Haven’s Role in Listed Species Recovery Wolf Haven International • 3111 Offut Lake Rd, SE • Tenino, WA • 98589 Wolf Haven International is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to conserve and protect and their habitat. Wolf Haven provides sanctuary for captive-born wolves, participates in endangered wolf species survival plans, and wolfhaven.org has 37 acres of native mounded prairie, plus 8 acres of Oregon White Oak woodland. Wolf Haven is dedicated to 360.264.4695 / 800.448.9653 conserving and providing education about South Sound Prairies as well as wolves.

MazamaThomomys Pocket mazama Gopher GoldenCastilleja Paintbrush levisecta Taylor’sEuphydryas Checkerspot editha taylori Mazama pocket gophers are small, subterranian dwelling, Golden paintbrush are a federally and state threatened, Taylor’s checkerspots are small orange, black, and white herbiverous rodents. As of 2014, some subspecies are state usually yellow, hemiparasitic plant. Their numbers are butterflies which are state and federally endangered due to and federally listed as threatened, since so many prairie increasing on prairie habitat due to plugging and seeding prairie habitat loss and degradation. habitats have been degraded or developed. programs. Wolf Haven is currently a tier two site for Taylor’s Between 2005 and 2008 and before federal listing, 340 The Center for Natural Lands Management has created checkerspot butterfly release. Wolf Haven is a small prairie, pocket gophers were released on Wolf Haven International’s many golden paintbrush plots at Wolf Haven, in additon to but due to its proximity to others it could serve as a stepping prairie. This occured before genetic testing was done to seeding golden paintbrush into each year’s burn unit since stone for butterfly populations to mingle and to reach nearby determine subspecies, so it is likely that multiple subspecies 2013. In 2014 there were 2970 flowering plants over the prairies. were released because these gophers were rescued from whole site. The Center for Natural Lands Management has been various construction sites around Thurston County. Due Harsh paintbrush (Castilleja hispida) that were in an early plugging and seeding larval host and nectar plants to get to the potential interbreeding of these subspecies, more planting, along with some accidental golden x harsh these species well-established for future butterfly release. pocket gophers can never be released at Wolf Haven. seed, have started a small hybrid population at Wolf Haven. Until 2013, when nonlethal deterrent measures began, many The subsequent These plants are of the plugs were population has done being taken out pulled out by Wolf very well and there when found and Haven’s unique raven are now estimated there is a planting population. to be over 200 buffer around Wolf individuals living at Haven’s historic Wolf Haven’s prairie. harsh paintbrush population to minimize future hybridizations. Photo by Mike Walker Photo by Anne Schuster Photo by Aaron Barna

RedCanis Wolfrufus MexicanCanis lupus Gray baileyi Wolf The is one of the most endangered in the world, due to aggressive The Mexican gray wolf is the most highly endangered subspecies of gray wolf. It used to predator control programs and habitat destruction following the arrival of Europeans in range across most of the desert southwest and . Wolf eradication practices in the North America. Red wolves historically lived along the east coast from Maine to and early 1900s brought Mexican wolves to the brink of extinction, so when wolf recovery began in as far inland as the Mississippi River. When wolf recovery began in the 1970s, 400 animals the 1970s, they were extirpated from the U.S. and only a handful remained in Mexico. These were caught, but only 14 of those were determined to be pure red wolf; the rest were coyote wolves started the Mexican wolf Species Survival Plan (SSP) program. Today there are 110 hybrids. The Red Wolf Species Survival Plan (SSP) mexican wolves in the wild in the , 12 in program was begun with those 14 individuals. Now the wild in Mexico, and 243 captive individuals in 54 there are 50-75 living in the wild in a small area of breeding and pre-release facilities around the United northeastern North Carolina and 200 in SSP facilities States and Mexico. around the United States. Wolf Haven is proud to be one of these Mexican Wolf Haven joined the red wolf SSP in 2003. One wolf recovery facilities. There have been two packs successful litter of pups was born in 2005. born at Wolf Haven who were released in , near Red wolves are not currently being released into the border. In 2015 Wolf Haven had three the wild and the red wolf SSP program is under review litters of Mexican wolf pups born. A total of eight by the federal government. mexican wolf liters have been born at Wolf Haven. Author: Anne Schuster, conservation specialist, Photo by Julie Lawrence Wolf Haven International. [email protected] Photo by Julie Lawrence