carnivores? Let’s measure it against several tenets that I believe guide most successful recovery efforts. Research and monitoring are critically important. For several decades wolves have been the focus of intensive research and monitoring. These efforts have yielded knowl-

8 Fall 2003 www.wolf.org edge that has served to counter outrageous At the end of 2002, wolf populations in the claims that were foisted upon the public northern Midwest and the Northern Rocky Mountains were distributed over about 5 by those who opposed wolf recovery. percent of the species’ historic range and A large-scale approach is desirable. Wolf included about 4,000 animals. recovery efforts have been based, at least tacitly, on a large-scale or landscape approach. Recovery efforts in the Great Lakes region and the Northern Rocky Mountains are based on the belief that spatially segregated pop- ulations occurring across a large landscape (e.g., Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho) require interchange with one another to ensure the long-term genetic health of each. Local human populations are important. Wolf recovery efforts have been built on recognition that the needs and concerns of local citizens are critically important. All wolf reintroduction projects have been conducted according to the provisions of section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This section authorizes the use of a nonessential/ experi- mental approach that allows management (including lethal control) of reintroduced animals to be tailored to local sensibilities. Controlled human use of the carnivore species should be an option once recovery has been achieved. For some time there has been the expectation that once wolves recov- ered, then state agencies would allow recre- ational harvests. While such harvests may appear to address public concerns about wolf management, given the ecological robustness of the species it is fair to question whether such harvests would ever be truly effective at limiting wolf population size and distribution. Cooperation across cultural, ideological and political boundaries is required. Because Does Wolf wolf recovery has been connected to large landscapes, its history is replete with examples of such cooperation. For example, a multi- agency field team is implementing the Mexican Recovery wolf reintroduction effort. Moreover, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Mexican wolf recovery coordinator is working closely with Offer an tribal entities and the Mexican government. Recovery efforts must continue until the ecological effectiveness of the species is assured over a significant portion of the species’ Alternative? historic range where suitable habitat exists. More wolves will have to be restored to more by MIKE PHILLIPS places for wolf recovery to serve as instruction

for this tenet, which is probably the most chal- Mike Possis, Wild Thing Photography

International Wolf Fall 2003 9 levels that may prove to be inadequate species’ historic range where suitable for recovery as defined by the ESA. habitat exists, then one can conclude For example, in the Western DPS that wolf recovery offers scant the Service intends to initiate the instruction to those striving to recover delisting process immediately because other species of large carnivores. the recovery objectives that were If we are unable to restore more developed primarily for Montana, wolves to more places, then we Wyoming and Idaho have been met. should not expect others, usually Many consider it inappropriate for working with far fewer resources, the Service to apply delisting criteria to do better with the recovery of that were developed primarily for a other large carnivores. three-state region and according to Some of the poorest people in the the Service’s own scientific review poorest countries are now making were only ever minimally acceptable, the greatest contribution to conserving to the Western DPS, which includes large carnivores and biological diver- all or portions of six states that were sity in general. For example, many never considered during recovery of these poorer countries have set planning. Many conservationists will aside a much greater percentage of Mike Possis, Wild Thing Photography argue that recovering the gray wolf protected areas than the United States in such a manner is unwarranted and has (4.5 percent), including Botswana lenging and important of all. It is here has no basis in science or law. (15 percent), Costa Rica (12 percent), that wolf recovery in the United States These people will claim that the Rwanda (12 percent), and the Lao is proving to be uninspiring. goal of wolf recovery should not be P.D.R. (10 percent). Asians, Africans In response to the gray wolf’s the restoration of arbitrary popula- and Latin Americans are living daily improved , the U.S. tion targets for small portions of with , and . Fish and Wildlife Service recently final- the species’ historic range. Rather, to In contrast, many United States citi- ized a vision for the future of wolf conform to relevant legal and scien- zens resist the return of the wolf to recovery based on the concept of gray tific standards, the goal should be even our most remote regions. wolf Distinct Population Segments the achievement of functional densi- We must do better. If we can’t, (DPS), of which they recognized three: ties of the species over a significant then wolf recovery will not serve as Eastern, Western, and Southwestern. portion of suitable habitat within instruction or inspiration to those Gray wolf DPSs are areas that its historic range. To achieve this, working to conserve other species of support wolf populations, are some- they will argue, the Service needs to large carnivores. If that proves to be what separated from one another, are restore more wolves to more places. the case, then we must accept some significant to the overall conservation There is at least one place ideally of the responsibility if populations of of the species, and are subject to suited for this purpose. Studies have large carnivores elsewhere continue slightly different recovery criteria. The revealed that the Southern Rocky to decline and eventually vanish. n Service’s vision is important because Mountains represent the best it represents their first effort to define remaining unoccupied wolf habitat. Work cited: their legal obligations to recover wolves This region contains millions of Fuller, T. K. 1995. An international under the ESA. The Service’s definition acres of publicly owned wild lands review of large carnivore conservation of recovery is important because from south-central Wyoming through status. In Integrating People and Wildlife further recovery activities will be western Colorado to northern New for a Sustainable Future, edited by difficult to implement once the species Mexico. The region supports robust J. A. Bissonette and P. R. Krausman, is removed from the list of endangered populations of native ungulates and 410–12. Proceedings 1st International and threatened wildlife (i.e., delisted). could easily support a self-sustaining Wildlife Management Congress. The For many, a shortcoming of the population of wolves. Not surpris- Wildlife Society, Bethesda, Maryland. Service’s vision is that throughout the ingly, polls reveal that a majority of Eastern and Western DPSs, areas that registered voters in Colorado and New Mike Phillips is the Executive Director contain expansive tracts of suitable Mexico support wolf restoration there. of the Turner Endangered Species Fund, but unoccupied habitat, the Service If we are unable to restore the gray in Bozeman, Montana. intends to accept wolf population wolf to a significant portion of the

10 Fall 2003 www.wolf.org Is it good policy to reduce wolf numbers to improve ungulate populations? That simple question, unfortunately, has no simple answer.

f wolves could live on a diet of mice, ally acrimonious wolf control wars. populations. For example, a Web site humans would tolerate them better If wolf numbers continue to increase currently on the Internet compares Ithan they do. But wolves have been in the Rocky Mountain region, wolves to piranhas. The site’s author shaped by evolution to hunt and eat hunters there might request wolf claims wolves kill for “lust,” asserting ungulates—such hooved animals as control to boost ungulate popula- that wolves will destroy “every avail- caribou, elk, deer and moose. Those are tions in Idaho, Montana or able animal” before turning cannibal- exactly the game animal species so many Wyoming. Wolf advocates will vigor- istic and devouring each other. humans are passionate about hunting. ously oppose such proposals. Some humans are not happy to Is it good policy to reduce share that ungulate prey base with wolf numbers to improve wolves. Game populations are rarely ungulate populations? abundant enough to please hunters, That simple question, even in regions with no wolves. unfortunately, has no Where wolves are present, hunters simple answer. frequently blame them for what Critics of wolves they perceive as inadequate ungulate describe them as populations. killing machines Disappointed hunters sometimes with the ability demand wolf control, the practice of to decimate game killing wolves to enhance ungulate populations. Many state game agencies and even such thoughtful game managers as Aldo Leopold once Some humans are not happy accepted the need for wolf control to to share the ungulate prey increase populations of popular base with wolves. ungulate species. Wolf control is much more controversial today. In recent years Alaska has suffered from exception- WoWollff ConConttrrolol ConConttrroveroverssiesies

by STEVE GROOMS Lynn and Donna Rogers, www.bearstudy.org

International Wolf Fall 2003 11 Wolf advocates reply that predator the quality of the browse, which then in a “predator pit” that pins them at and prey species have evolved over the affects the health of the moose herd. low levels for many years. millennia to coexist. Indeed, the very The Isle Royale experience suggests Wolves can even contribute to the nature of predator-prey relationships that weather, habitat quality and extirpation of local ungulate popula- requires parity; if either side held a predation combine in complicated tions, as was shown by a study in big advantage, the relationship would ways to change wolf and moose Minnesota’s Superior National Forest. collapse. Vigorous ungulates can populations. Deer survived for many years in a almost always escape or fight off Predator-prey relationships are region that had marginal habitat. wolves. To a remarkable degree, even more complex everywhere else. Then a combination of wolf preda- wolves target compromised animals— Isle Royale moose contend with only tion and several successive severe those that are sick, injured, old or very a single predator, whereas ungulates winters eliminated the deer. Deer have young. That leads to the comforting in Alaska are eaten by wolves, black not returned to that area decades observation that by eliminating less , brown bears and humans. later, although it seems possible that fit ungulates, wolves enhance the gene Multi-predator ecological systems are deer would have disappeared from pool and improve the survival chances difficult to study and tricky to manage. such poor habitat sooner or later even for fit individuals. Research in Alaska suggests that without wolf predation. And yet the impacts of wolf preda- combined wolf and bear predation If predation can limit ungulate tion are not always so simple or benign. can limit ungulate populations to populations, is it possible to improve The most-studied predator-prey levels significantly lower than the game numbers by eliminating preda- relationship is on Isle Royale, where habitat should be able to sustain. tors? The answer is a qualified yes. wolves and moose have coexisted Predators sometimes suppress ungulate Research in the Yukon and British without outside interference since populations by taking high numbers Columbia shows that killing wolves 1949. Researchers there have learned of juvenile ungulates, especially can improve survival rates of juvenile that weather events can affect the moose and caribou calves. Alaska’s caribou and moose, leading to higher vulnerability of moose to wolves. managers describe some imperiled overall populations. The increases Fluctuations in moose numbers affect ungulate populations as being caught are not automatic. In 11 tests of wolf control in Alaska, higher game popu- lations occurred in only three cases. Moreover, the effects of wolf control do not seem to last long. Research in Alaska and Canada shows that after wolf control is stopped, ungulate mortality rates return to pre-control levels. Alaska’s managers have talked optimistically about how temporary wolf control could result in a win-win situation, producing strong and stable popula-

Research in Alaska suggests that combined wolf and bear predation can limit ungulate populations to levels significantly lower than the habitat should be able to sustain. Predators sometimes suppress ungulate populations by taking high numbers of

Jerry Murray juvenile ungulates, such as moose calves. Where wolves are present, hunters frequently blame them for what they perceive as inadequate ungulate populations.

12 Fall 2003 www.wolf.org tions of both ungulates and wolves. bears will not return until young Killing wolves can improve local In the real world, however, that theo- ungulates have grown large enough to ungulate populations of particular retical ideal has not been validated. escape most predation. interest. But wolf control doesn’t Advocates of wolf control have Perhaps the main difficulty with work as well or for as long as fans of argued that it brings stability to wolf control is that it is necessary wolf control have believed, and it predator-prey systems, minimizing the to kill a great many wolves to have comes at a high price, not the least of boom-bust cycle. Achieving that kind much effect. The fertility and adapt- which is a great deal of bitter debate. of stability is not easy. And it is open ability of wolves allow them to Wolf control might belong to that to question whether stability is a desir- replenish their numbers unless from category of appealingly simple reme- able goal, since the normal tendency of 28 to 50 percent or more of the fall dies that don’t work as well as people natural systems is for predator-prey population is removed, year after hope they will but that seem to do relationships to oscillate. year. That’s a lot of dead wolves. enough temporary good to continue A curious feature of Alaskan wolf Killing that many wolves is difficult to be popular. The only thing for sure control is the way predator control and increasingly controversial. is that wolf control controversies are has targeted wolves although in some As with many controversies, both not going away any time soon. n studies predation by brown bears had sides might be right and wrong. Wolf more impact on young ungulates. predation is not as universally benign Steve Grooms has been writing about wolf management since 1976. He is the Bears benefit from a cultural resis- as wolf advocates often believe, and author of the book The Return of the tance to the sort of lethal control often in specific situations it can suppress Wolf, and serves on International Wolf directed at wolves. Alaskan managers ungulate populations for many years. magazine’s advisory committee. are currently contemplating moving bears from areas of special concern during the calving season, hoping the Jerry Murray Wolves have been shaped by evolution to hunt and eat ungulates, such as caribou.

Ungulates in Alaska are eaten by black bears (pictured), wolves, brown bears and humans. Walter Medwid, International Wolf Center

International Wolf Fall 2003 13 INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER Notes From Home

Wolves Fascinate Darren Bennett 13-year-old with cystic fibrosis, Darren knows he will not Alive to old age, but through the Make A Wish Foundation, the Salt Lake City, Utah, boy finished a week’s wolf study at the International Wolf Center in March. Penny and Corey Roeder He and his family discovered facts about wolves during shared their experiences lectures and discussion, from the air during a radio telemetry on a “Tracking the Pack” flight, and from the ground, where they howled at nearby adventure vacation with their friends back home wolf packs and observed their sign. It was an adventure in Iowa. vacation tailored to a family. And to a boy. “I knew some facts, and I learned some,” said Darren. Passing on the Lessons The week drew together the family and the Center staff, allowing them to do what they do best for someone who t’s hard to say whether appreciation of the majesty really appreciated it. “We take a lot away from this, too,” IPenny and Corey Roeder of the wolf, and of the got more pleasure from environmental concerns, said Assistant Director Gretchen Diessner. their adventure vacation and just keeping this crea- Center intern Jess Edberg was the family’s guide. She at the International Wolf ture around.” came away changed by the experience. “It made me realize Center or from their Sharing that knowledge how short life really is,” she said. presentation to friends back with a group of 35 to 40 Diessner said the experience she and the staff had home in Iowa. The Roeders Rotary club members in working with the Make A Wish Foundation was surprising came to Ely and the Center Maquoketa, Iowa, in April and pleasant. “Working with Make A Wish has been kind of at the end of January for a allowed them to cement incredible,” she said. “Tracking the Pack” adven- the perspectives gained in ture vacation. Since then, wolf country and to pass wolves have been more on insights to those who prominent in Penny’s live outside that world. The thoughts. “We found out experiences at the Center very in-depth information and their presentation to on wolves, information the Rotary club will remain we wouldn’t have come by with them a long time. in our normal lives,” she “I think about what I said. As dog owners and learned, how wolves dog lovers, they were connect with our lives,” particularly interested in Penny said. comparing their animals’ behaviors to wolf behavior. Corey said the vacation allowed them to “to gain an Steve Foss Thirteen-year-old Darren Bennett and his family learned a lot about wolves during their week at the International Wolf Center. From the left, front row: father Darren Bennett, Darren Jr. and Cathy; back row, Drew, Alexandria, Christy and Audry.

14 Fall 2003 www.wolf.org Les Loups du Gévaudan in south-central France is an educational and

Sylvain Macchi rehabilitation park A White Wolf Wedding with approxi- mately 130 wolves eddings, of course, are an expression of individual from Mongolia, Wpersonalities. Most people marry in church, some in Poland, Siberia courthouses, others in people’s homes or yards. But Jacen and Canada. and Jennifer James of New Lenox, Illinois, weren’t having Les Loups du Gévaudan any of the standard fare. The couple made their vows last January at the International Wolf Center, standing at the Visits the Center windows in front of the wolf viewing center. Jacen and arly this year, the after being taken from Jennifer, landowners near Ely and inveterate kayakers, hikers EInternational Wolf poachers. “There are about Center welcomed Sylvain 30,000 wolves in Mongolia Macchi, a representative of under no protection,” noted Les Loups du Gévaudan Macchi. “The southern in south-central France. Mongolian wolf is smaller Macchi has been following than the wolf in Minnesota wolves and searching for and more yellow red.” Les wolf information since Loups du Gévaudan park is reading an article in 1980. named after the “Beast of This was his third visit Gévaudan,” who killed over to the International Wolf 100 people from 1764 to Center since 1992. Every 1767. Originally thought to day, Macchi walked many be a wolf, it is now believed miles of wolf country in to have been a human with the Ely area and was finally large dogs. For more infor- rewarded. “I finally saw a mation on the park, visit wild wolf in close range! www.loupsdugevaudan.com. Deborah Sussex It was a beautiful black and snowshoers, decided such a wedding was perfect for wolf!” he exclaimed. them. In fact, they had wanted to hold it outside in the snow Les Loups du but deemed such an arrangement impractical. Gévaudan is an In attendance were 50 family members and friends educational and scattered about the auditorium seats. Arctic wolves Malik rehabilitation park and Shadow were there, too, outside the glass. The wolves with approximately were active as the guests prepared for the ceremony 130 wolves from and then settled down as the service began, with one Mongolia, Poland, wolf lounging on the greeting rock. Jacen and Jennifer Siberia and Canada. Eighty Mongolian had group wedding pictures taken outside in front of wolves were the running wolf sculptures and treated the wedding given to the party to dogsledding in the woods. Jennifer believes every park by the trip the couple makes back to the Center will be a renewal Brigitte Bardot of their vows. “Having the wedding at the Wolf Center Foundation adds meaning to the commitment,” she said.

Thanks to Steve Foss for the preceding three Notes from Home. Sylvain Macchi

International Wolf Fall 2003 15 INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER Contributors

Major Donors Theodore & Barbara Spaulding Matching Gifts Honorary Connie & Donald Benson Charles Stelzner Susan Anderson & In Honor of Drew Brockett: Robert Halley Gary Stielow GMAC-RFC Daniel Nakahara Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. Joseph & Cynthia Urbano Karen Davis & Robert & Greta Gauthier Cynthia Wayburn Compaq Matching Gift In Honor of Homer & Program Richard Gould Susanne Wentz Cindy Hepworth: Lacey Hunter Joseph & Shirley Wolf Thomas Gootz & Jed Hepworth & Lee Schubert Trish Zapinski Pfizer Foundation Dorie Klein Matching Gifts Program James Le Blanc Memorial In-Kind Donations Rosemary Hughes & Dave Mech/Environmental American Express In Memory of Leadership Program, Inc. Robert Clark Jean Marie Brisbois: Sarah Morris Rick Kelley Steven Koivula & CNA Foundation Bill Conger Edward Norton John Maronde Rick & Suzanne Pepin Jerry Sanders In Memory of Carrie: John Ridenour Dale Westlund Gail Wolff In Memory of Herb Lotz: J. Roderick & Nancy Adkins Smith Carol Behymer Anna Sophia Johnson Art Lotz & family Madhuri Mansukhani Office & Professional Employees Arvind Rajpal Neena Saxena Hardika Shah & Khyati Shah Naeem Siddiqui Mariam & Paul Spear Iman Stratenus Ismat Thaver Juliana Tionada W. Matt Totten & family William & Jacquelynn Urban Kathy & Larry Van Velsor T. A. Werre

In Memory of Donna Palladino: Dr. Edward Scates

16 Fall 2003 www.wolf.org Tr a c k i n g t h e Pa c k

Jedadiah, a male from the 1989 litter, sleeps in a pine bed at the Te n Ye a r s a n d M a k i n g Tr a c k s summer-only exhibit at the U.S. Forest Service’s Text and photos by Lori Schmidt, Voyageur Visitor Center. Wolf Curator, International Wolf Center

s the International Wolf grand opening of the new The Center will ACenter celebrates the facility and the Wolves and be adding pups 10th anniversary of its flag- Humans exhibit. For a few to the Exhibit Pack ship facility in Ely, it’s a great years visitors enjoyed during summer time to review the changes watching the pack dynamics 2004 to join Malik that have occurred in wolf of these four littermates, but and Shadow. Who pack dynamics. in 1998 Kiana passed away. knows what the The history of the ambas- Her death was not only a new pack dynamics sador wolves at the Center loss to the wolves but to the will be? n dates back to 1989, when the visitors’ experiences and the Center operated a summer- dynamics of the pack. The only exhibit in the U.S. three remaining litter- Forest Service’s Voyageur mates remained on Visitor Center. The display display, but plans were included four wolves born made to add more in 1989: Raissa, Bausha, wolves to the pack. Ballazar and Jedadiah. These In 2000, a pair of four served the early educa- arctic pups, Shadow tional needs of the Center and Malik, were born Born in 1993, MacKenzie and Lakota were and later moved on to other and joined the other young pups when the Center opened its new exhibits. Some visitors may ambassador wolves, year-round educational facility. remember the curator who creating the Center’s Kiana was one of four littermates slept in the tent next to the largest pack. As time went who served as the first year-round wolf pen; yes, that was me. on, these pups matured wolf exhibit at the Center. During the summer of 1989, into strong, healthy adults 1990 and 1991, my dog while the 1993 litter Maggie and I slept under of MacKenzie, Lucas the stars and even survived and Lakota began to an infestation of forest tent show signs of age. caterpillars. This opportunity The natural aging to camp out arose more process reduced their out of necessity than desire. ability to keep up Nighttime security was an and compete with issue during the early years the younger wolves, due to a lack of a secondary so by the end of chain-link fence. 2002, all of the 1993 In 1993, Lucas, Lakota, litter had been MacKenzie and Kiana were moved to an adja- born and served as the first cent, more protected year-round wolf exhibit at the enclosure to form the Shadow and Malik were born on May 8, 2000, and Center, accompanied by the Retired Pack. joined the other ambassador wolves during that fall.

International Wolf Fall 2003 17 WOLVES IN THE UNITED STATES and “endangered” in all of the rest of the lower 48 except Wyoming and Gray Wolf Downlisted to “Threatened” most of Montana and Idaho, where Throughout Most of the United States wolves were reintroduced under a special rule —“experimental, non- by Ralph Maughan n March 18, 2003, the U.S. essential”—that afforded them the Fish and Wildlife Service same protection as wolves now Oannounced its long expected classified as “threatened.” downlisting of wolves from “endan- On paper the federal government’s gered” to “threatened” in most of reclassification of wolves is a the lower 48 states. (Wolves have sweeping decision. However, the no special federal classification in only immediate effect of the re- Alaska). Prior to this action the classification is that it will be easier wolf was “threatened” in Minnesota to kill wolves that attack livestock. Western livestock owners will now often be able to shoot wolves that attack their livestock rather than waiting for the government to do it. Ever since wolves were reintro- duced to central Idaho and Greater Yellowstone in 1995 as “experi- mental, non-essential populations,” livestock owners could shoot wolves that were attacking their livestock, but the naturally recolonized wolves of northwest Montana were always “endangered.” In the Montana endangered zone, only the govern- ment could lethally “control” wolves. On the ground this seems to have been a distinction that made no difference. The government aggres- sively killed northwest Montana wolves, while in the experimental reintroduction area both the govern- ment and livestock owners legally killed wolves. However, the total percentage of wolves killed was no higher in the experimental areas than in the northwest Montana Mike Possis, Wild Thing Photography “endangered” area. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Wolves wandering into western Service’s reclassification keeps states outside of Idaho, Montana and the door open to a gray wolf reintroduction in southern Colorado.

18 Fall 2003 www.wolf.org Wyoming automatically gained “endangered” status, but, never- theless, the only two such wolves officially detected (one in Oregon and one in Utah) were returned by the government to Idaho or Wyoming experimental popula- tion areas. Other wolves probably exist outside of the experimental population areas but have not been officially noted. Still others Status of the gray wolf in the continental have been illegally or accidentally United States killed in Utah and Oregon. Under the new rule, most of the The new rules also create a in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming will West (except the Southwest) is Southwestern DPS and an Eastern DPS. come not with the reclassification included in the Western Distinct The Eastern DPS is controversial but with the proposal to “delist” and Population Segment (Western DPS). because it includes all of the East and turn them over to what appears to DPSs are populations more or less all of the Midwest too. Wolves are be hostile state management. distinct from others. The Western DPS doing very well in the upper Midwest, includes all of Montana, Wyoming but there is bitter disappointment For additional information: and Idaho, along with Washington, that these states were lumped with Visit the News & Events section of the Oregon, California, Nevada, northern the eastern states in the new Eastern International Wolf Center’s Web site at Colorado and northern Utah. One DPS. Obviously the Midwest and the http://www.wolf.org. victory was the addition of Nevada East are different parts of the country. and California to the Western DPS. Wolf supporters had hoped for a wolf Ralph Maughan is the president of the Wolf Recovery Foundation and a No changes will be made to the reintroduction in a truly Eastern DPS. professor of political science at Idaho central Idaho and Greater Yellowstone Opinions on the new Southwestern State University, where he specializes experimental populations. DPS are mixed because some feel that in interest groups, parties, public Mexican wolves presently in the it represents de facto abandonment opinion and wildlife politics. Southwest will also remain classified of the Mexican wolf. On the other as an experimental population. The hand, the classification Mexican wolf reintroduction program keeps the door open to a has struggled because no Mexican gray wolf reintroduction wolves remained in the wild. Thus, in southern Colorado. the reintroduced Mexican wolves had Moreover, gray wolves to learn to contend with living in the in the Southwestern DPS wild without the benefit of wild will remain endangered, parents. Moreover, the reintroduction although no wolves rules limited the areas where wolves presently exist other could legally roam in Arizona and than those in the New Mexico to artificial boundaries Mexican wolf experi- that some people considered bizarre. mental population. No such limitations apply to their The real test for the cousins in the Northern Rockies. existing wolf populations Don Zippert Under the new federal rules, Mexican wolves in the Southwest will remain classified as an experimental population.

International Wolf Fall 2003 19 WOLVES IN THE NORTHEAST imber wolves have been missing “The Table Is Set” from the Northeast for over a Tcentury, but Vermont farmer Eric Paris isn’t complaining. “I have gotten by Neil Hutt along real well without them,” he says. “I can’t imagine what good wolves will do.” The table is set for the wolf in Paris is not alone in his resistance northern New England and it to the return of the wolf. While many should be no great surprise if people would accept natural wolf recovery, they firmly oppose a formal the guest appears. The question reintroduction program. In the hard- is whether we want to help him ball debate over wolf recovery, oppo- find the dining room. Jerry Murray nents list the negative impacts on An argument in favor of returning wolves to — John Harrigan, pets and livestock, tourism, hunting the Northeast is that they benefit ecosystems “Woods, Water and Wildlife,” and trapping, and forest resource jobs. by curbing the overpopulation of animals like New Hampshire Union Leader and To the argument that wolves benefit beaver and deer. Sunday News, July 16, 2000 ecosystems by curbing the overpopu- lation of animals like beaver and deer, the detractors have a ready answer. succeed in a region lacking large They insist the robust tracks of federal land. For wolves to eastern fills the thrive, both private landowners and niche left by the wolf. state wild- It’slife agencies would need to be true, the opponents supportive. However, both Maine admit, that 26 million and New Hampshire, states with acres of deep undis- large areas of suitable wolf habitat, turbed woods with have passed laws forbidding reintro- abundant natural prey duction without the approval of the stretch from New York’s state legislatures. In addition, the Adirondack Mountains U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s recent through Vermont, decision to downlist the wolf from New Hampshire and “endangered” to “threatened” in the Maine. But most of it Northeast means less protection for is private land. wolves that might disperse into the They have a point. region from Canada. Some biologists and Add to all that the question of wildlife officials doubt which wolf—red or gray—is the wolf recovery would most appropriate species. Evidence based on a Canadian genetic study suggests that red wolves ( rufus) Mike Possis, Wild Thing Photography rather than gray wolves (Canis lupus) Wolf recovery in the Northeast may have populated the Northeast faces many obstacles, including the a century ago. However, not all question of which wolf—gray (above) or red (right)—is the most biologists accept the results of this appropriate species for the region. research. In addition, some experts predict red wolves might hybridize with and are less likely than gray wolves to prey on moose. Some scientists and wildlife managers believe a wolf from the Laurentide region of Quebec is the best choice

Barron Crawford, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the region. This wolf is large

20 Fall 2003 www.wolf.org enough to kill moose and may in fact have once lived in northern Maine as well as in Canada. Those biologists may get their wish. A small pack of wolves report- edly lives south of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec close to the Maine border. If true, it appears that wolves Is the maned wolf really a wolf? have once again defied the odds. Wolf experts have long believed the St. Lawrence Seaway, kept open all winter by icebreakers, is too formidable an obstacle to dispersal from Canada’s main wolf population and reduces chances of wolves establishing packs in New England. But wolf advocates are optimistic. Michigan biologist Jim Hammill, who is conducting tracking work- shops in Maine, does not agree that it is impossible for wolves to find their way to the Northeast from Canada. “Personally I wonder about that,” he says. “These animals are just more capable than I ever would have imagined many years ago.” If Hammill is right, several environ- mental groups stand ready to ensure that the wolves will be afforded Ralph Schmode some protection. Some organizations No, the maned wolf is not considered to be a wolf. In fact, despite the are threatening to sue the U.S. Fish name, maned wolves are not even closely related to wolves and are not and Wildlife Service over its decision. in the Canis. The Latin name for the maned wolf is Chrysocyon In addition, the groups have petitioned brachyurus. They live in the South American and scrub forests the U.S. Department of the Interior of , northern , , eastern and southeastern to designate a new recovery region and have long legs that allow them to see better in the tall grasses in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire of the savannah. n and New York and to designate the wolf there as endangered. n In what year did the The author acknowledges the following New Question International Wolf Center’s sources of information: present building open? www.boston.com, November 21, 2000.

Portland Press Herald Report in Maine, Today.com, October 29, 2001. CORRECTION Neil Hutt is an educator and International Wolf Center board member The photograph on page 23 of the Summer 2003 issue of International who lives in Purcellville, Virginia. Wolf was mistakenly credited to Jerry Murray. The photograph was taken by Mike Possis, Wild Thing Photography.

International Wolf Fall 2003 21 by Jakki Harbolick written each chapter, the Wolves: Behavior, overall style Dave Mech is consistent, Ecology and smooth and utterly Conservation down-to-earth. The material is thoughtfully L. David Mech and organized, making for ease of Luigi Boitani, editors use. The introduction, for example, University of Chicago Press, 2003 contains a preliminary synopsis of each agriculturists and even individuals nyone even remotely interested chapter and shows how each one harboring anti-wolf sentiment will in wolf ecology, environmental relates to the others. be able to respect and use this work Ascience or conservation Laypersons will be pleased to find because of its scope and integrity. dynamics will discover the ultimate that concepts are explained and given For some, these might be the resource in the eagerly anticipated meaning within the greater context, laurels upon which to rest, but Wolves: Behavior, Ecology and thereby weaving, through science, a beyond culminating years of work, Conservation. Edited by legendary tapestry of incredibly detailed infor- this incredible book represents a biologists L. David Mech and Luigi mation that really is more than the jumping off point for all the work Boitani, this newest work is the sum of its parts. Certainly, much of that will follow. The authors provide defining compilation of more than the data is highly technical, but the insight and answers, reference nearly forty years of meticulous research. In book will appeal to both the general 2,000 sources of further information, a collaborative effort, twenty of the public and the scientific community and still acknowledge the many leading specialists in the field of because the complexities are balanced questions that remain and the need wolf study share the authorial by clear explanations, occasional for continued study and investiga- responsibilities with Mech and Boitani. anecdotal accounts and detailed tion. What needs to be done next? The result is an unprecedented scien- graphics in the form of photography, Responsible, balanced conservation, tific analysis of the wolf that could illustrations, graphs and charts. providing for wolves and humans serve as the model for any ethological Mech and Boitani have made alike, tops the list. The authors “hope investigation. unvarnished objectivity a significant [to] promote a much better under- Sounding a bit dry? It’s not. In fact, part of their mission. Researchers, standing of the wolf and foster Wolves is extraordinarily engaging. scientists, naturalists, students, ecologically sound wolf management. Although different authors have conservationists, wolf enthusiasts, Together, research, public under- standing, and proper management should help minimize the inevitable conflicts between wolves and humans and better the chances for wolf conservation worldwide.” n

Jakki Harbolick is a language arts and West Gate writing teacher. She lives in Leesburg, Virginia, with her husband, Pete, and their two children.

Wolves: Behavior, Ecology and Conservation will be released late this year. After its release, the book can be purchased at the International Wolf Center’s store online at www.wolf.org.

22 Fall 2003 www.wolf.org ISCONSIN WOLVES near W state management goal of 350. Before the 94 packs produced their pups in spring 2003, the estimated population stood at 335 to 354. The Wisconsin wolf management plan calls OLVES AND BISON are the believe that at least 10 percent of for maintaining the population at about W subject of a new book to be all U.S. land should be protected 350 outside of Indian reservations. released later this year. The Buffalo as wilderness. SLE ROYALE WOLVES have Wolf: Predators, Prey and the Politics of increased slightly since last year, Nature by Lu Carbyn will be published OLF BIOLOGIST Erik Zimen, I according to Dr. Rolf Peterson. The by Smithsonian Institution Press. Wauthor of several books and articles on wolf behavior, passed highly inbred population now stands OLF-LIVESTOCK CON- away on May 19, 2003. Dr. Zimen at 19 compared with 17 last year. W FLICTS in Minnesota almost was a founding member of the Moose, the wolf’s almost exclusive doubled in 2002 compared with Wolf Specialist Group and remained prey on the Lake Superior island, 2001. In 2002, 99 complaints were in the group through 1982. decreased from 1,100 to about 900. verified at 86 farms, 155 wolves were OLVES KILL . A captured, and 138 were euthanized. EBRASKA WOLF. A wolf shot Nnear Spaulding, Nebraska— Wpack of wolves in Yellowstone ILD LANDS were endorsed the first in 90 years — proved to have National Park killed a female cougar W by 71 percent of the public, originated in Minnesota, Wisconsin, in early April east of Mammoth according to a Zogby International or Michigan. Killed as a coyote on Hot Springs. Biologists expect that poll. Such a majority of Americans December 15, the animal weighed the cougar’s two 4-month-old kittens about 100 pounds. will starve to death as a result. n

THE ALPHA LEGACY PROGRAM recognizes the generosity and foresight of individuals who have included the International Wolf Center in their wills or other estate plans.

To learn more about making a gift through this program, please contact Walter Medwid, Executive Director, International Wolf Center, 3300 Bass Lake Rd., #202 Minneapolis, MN 55429 YourYour giftgift 763-560-7374 forfor wolveswolves cancan [email protected]

Lynn and Donna Rogers, www.bearstudy.org lastlast beyondbeyond aa lifetime.lifetime.

International Wolf Spring 2003 23 Of Wolves and Bears: of the bear. A strategically placed raised leg told me this was Observations of a Tundra Wolf Pack the breeding male of the pack. The and a Barren-ground Grizzly bear, looking a bit concerned, continued to feed while the wolf by Paul Frame circled at what it must have felt was a safe distance. After three minutes, e finally found her. At the top ridge we crossed. For the last 3 miles, Tuffy, as this wolf came to be known, of the hill we had just we had heard the signal, faint at first, lay down about 50 feet from the bear Wclimbed, the radio signal until we crested this last hill and were as though waiting his turn to feed. from the collar on female wolf 349 was looking down on a lake and stream The bear wasn’t at all comfortable coming in pretty well. We set up our set in a little valley about half a mile with this and moved off, thankfully spotting scopes to scan the area below wide. Somewhere down there was 349 away from us. The wolf fed for four before continuing because we didn’t want and, most likely, her pups. minutes and then trotted back down the wolves to see us and move before we As we set up the scopes, a non- the hill, disappearing behind some had a chance to get the data that we’d collared wolf climbed the hill on the shrubs. come to the sub-arctic to collect. Two far side of the valley. It was heading This den, Aylmer Lake West, was days before, 349 and her pups had for something large and brown, which the seventh of eight wolf homesites moved from the den where we’d been I first thought was a musk-ox the that research assistants Lorna Ruechel observing them, and we had been wolf was going to attack. But when and Gudrun Pflueger helped me searching ever since. We had hiked more I put my scope up, I saw that the observe in the central Canadian than 12 miles over open tundra, listening brown “thing” was a barren-ground subarctic during summer 2002. We for her radio signal from the top of each grizzly feeding on a caribou carcass. were collecting data for my master’s We watched the wolf thesis at the University of Alberta, walk seemingly unno- which looks at several aspects of ticed behind the bear tundra wolf den ecology. We had and suddenly bite it on seen a bear within a few hundred feet the rump. The bear of another wolf homesite, but this turned on the wolf, interaction between the two preda- which jumped out of tors was the first we had witnessed. the way and moved off We set our camp up 30 feet from a bit to one side but a sandy beach on the western shore stayed within 100 feet of Aylmer Lake, 3 miles from Tuffy’s and 349’s rendezvous site. We had our sleeping tents off the beach because

Paul Frame barren-ground grizzlies, the A female arctic wolf and her pups. only bear species on the tundra, walk along shore- lines looking for food, and it’s best to stay out of their way. Nevertheless, because of the view, we did have our Paul Frame Tuffy, a male arctic wolf, was observed cooking tent on the beach harassing a barren-ground grizzly about 300 feet from the feeding on a caribou carcass. sleeping tents. This tent is a

24 Fall 2003 www.wolf.org 10-foot-square screen enclo- It seems this bear was sure that gives mealtime respite an unofficial member of the from the constant swarms of Aylmer Lake West pack, mosquitoes and blackflies on spending much of its time the tundra. Because there are near the wolves and their no trees to hang food from, kills. However, we’ll never we kept it in bear-resistant know for sure if this was the containers stored near the case. What we do know is cooking tent, well away from that a bear left tracks near the sleeping area. Each of the the den and was seen near

52 mornings I woke up on the Lorna Ruechel the rendezvous site feeding tundra, one of the first things Frame listens for 349’s radio signal on the tundra. on a caribou likely killed I did was scan the area for by wolves. Both the bear and bears. Usually the first place I checked sleeping through the visit made clear was the food cache. how important keeping a clean camp The morning after we watched and following the guidelines for safety Tuffy harass the bear, I scanned and in bear country are, for this bear could saw the screen tent collapsed on the have been inside one of our tents beach. Hmm, it could have been the before we would have heard it. wind, but the tent had withstood I had known there was a bear stronger winds than had blown that in the area before it visited camp Paul Frame night. I walked to the beach and found because I had seen tracks near the The cooking tent before it was fresh bear tracks 30 steps from my den of 349. It is quite possible the downed and ripped by a bear. tent. The bear had walked right past bear that left tracks at the wolf our beached boat, only hesitating den was the same bear I saw Tuffy wolves visited our camp on the same briefly to investigate before contin- bite near the rendezvous site, and night; however, we don’t know what uing on to the screen tent. At the that visited our camp. It may be that the timing of each visit was. From the downed and ripped tent, I observed some of these grizzlies learn to follow last two sightings, it seemed the bear wolf tracks on top of bear tracks. Both wolves to scavenge their kills, as was seeking out wolf homesites. the bears do in Yellowstone National My thesis research is about wolves Park. It makes good sense for a bear, and wolf homesites. However, with since taking over a wolf kill provides little studied wildlife populations a rich food source otherwise not such as this one, noteworthy obser- easily available. Additionally, a bear vations often come unexpectedly. hanging around a wolf den may catch These observations are anecdotal but a pup to snack on. warrant further research on the rela- We saw bears twice more while tionship between these two predators observing this wolf pack. We first of the tundra. n Paul Frame saw the bear moving along a stream “A strategically placed raised leg urination told me this was the heading toward the rendezvous site, Paul Frame is currently working on breeding male of the pack.” which was also our destination. a master’s degree at the University of When the bear winded us, it ran fast Alberta, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, in collaboration with the Government had visited our food containers, which in the opposite direction. (We hadn’t of the Northwest Territories, Department were undisturbed. From there, the showered for a week, but I don’t think of Resources, Wildlife, and Economic tracks continued up the beach away this was the only reason the bear Development. Previously he volunteered from camp. Each of the four previous ran.) When we arrived at the site, we for the International Wolf Center and nights at this camp, wolves had visited found that the wolves had moved. worked as a technician for Dr. L. David Mech in Ely, Minnesota, and worked on us, as indicated by fresh tracks on We headed for the natal den to check the Mexican Wolf Reintroduction and the the beach. However, this was the first the radio signal and found the wolves Northern Rockies Wolf Recovery Project time a bear had visited the camp. That there. Later, as we returned to our for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. it appeared uninterested in us while camp, we saw the bear again, this time we slept was reassuring. However, our heading toward the wolf den.

International Wolf Fall 2003 25 Adapting to Your Environment help them keep warm or cool while living in the wild. by Jessica Edberg, International Wolf Center Intern Fur is a great attribute that not only insulates wolves magine lying under the stars sleeping bag and turn toward the but also protects them. in your cozy sleeping bag near fire for warmth. How do wild Wolves possess two a crackling fire. You are just animals stay warm on brisk, fall types of fur. The guard hairs I cover the surface of the turning in after a long day of hiking nights without a fire or sleeping bag? in the woods. The stream nearby How about during the long winter fur layer and have two is gurgling, and the peepers are nights soon to follow? main purposes. They help chirping, but there is a chill in the Wolves and other wild animals protect a wolf’s skin, and fall air. You curl tighter in your have special adaptations or tools that they act as a raincoat. The moisture from rain or snow hits the guard hairs and sheds off. Guard hairs act as a barrier for the other type of fur, the underfur. WORD FIND The underfur layer does the same job as our own winter See if you can find the words listed below. Words may be vertical, parka. It insulates the wolf horizontal, diagonal, forward or backward! during the long, cold winter months. It starts growing in late summer and sheds in late spring so the wolf can stay cool during the summer. When the weather is harsh, wolves don’t have a heated home to go into like we do—they have to find shelter in nature! During inclement weather wolves may find a stand of fir trees to hunker down in and get out of the wind. On cold days they curl up in a tight ball and cover their faces with their thick, fluffy tails to keep the cold air out and body heat in. On a sunny winter day they may find a nice spot out of the wind to COAT FREEZE SPRING WINTER catch the radiant heat from the sun’s COLD GUARD HAIR SUMMER UNDERFUR rays. Hot, buggy days may send a FALL INSULATION WARMTH wolf to the shady refuge of the forest or into a burrow to escape the biting insects common in summer. Cooling

26 Fall 2003 www.wolf.org off in water is also a great option. To avoid the heat of the day, during summer wolves move more at night. Wolves have adapted well to their environment. The amount of fur they grow is regulated by where they live. A wolf inhabiting North Carolina doesn’t need as much underfur as a wolf in Alaska. These adaptations are similar to our own. We humans have developed clothes such as parkas, hats, mittens and boots for winter, and shorts, tank tops and sandals for summer—not to mention having houses with heating and air condi- tioning! What other adaptations can you identify that help wolves survive a life in the wild? n

On cold days wolves curl up in a tight ball and cover their faces with their thick, fluffy tails to

Lynn and Donna Rogers, www.bearstudy.org keep the cold air out and body heat in. LF WOWORK SKILLS NEEDED TO DO THE JOB: PERSON: Dr. Michael Nelson Physical ability to work in the field JOB TITLE AND DESCRIPTION: (snowshoeing, snowmobiling, hiking, Wildlife Research Biologist. Responsible canoeing) and an awareness of limita- for conducting field research and tions. Ability to adapt to technological gathering data, directing the experiential advances and learn new skills. Good education of technicians (helpers), communication skills for working publishing the research conducted, with the general public and giving and directing and maintaining the presentations and speeches. field headquarters. ADVICE TO KIDS: Involve yourself

TRAINING REQUIRED: Minimum of in outdoor activities and studies of Nancy Schwartz, InternationalCenter Wolf a master’s degree in a wildlife field with the natural world—rocks, plants and Michael Nelson is a wildlife research biologist for the U.S. Geological training in fieldwork. A Ph.D. is most animals. Ask questions about things in Survey, working out of the Kawishiwi desired for this position. nature, and go outside and investigate! Field Laboratory near Ely, Minnesota.

International Wolf Fall 2003 27 Who Should Pay for Wolf Recovery and that would let wolf and outdoor enthu- siasts help pay for management costs. Conservation after Federal Delisting? Despite the broad range of perspectives, a consensus seems to by Nancy Weiss be within reach on how to fairly and appropriately cover the costs of t some time in the future, non-game type of use that comes continued management, conserva- the gray wolf will be delisted with that money, the more changes tion and recovery of wolves. As this from the federal Endangered that we can see in wildlife manage- A dialogue ensues, the wolf continues Species Act, and wolf management ment in general. Wolves should be to provide lessons in communication, will be turned over to individual the pilot program.” problem-solving and working states. When this happens, who should California business veteran and together. n pay for continued wolf management, outdoor enthusiast Barry Braden has conservation and recovery? Interviews worked as volunteer field staff with Nancy Weiss is the Western Director revealed a broad—but not universal— Defenders of Wildlife’s Wolf Guardian of Species Conservation for view that costs should be shared by program, and with the Nez Perce Defenders of Wildlife. the federal and state governments tribe in Idaho. From his perspective, and private citizens who support wolf “Fish and Game departments in restoration. Montana, Wyoming and Idaho Montana State Senator Jim Elliot need to overhaul their mission is blunt. “The states don’t have money, statements to emphasize a period. And they don’t have money broader constituency, and because, frankly, the federal govern- include wildlife viewing and ment doesn’t give it to them. . . . If eco-tourism as revenue- they want us to ‘take in the washin’,’ producing objectives.” He so to speak, I think that we should backs a one-half-cent get paid for ‘the washin’.” tax on goods and Jan Holder, a rancher from services in the commu- Arizona, in the Mexican gray wolf nities that benefit from recovery zone, runs a predator- travel to the greater friendly beef operation. She suggests Yellowstone ecosystem, shared costs, with the private portion as well as a trust fund from wolf supporters, since “there isn’t as much support for this type of program in a state like Arizona, which is very agricultural and very rural.” Wildlife ecologist Nathan Varley has lived in Yellowstone National Park his whole life and worked for the park’s wolf reintroduction project. Varley sees a chance for innovative thinking. “[The wolf is] a good place to start and get non-consumptive users into game management [that] can be applied to other species, case Mike Possis, Wild Thing Photography by case. The more non-consumptive,

28 Fall 2003 www.wolf.org