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Denali Wolves Decimated Along Park Boundaries Page 4 Austria’s Wolf Science Center Page 8 What’s Killing the Deer? Page 11 Every Wolf That Has Ever Lived Has a Story to Tell...

“I hated to put it down.” — Stephanie Hemphill, Minnesota Public Radio

“These stories are more than words on a page. They are threads of determination and resilience by author and wolf alike that help us understand the lives of wolves and in turn examine our own commitment to coexist with wildlife.” —Kim Wheeler, Executive Director, Red Wolf Coalition, Inc.

“If you’ve never encountered a wolf in the wild, read this book. Once you meet these wolves, you will never forget them. And, perhaps, you’ll come to understand why we must find room for the wolves to continue their story.” —Don Shelby

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All royalties benefit programs at the International Wolf Center. SHOP.WOLF.ORG or call 1-800-ELY-WOLF Volume 24, No. 2 The Quarterly Publication of the International Wolf Center summer 2014

4 L eo and Dorothy Keeler 8 Vorbeck Walter 11 Dick Thiel Denali Wolves Decimated Austria’s Wolf Science What’s Killing the Deer? Along Park Boundaries Center Makes a Name as Deer hunter satisfaction in Wisconsin a Research Powerhouse The news that wolf sightings by seemed boundless in the first decade visitors to Denali National Park last A study conducted by Austria’s Wolf of the present century. Deer were so summer were the lowest on record Science Center found that friendship numerous state wildlife managers is disheartening but not surprising. among wolves outweighed rank initiated liberal hunting tactics to This is what scientists in 2010 as a predictor of how much a wolf curb growth. Statewide harvests warned would happen when the would howl when separated from soared to unprecedented levels. Alaska Board of Game eliminated other wolves. A separate study That is, until the autumn of 2008. the small no-take wolf buffer on state found that wolves, raised in the right Are wolves responsible for the lands east of the national park. environment, are just as capable as lower deer take? dogs are of learning from humans. By Marybeth Holleman These findings are just some of the By Richard P. Thiel research results occurring at the center.

By Tracy O’Connell

On the Cover Departments Malik 3 from the Photo by Becki Johnston Executive Director Did you know... 15 Tracking the Pack One easy way for you to help us 23 Wolves of the World conserve natural resoureces is to make 27 Personal Encounter sure we have your email address. Simply email your address to 29 a Look Beyond [email protected]. 30 Wild Kids M ike Possis, Wild Thing Photography Publications Director Tom Myrick Aurora! A journey through the midnight sky Graphics Coordinator Carissa L. Winter

Consulting Editor Fran Howard

Technical Editor Dr. L. David Mech

Graphic Designer Tricia Austin

International Wolf (1089-683X) is published quarterly and copyrighted, 2014, by the International Wolf Center, 3410 Winnetka Ave. N., Minneapolis, MN 55427, USA. email: [email protected]. All rights reserved. Publications agreement no. 1536338 Membership in the International Wolf Center includes a subscription to International Wolf magazine, free admission to the Center, and discounts on programs and merchandise. Membership Levels: (in U.S. dollars) • Wolf Pup $25 (students • Wolf Associate $125 age 21 and under) • Wolf Tracker $250 • Lone Wolf $40 • Wolf Sponsor $500 (individual) • Alpha Wolf $1,000 • Wolf Pack $70 (family at same address) For those outside the United States, please add an additional $15 to Wolf Pup, Lone Wolf, Wolf Pack and Wolf Associate memberships. Please mail membership payment to: International Wolf Center Administrative Office, Attn: Membership, 3410 Winnetka Ave. N., Minneapolis, MN 55427, USA. Please contact the Membership department with questions: 763-560-7374 ext. 227 or [email protected]. International Wolf is a forum for airing perspectives, science-based information and personal experiences about wolves. Articles and materials printed in Inter- A unique collection of national Wolf do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the International Wolf Center or its board of directors. art and science International Wolf welcomes submissions of personal On Exhibit May 16, 2014— May 11, 2015 adventures with wolves and wolf photo­ ­graphs. Prior to submission of other types of manu­scripts, address queries to Tom Myrick, magazine coordinator. PHOTOS: Unless otherwise noted, or obvious from the caption or article text, photos are of captive wolves. At the International International Wolf is printed entirely with soy ink on FSC® certified Wolf Center paper. We encour- FSC logo here age you to recycle SEE pageS 18–19 this magazine.

2 Summer 2014 www.wolf.org From the Executive Director

INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER A Breathtaking Journey Awaits Us All BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nancy jo Tubbs t’s 10:15 p.m., and suddenly my cell phone starts vibrating. I lift it up to see that a push Chair notification has come through—a sunspot has hurled magnetic particles toward the Earth, Dr. L. David Mech Vice Chair and forecasters are predicting intense northern lights tonight. I Cree Bradley Curious, I walk out of the cabin I am staying in at Camp Van Vac to see a spectacular Secretary glow forming over Burntside Lake, just on the outskirts of Ely, Minnesota. This is amazing; the Paul B. Anderson Treasurer aurora borealis is forming, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World! Rick Duncan For those who love the outdoors, there’s nothing more magical and Nancy Gibson inspiring than to experience the northern lights. To look up at the sky and see Debbie Hinchcliffe their shimmering colors of light dance through the darkness is breathtaking. Judy Hunter They represent the incredible beauty of nature and the grandeur of our solar system. Deborah Wold Lewis Dr. Rolf O. Peterson On a similar evening in March 2011, photographer Heidi Pinkerton went Mike Phillips outdoors to try to capture the beauty of the aurora with her camera. Earlier Debbie Reynolds that day, she had read a post on Facebook that Maya—one of her favorite Jerry Sanders Paul Schurke Rob Schultz ambassador wolves at the Center—had passed away. She found a perfect Dick Thiel location from which to view the northern lights and began setting up her Ray Wells camera. In the distance, a lone wolf began to howl, reminding her of Maya. Teri Williams Under the brilliant midnight skies, Pinkerton’s passion for photographing the aurora was EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR born. She heard the lone wolf howl repeatedly throughout the night. And when she returned Rob Schultz home, the images she had captured were breathtaking. She named her first northern lights photo—a stunning band of light ascending high into the sky—Howling from the Heavens in MISSION The International Wolf Center memory of Maya. advances the survival Since that memorable evening, Pinkerton has become one of the great northern lights of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their photographers of our time. This summer, her work will be showcased in a new exhibit relationship to wildlands and that will open at the Center, “AURORA! A journey through the midnight sky.” Visitors will the human role in their future. experience the mystical images she has captured while learning the secrets behind what causes Educational services and informational resources this natural phenomenon. n are available at: 1396 Highway 169 Ely, MN 55731-8129, USA 800-ELY-WOLF 218-365-4695 email address: [email protected] Rob Schultz, executive director Web site: www.wolf.org

International Wolf Summer 2014 3 4 Summer 2014

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Leo & Dorothy Keeler www.wolf.org Denali Wolves Decimated Along he news that wolf sightings by Park Boundaries visitors to Denali National Park Tlast summer were the lowest on record is disheartening but not sur- by MARYBETH HOLLEMAN prising. This is what scientists in 2010 warned would happen when the Alaska Board of Game eliminated the small no- take wolf buffer on state lands east of the national park. And that is precisely what Gordon Haber, whose research on Denali’s wolves spanned 43 years, concluded that hunt- ing and trapping of park wolves on this land often results in the killing of the breeding pair within the family group, thus causing entire groups to fragment and disintegrate—resulting in fewer park wolves and fewer park visitors seeing wolves. Along with Yellowstone National Park, Denali had been one of the best places in the world to view wild wolves. Not anymore. Over 400,000 visitors come to Denali each summer, contribut- ing more than $140 million to the state’s economy. Many cite their desire to see

International Wolf Summer 2014 5 wolves as a primary reason for visiting the park. As Denali Superintendent Don Striker said, seeing wolves in the wild is an “amazing, oftentimes transformative, experience” for visitors. But when park wolves range across the park’s eastern boundary following But when park wolves the winter migration of caribou, they’re killed by hunters and trappers. The range across the park’s eastern three most frequently seen wolf family groups in Denali have been decimated boundary following the winter in this area, and visitor viewing success has consequently suffered. migration of caribou, they’re Recognizing the economic value of wolf viewing in Denali, the state closed killed by hunters and trappers. some of these lands to wolf take from 2000 to 2010. But as Haber warned, this The three most frequently seen small buffer wasn’t sufficient; in some winters, as many as 19 park wolves were wolf family groups in Denali killed east of the buffer—15 percent of the park’s total wolf population. have been decimated in this This prompted many organizations, including the National Park Service, area, and visitor viewing success to propose at the 2010 meeting of the Alaska Board of Game—just a few has consequently suffered. months after Haber’s untimely death in a research flight crash—that the in- adequate buffer be expanded. Instead, the board, comprised entirely of hunters and trappers, eliminated the buffer and passed a moratorium on considering the issue again until 2016. Many predicted this would acceler- ate the already precipitous decline in wolf numbers in Denali and viewing success—and it has. Today the number of wolves within the six-million-acre (more than two-million hectare) national park and preserve has declined from 92 in spring 2007 to just 55 in spring 2013—a drop of 40 percent in six years. Since the state removed the buffer in 2010, the population dropped another 8 percent, and wolf-viewing success for park visitors has plummeted: from 44 percent in 2010 to just 4 percent in 2013. This downward spiral in wildlife viewing success could be unprecedented in the history of the entire national park sys- tem and could have been partly caused by the state’s actions. The board’s decision illustrates its increasingly anti-predator stance. Despite scientific consensus on the importance of predators in stable ecosystems, a board-

L eo & Dorothy Keeler led predator-control program has esca-

6 Summer 2014 www.wolf.org L eo & Dorothy Keeler lated across Alaska with practices that But as Haber concluded, it’s not how posed a “win-win” solution: that the state haven’t been legal since before state- many wolves are killed, but which wolves transfer a permanent no-take, wildlife- hood—shooting brown bears from the are killed. Each wolf has a specific role buffer conservation easement east of air, killing bears with cubs and in one in the functional family unit, and some the national park in exchange for the case gassing wolf pups in the den in an roles are more vital than others. federal government transferring a like- area where rabies is prevalent. In 2012 the last breeding Grant Creek valued easement, or purchase value, to Removing the buffer also reflects a female, from the park’s most viewed the state of Alaska. festering animosity toward both the fed- family group, was trapped in the former This would allow park visitors a eral government and wolves. At the 2010 buffer zone. The death of this one wolf better chance of seeing wild wolves and board meeting, Chair Cliff Judkins said left the surviving pack members with would sustain and grow Denali’s valu- he has seen pictures of park wolves, “and no pups that spring, and they aban- able wildlife-viewing economy. What’s it just looks like some mangy dog walk- doned their den site and dispersed. more, it’s a potential blueprint for han- ing down the dusty road with the bus The pack declined from 15 to 3 wolves. dling similar boundary issues throughout alongside of them. It’s just not appeal- Rather than visitors witnessing the 15- the United States, wherever wild wolves ing to me at all.” member family group attending new roam across invisible boundaries and To board members, fewer wolves in pups at the den site, they saw nearly into harm’s way. n Denali National Park simply isn’t their none. Viewing success dropped by 50 problem; they believe they can kill a fixed percent that summer alone—all from Alaska writer Marybeth Holleman is percent of an existing wolf population the loss of one wolf. co-author with the late Gordon Haber that corresponds to its natural mortality This fall, in a letter to U.S. Secretary of Among Wolves: Gordon Haber’s rate and still have a viable region-wide of the Interior Sally Jewell and Alaska Insights into Alaska’s Most population. Alaska’s Board of Game has Gov. Sean Parnell, a coalition of Alaska Misunderstood Animal. She can be reached at www.marybethholleman.com. set that number as high as 40 percent. citizens and national organizations pro-

International Wolf Summer 2014 7 Austria’s Wolf orldwide last fall, media Science Center reported the results of a study W conducted by Austria’s Wolf Science Center, about the nature of wolf howling. When they took individual Makes a Name wolves on walks, researchers at the cen- ter measured the reactions of packmates. It was found wolves howl more when as a Research they see a wolf with which they have a better relationship leave than when a higher-ranking wolf leaves. That led to Powerhouse the conclusion that the degree of howling reflected the strength of bond between the animal taken away and those that by TRACY O’CONNELL remained. Friendship outweighed rank as a predictor of the extent of howling. Another center study more recently found that wolves, raised in the right environment, are just as capable as Walter Vorbeck Walter

8 Summer 2014 www.wolf.org dogs are of learning from humans. That ested in wolf research. Range asserts and training of the dog as well as on the means domestication likely channeled that the large samples the center works traits of the human partner. or redirected previously existing skills with are unique and allow researchers Range’s online profile and that of her instead of forming entirely new ones. to control for many different variables. co-founders show the winding path that It also seems to mean that dogs’ ability With a goal of advancing an under- led to the center’s creation. While com- to accept humans as social partners is standing of the cognitive and cooperative pleting undergraduate work in Germany not a unique outcome of domestication, abilities of wolves and dogs and their and a doctoral program at the University since socialized wolves are capable of social relationships with their own kind of Pennsylvania in the United States, she doing the same. and humans, the center seeks to also studied learning abilities of ravens and These findings are just some of the understand the evolutionary beginning social interactions of sooty mangabeys, research results occurring at the center, of cooperation, its social and psychologi- a type of West African monkey. Studies founded in 2008. It lists on its Web site, cal mechanisms and the question of who also took her to Costa Rica and the www.wolfscience.at, a series of projects in profits when cooperation happens. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary progress, as well as extensive publica- Other research questions include the Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. tions and popular articles and presen- following: whether dogs’ wolfish char- Returning to Europe in 2004, Range tations given by center members and acteristics, domestication or a combina- worked at the University of Vienna, collaborators. Some studies examine tion of the two enable them to cooperate studying imitation and social learning how canids might be similar to primates with humans; what dogs and wolves in dogs and tamarins, a small South in their ability to learn and cooperate. have in common; how humans dif- American monkey. With her colleague For example, a five-year project fer in their interactions with wolves Dr. Zsófia Virányi and their professor, launched in March 2013 and funded and dogs; how the intellectual and Dr. Ludwig Huber, Range founded the by the European Research Council will the cooperative abilities of wolves and Clever Dogs Lab in 2007, a facility she include a series of experiments that focus dogs affect their social interactions with continues to manage. on “cognitive processes closely linked to their own kind and with humans; and And while Range and her colleagues the emotional system, such as empathy, how the relationship between dogs and were founding associations, she reports inequity aversion and delayed grati- humans depends on early socialization in her understated way that the Wolf fication,” processes thought to be involved in triggering, maintaining and regulating primate cooperation, accord- ing to the online summary. “Using social network theory, we will integrate knowl- edge of animals’ emotional tendencies as well as of their cognitive abilities to model canine cooperation and to test the model’s predictions with our own data,” the investigators noted. Dr. Friederike Range, one of the Wolf Science Center’s three founders, isn’t surprised by the excitement her group’s research has generated among mainstream media outlets. “Dogs are important to our society,” she said, not- ing that so many people have them for purposes ranging from companion- ship and therapy to work of various types and military reasons. “Our health is better if we have dogs,” she concluded, so dog research gets attention. People either love or hate wolves, she continued, adding that “there’s nothing

in between.” Either way, they are inter- Science C enter Wolf

International Wolf Summer 2014 9 Science Center was started the follow- during infancy, then integrating each founder is able to focus on the central ing year, bringing in her Clever Dogs at about five months of age into a pack task of research. With the hard work and co-founder Virányi and Dr. Kurt of its own kind so they have similar life long hours comes recognition. Kotrschal, Kotrschal, a seasoned researcher who experiences. There are five dog packs and who has taught at the University of heads the Konrad Lorenz Institute for five wolf packs of two to three adults at Vienna for two decades, was named Evolution and Cognition Research in any given time. Because of their early Austrian Professor of the Year in 2010, Altenburg, Austria, an existing research socialization and subsequent work and Range most recently received the lab studying social mechanisms of with humans, the wolves are considered Distinguished Scientific Award for Early birds. Named for the Austrian zoologist tame wild animals, as opposed to domes- Career Contribution to Psychology in credited with beginning the study of ticated, that “walk on a leash better than the area of animal learning and behav- ethology, the lab was the center’s first my pet dogs,” Range said. The goal is ior from the American Psychological home. The center moved to its own set- to have canids in both groups receiving Association in 2012. ting in Ernstbrunn, near Vienna, a year identical life experiences to control for The Clever Dogs Lab, which was later but continues to share work and those ways in which they differ. founded a year before the Wolf Science facilities with the Konrad Lorenz lab. The center’s work was tracked for a Center, draws on Austrian dogs volun- Today Kotrschal and Range also work year by a team of videographers from teered by their owners to study top- at the more recently birthed Messerli Austria’s ORF Universum Documentaries. ics including personality, relationships, Research Institute, which formally The three-part result, Teaming Up With cooperation, reasoning, physical and opened in 2012 and which studies cog- Wolves, was created in 2010 and can be social cognition and individual learn- nition in a broad range of species. “We seen in the United States for free online ing abilities. The focus of a November need to work at several sites,” Range said, at hulu.com. 2012 Nova Science magazine article, because there isn’t adequate funding at “You have to love this work,” Range the lab looks at the predictive ability any one center to fully support the staff. said. “There are too many hours not to of early puppy personality tests on dogs The Wolf Science Center obtains enjoy it.” With it comes responsibility bred for working—service animals and wolf pups when they are 10 days across a range of skill sets, from writ- herders, for instance—to determine how old from zoos in Europe and North ing grants and managing administrative suited they actually are for these tasks America and mixed-breed, young dogs tasks to overseeing a squadron of vol- in later life. from European animal shelters, raising unteers, interns and visiting scientists, Each center in which the researchers each in close association with humans which often interfere with the time each operate exists under the auspices of the University of Vienna and its school of veterinary medicine. The Wolf Science Center has received funding from the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science and Research and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management, and many other organizations. Extensive corporate sponsorships helped initially fund ani- mal food, construction materials and transportation as the site was prepared. Range credits Minnesota’s International Wolf Center and Indiana’s Wolf Park as U.S.-based organizations that provided instrumental information on the logistics of wolf management during the start-up phase of operations. Future plans focus on continued research, with many more articles being prepared for publication in the com- ing year. n

Tracy O’Connell is associate professor of marketing communications at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls and a member of the International

Wolf Science C enter Wolf Wolf Center communications and From left to the right: Wolf pups Amarok, Chitto, Tala and Una. magazine committees.

10 Summer 2014 www.wolf.org James Pintar Steve Voiles

hat’s killing the deer in Wisconsin? It is a great What’s Wquestion. The easy answer, wolves, comes into the conversation with all the subtlety of someone yell- ing “Fire!” in a crowded theater. Killing The logic follows something like this: Wolves are more numer- ous now than ever. Wolves eat deer. I saw fewer or no deer this year in the Deer? my usual hunting area. Repeat this scenario throughout the deer camps and the conclusion is obvious: Wolves by RICHARD P. THIEL are to blame. Accusations that wolves caused recent declines in deer harvests and hunter satisfaction certainly stem from such stories. But the conclusion—foregone to many—and the truth of the matter may be two different beasts. The testament that wolves abound, that deer sign is hard to come by, and that particular deer hunting camps harvested fewer deer than normal could all be true. But is there other evidence, overlooked, that could also be implicated in the very complicated undercurrents in predator-prey relationships? Americans’ acceptance of quick-fix solutions is part of our national psyche. We love food fast, sports team victories that are clear, no ties please, and our problems solved quickly regardless of their complex- ity. In the realm of wolf-deer matters, the deeply seated reputation of Sherry Jokinen

International Wolf Summer 2014 11 the wolf as a menace, a taker of what is rightly ours, adds weight to the arguments and conclusions gained. Central to this predator-prey question is competition. It is a fact that deer hunters compete with wolves, and wolves compete with hunters for deer. Hunters and wolves compete against deer that employ a number of defensive behavioral tactics to avoid detection (and kill- ing). Deer compete with each other for survival on that same landscape. In Wisconsin deer hunter sat- isfaction knew no bounds in the first decade of the present century. Deer were so numerous that state wildlife managers initiated liberal hunting tactics to curb growth. Statewide harvests soared to unprec- edented levels. That is, until the autumn of 2008.

Sherry Jokinen The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) has 60 years of data based on a mandatory registry of harvested deer. Information about sex, age (fawn or adult), county, A radio-collared deer found dead date of take and Deer Management from exposure and starvation in Unit (DMU) are gathered on harvested Theresa V. Stenersen Theresa V. Wisconsin’s Central Forest. deer, forming the basis of population estimates managers use to prescribe future harvest levels. As a wildlife biologist for WDNR, I was manning one of those registra- tion stations during the 2008 hunt. By Dick Thiel the end of the first day it was obvious the harvest was down. Hunters were complaining of the lack of deer in the woods. The 2009 deer-hunting season was also relatively poor. Hunters blamed wolves. The WDNR produces a statistically laden report each April following the hunt, entitled Wisconsin Big Game Hunting Summary. These reports can be mined for information on nearly everything related to the deer hunt, including the number of bucks harvested within each DMU. I consulted these statistics between 1997 and 2012, comparing four DMUs inhabited by wolf packs to three DMUs in east-central Wisconsin where wolves

12 Summer 2014 www.wolf.org were absent. The number of harvested Since the 1980s climate change has Since the 1980s bucks dropped significantly between the altered weather patterns, and tough 2007 and 2008 seasons not only in the winters are less frequent. Deer hunt- climate change has wolf DMUs but in the wolf-free DMUs ers under roughly 40 years of age have as well. The decline occurred again in little experience with the ups and downs altered weather 2009. Whatever caused the decline of deer herds spawned by weather—and patterns, and tough surely did not involve the wolves.1 so the angst. Wolves certainly eat their fair share Historically, severe winters struck the winters are less of deer, roughly 20 adult-sized deer Upper Great Lakes region about once frequent. Deer per wolf per year. This number is but a every four years. But this is merely a fraction of the deer that die each year statistic. What happens when a number hunters under and cannot possibly explain the observed of severe winters strike back-to-back? roughly 40 years fluctuation in population. So what gives? By coincidence, researchers including Winter weather. Specifically deep Dr. L. David Mech, Pat Karns and others of age have little snows and unrelenting cold that appre- involved in a study on deer-wolf dynam- ciably reduce a deer’s chances of gain- ics in the Superior National Forest in experience with ing the three to four pounds (about one northeastern Minnesota witnessed such the ups and and one-half to two kilograms) of daily a catastrophe in the late 1960s and early forage their bodies require. Deer rely 1970s. In a seven-year period five severe downs of deer on stored fat to make up the difference, winters hammered the region, and the herds spawned so these reserves are largely extinguished impact on both deer and wolves was by late February. When continued March memorable. by weather—and snows deny deer access to necessary The deer population declined by 60 ground forage and continued cold percent and was systematically elimi- so the angst. temperatures require deer to keep the nated from the core areas of wolf pack furnace turned up, they become suscep- territories. Average ages of hunter-killed tible to dying of exposure and starvation.2 deer taken at area registration stations Deer managers in Upper Great increased from about two and one-half Lakes states have long known severe years before the severe winters to around winter impacts on harvests. In a normal five years during the severe winters (the Wisconsin hunt more than 60 percent herd grew “older” because very few fawns of adult bucks harvested are yearlings relative to adults survived each winter). (one-and-a-half-year-olds). These same What about the wolves? Cases of yearling bucks were last winter’s fawns. surplus killings (killing more than Fawns are particularly susceptible to loss they can immediately consume, and during stressful winters, and declines in usually involving multiple deaths of the succeeding autumn harvests of 20 deer in proximity) were recorded. As percent following a severe winter are the severe winters stretched on, wolf not uncommon. kills declined from 40 kills per winter in

Footnotes Author’s note: Unlike anecdotal comments and stories that need no “backing up,” scientists refer to documented evidence that is in most cases peer reviewed so that readers can seek these out and judge for themselves. These footnotes are presented in that spirit. 1. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Wisconsin big game hunting summary. 1998 through 2010. WDNR, Madison. 2. An enormous body of literature is available on deer physiology and overwinter losses. I used: Karns, P. 1980. “Winter–the grim reaper.” P. 47–51 in Hine, R. L. and S. Nehls (Eds.) White-tailed deer population management in the North Central states. Symposium proceedings, Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference. North Central Section, The Wildlife Society. marchand, P. J. 1996. Life in the cold: An Introduction to Winter Ecology, third edition. University Press of New England: Hanover, NH.

International Wolf Summer 2014 13 one pack to 8, undoubtedly study has not yet been peer reviewed, it in response to decreased echoes results of others in both Minnesota availability of deer. Wolves and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan began excursions into that document humans as a primary neighboring packs’ terri- cause of deer mortality, whether in the tories to hunt, and terri- presence (Minnesota) or absence (Upper tory sizes increased from Peninsula of Michigan, early 1990s) 48 square miles (12,431 of wolves.4 hectares) to 87 square To be sure there are places and cir- miles (22,532 hectares) cumstances where wolves have an as deer were eliminated impact on deer numbers and hence Dick Thiel from core areas, forcing availability to hunters. Winters have an A gaunt buck in early May following wolves to search along effect. Certainly hunters have an effect. a severe winter in Wisconsin’s boundaries. Finally wolves began In regions where these three mortality Central Forest. starving, and to stave off death wolves’ factors collide—most notably the “lake activity bouts declined from roughly effect” zones downwind from the Great 40 percent to 12 percent per day to con- Lakes—deer, deer hunters and wolves serve energy in undernourished bodies.3 are regularly affected.5 A large body of When continued Remarkably both the deer and the scientific evidence exists suggesting that March snows deny wolves preying on them persisted and in most places where white-tailed deer, the populations of both rebounded. wolves and hunters exist there remain deer access to Fortunately these events, documented 40 deer enough to go around.6 necessary ground years ago, are not representative of year- Anecdotal accounts of the ravages in, year-out happenings in wolf woods. of wolves will continue unabated in forage and continued Predator-prey dynamics are very some hunter circles. They make for good cold temperatures complex, and unraveling cause-and- stories, sell copy and rally the troops effect is complicated by many variables, around something more tangible than require deer to keep including humans themselves. Back in mere snowflakes. n Wisconsin, scientists just released pre- the furnace turned liminary results of a comprehensive deer Richard “Dick” Thiel is a former up, they become study carried out in one area where wolves wildlife biologist for the Wisconsin are present and another where they Department of Natural Resources susceptible to dying are absent. Humans (hunting, vehi- and a member of the International of exposure and cles and poaching in that order) were Wolf Center board of directors. responsible for over half of deer deaths. starvation. Wolves rank near the bottom.3 While this

Footnotes continued 4. See for instance: Vucetich, John A., Brett A. Huntzinger, Rolf O. Peterson, Leah M. Vucetich, James H. Hammill, 3. Mech, L. D. 1977. “Population trend and winter Delgiudice, G.D., M.R. Riggs, P. Joly, and W. and Dean E. Beyer, Jr. 2012. “Intra-seasonal deer consumption in a Minnesota wolf pack.” Pan. 2002. “Winter severity, survival, and cause- variation in wolf Canis lupus kill rates.” Wildlife P. 55–83 in R. L. Phillips and C. Jonkel (Eds.) specific mortality of female white-tailed deer in Biology 18: 1–11. Proceedings of the 1975 predator sympo- North-Central Minnesota,” Journal of Wildlife sium. Bull. Forestry Conservation Exp. Station, Management 66: 69 8 –7 17. 6. For a good synthesis see: University of Montana, Missoula. Van Deelen, T. R., H. Campa III, J. B. Haufler, DelGiudice, G. D., K. R. McCaffery, D. E. Beyer, mech, L. D. and P. Karns. 1977. “Role of the and P. D. Thompson. 1997. “Mortality patterns of Jr., and M. E. Nelson. “Prey of wolves in the wolf in a deer decline in the Superior National white-tailed deer in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula,” Great Lakes region.” Pages 155 -173 in A. P. Forest.” For. Serv. Res. Paper NC-148., U.S. Dept. Journal of Wildlife Management 61: 903–910. Wydeven, T. R. Deelen, E. Heske, (Eds.) Recovery of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. of gray wolves in the Great Lakes Region of the 5. Stebler, A. 1951. “The ecology of Michigan United States: an endangered species success http://www.jsonline.com/tablet/sports/study- coyotes and wolves.” Ph.D. dissertation. University story. Springer: New York. sheds-light-on-top-causes-of-deer-mortality- of Michigan, Ann Arbor. b99190938z1-241992741.html#ix zz2rYg2dNKL

14 Summer 2014 www.wolf.org Tracking the Pack

Wolf Watch Memories by Lori Schmidt, Wolf Curator, International Wolf Center

olf Watch is a program Robert McKay joined us from Omaha, designed by the International Nebraska, specifically for this program.

WWolf Center’s Wolf Care staff Rose learned of the Center’s educational C enter I nternational Wolf to allow for behavioral observations and mission and ambassador wolf pro- data collection that is independent of gram in January 2014 when the Center routine wolf-care checks. As discussed conducted a Wolf Link distance-learning Above: What starts in previous articles, the Center’s ambas- program at her school. A few weeks later, as a social interaction with Aidan rolling in the snow results in sador wolves are socialized to handlers a very dedicated father, registered his an opportunistic two-year-old interaction, at a young age. This socialization process daughter for the Wolf Watch program with Aidan demonstrating a threat display as results in wolves that are very focused on and made the nearly 10-hour drive north Boltz looks for a way to gain status. the presence of their regular handlers, in subzero temperatures. which can distort interactions among the In her first moments after arriving wolf traveled near her cache of deer legs. wolves. During a WolfWatch program for the program, Rose had a special Pack members tossed hides, postured participants record behavior from the encounter with Aidan. Possibly due toward one another, asserted status and observation windows when there is no to the height of the snowbanks, Aidan provided hours of detailed behavior. human activity in the wolf yard. was eye level with Rose and initially When asked which wolf she best related On Thursday, February 14, 2014, we followed her along the front of the view- to, Rose selected Boltz, a middle-rank- offered our first Wolf Watch program ing area for nearly five minutes before ing wolf. Why? Rose is a middle child, since the 2012 pups, Boltz and Luna, settling down to watch from a distance. and she knows what it’s like to have were introduced to the pack. We had a Welcome to Wolf Watch. others assert status. While Rose has small team of observers including two As the evening progressed, Rose had an opportunity to visit and observe participants who traveled a long distance provided her assessment of the pack wolves in Yellowstone, it was the detailed to be part of the program. Rose and dynamics based on the training she behaviors of each individual wolf that had just received and the made her first trip to the Center special. wolves’ behaviors. She was most To gain your own Wolf Watch memo- impressed by the wolves’ social ries, please visit our Web site at www. interactions and Luna’s con- wolf.org and check out the Events tab tinual awareness when another for adults. n

Rose McKay at nternational Wolf C enter I nternational Wolf the observations window, while Aidan rests on top of the snowbanks. Denali tilts his head in submission, while Aidan and Luna, the domi- nant pair, demonstrate status during

nternational Wolf C enter I nternational Wolf February’s Wolf Watch program. nternational Wolf C enter I nternational Wolf

International Wolf Summer 2014 15 Tracking the Pack In Memory of Malik

Malik, a resident male arctic wolf at the International Wolf Center, was euthanized on Saturday, March 22, after a rapid decline in health. The nearly 14-year-old wolf joined the Center’s resident pack in 2000 with his brother, Shadow, and the two retired from the Exhibit Pack about four years ago. As an ambassador wolf, Malik helped educate thousands of visitors to the Center and through its weekly YouTube videos, wolf logs and webcams. Following are a few remembrances of Malik:

The moth fluttering in my garden captured When the pups were being weaned, I was bottle- Malik’s total attention. His hindquarters slowly folded beneath feeding Malik when he bit the end off the thick rubber nipple him, and then he pounced on his prey. Success. The chase was on and swallowed it. I spent a full 24 hours wringing my hands to keep his catch from Shadow. Bugs were a favorite of Malik’s, and cussing, certain he would die of an intestinal obstruction. and his tendencies to explore were notable in the first six weeks We consulted Dave Mech and Larry Anderson, the vet in Ely. They he and his littermate lived in our home. said basically, “Even this shall pass away.” Malik and Shadow were 10 days old and weighed just over It did. It was a Eureka moment for me when I found it in his 2.5 pounds (1.1 kilograms) when I picked them up. They were puppy poop. Nancy Gibson wouldn’t let me frame it. instant stars of the International Wolf Center and favorites of the — Neil Hutt, communications team member public. The local TV station had a camera hook-up in their cage, so questions and concerns occurred with each noise, interaction My husband and I first met Malik and Shadow and bowel movement. Malik was slightly heavier and lighter in the auditorium when they were pups at the Center. We’ve missed colored than Shadow in those first weeks, but we attached a red- only one year of visiting since that initial visit; the wolves and the and-blue collar to Malik to insure our observations were correct. team at the International Wolf Center have made a huge impact At 16 days of age, Malik tested his vocal chords with short howls on our lives. My thoughts and prayers are with the entire staff in response to my whining noise. Those whimpers, comfort nurs- as I understand the passion you have for these fabulous animals. ing noises and his growl when feasting on his first deer meat will —Lana Goldsmith, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin always bring a smile to my face. Malik, like other wolves, grew so fast that each day brought So very sorry for this loss. Bless you all for the wonder- new developments and personal delight. Malik seemed more com- ful work you do on behalf of wolves and the people who love them. fortable than Shadow with new situations and people. He was calmer at the vet’s office when getting his check-ups. Perhaps it —S. De la Torre, Stillwater, Minnesota was that slightly compliant behavior that kept him from ever rising to leadership status in the pack. But he never failed to please the public, always gave me exuberant greet- ings and certainly left his mark in the world of wolves. — Nancy Gibson, board member Nancy Gibson B ruce Johnson

16 Summer 2014 www.wolf.org International Wolf Center Allen Brown International Wolf Summer 2014 17 Ann Rasberry International Wolf Center Nancy Gibson International Wolf Center Nancy Gibson 2014 adventures at the center

Daily program Highlights Meet the Pack: Meet our Exhibit Pack and learn surprising facts about wolves, how they’ve adapted and their history.

Mystery in the Sky: Discover the mystery and magic behind the northern lights–one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World!

Wolf Enrichment: Watch the reactions of the ambassador wolves as they feast on beaver tails and other forest treats!

North Woods Ecology: Explore the animals, trees and plants of Minnesota’s northern forests. Includes optional on-site hike at the end of the program. Outdoors, on-site.

Wild Discovery: Learn to identify animals by tracks in this hands-on adventure for kids. Make and take home a plaster cast. Outdoors, on-site. Ages 4-12.

Wolves of the World: Take a journey around the world as we explore the similarities–and differences–of wolves living in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.

Moose in Minnesota: Examine the mystery of Minnesota’s dwindling moose population and the effect it will have on wolves.

FAN FAVORITE specialty programS

What’s for Dinner?: Learn about the fascinating hunting and feeding behavior of wolves as you watch our Exhibit Pack dine on a variety of prey. Children under 3 years of age admitted free.

Photographers Only: Exclusive access to our Exhibit Pack through observation windows before and after hours when wolves are most active.

Behind the Scenes (members only): This intimate bucket-list tour gives you special access to areas off limits to most. Get up close and learn about the socialization, care and feeding of our Exhibit Pack.

18 Summer 2014 www.wolf.org 2014 adventures at the center Aurora! A journey through the midnight sky May 16, 2014— May 11, 2015

Don’t miss this educational art exhibit featuring the northern lights photography of artist Heidi Pinkerton.

The northern lights were brilliant and expansive on the night ambassador wolf Maya passed away. Awed by the sight, wildlife photographer Heidi Pinkerton decided to try to capture the fire in the sky for the very first time. As she was setting up her camera, the echo of a lone wolf howling mournfully in the distance washed over her. What Heidi captured that evening turned out to be much more than just a series of incredible images. That singular experience captured her heart and ignited her passion for northern lights photography. Please join us for this unique collection of art and science exploring the aurora borealis at the International Wolf Center.

International Wolf Summer 2014 19 International Wolf Center Major Contributors and Special Gifts

December 2013 – February 2014

Major Donors Memorials

Anonymous Murray and Jeanie Kilgour Jerry Sanders and In memory of Mary Swenson Deborah Hinchcliffe Lynne Alexander Virginia Kluwin David Abraham: Jerry and Brenda Swigert Martha Schoonover Christie Abraham Michele Amacker Jeff Krebsbach Don and Beverly Walsmith Paul and Susan Schurke John and Sandra Anderson Bud Kraehling In memory of Roxy Wilson Matthew Scott James Amundson: Donna Arbaugh C. Stephen Kriegh Beret Amundson In memory of Dakota: and Dr. Pamella Richard and Betty Seid Julie Atkinson Elizabeth-Jo Stephenson Gronemeyer Kriegh Kathleen and In memory of Bear: Dr. Bruce Bonecutter In memory of Jean D’Antoni: Kimberly Krulas Michael Shopa Kim Guzzo Kristin Bortnem Patricia D’Antoni John Lallier Sharon Siebert In memory of Tracy Black: Lispeth and Paul Buettner Curtis Selph In memory of Elsie, our Bob Landis Gloria Slick beloved “wolf woman”: Maggie Callahan Carol and Kent Landsberg David Smith and family In memory of Blanca: Clarinda Karpov Shannon Larson Guy Smith Robert Parker Gary Chadwick In memory of James Le Blanc Kathryn Splinter Tasha and Oreo Flickinger: Tim Coburn In memory of Caesar: Heather Flickinger Dr. Margaret Lenci Beverly Stirtz Martha Milne Kevin Culver Deborah Wold Lewis Michael Swanson In memory of Charlie: In memory of Flo: Cekiel Danielson and John Lewis Scott Forthman Stephen Swanson Kathleen Nickerson Cynthia Pett Dante Scott and Dianne Lewis Amber Tamblyn In memory of Cody, In memory of Concetta Di Bratto Michael Littleford Athena and Max: Harold Griffiths: Eric Tesche Richard Duncan Utopic Deborah and Chris Long Stephanie Voigt Nancy jo Tubbs Carol Duval Bruce and Lynn Lutz In memory of In memory of Ruth Hanson: Guillaume Turpin Ned and Sherry Dayton Robert S. Crandall: Vicki Reynolds Larry and Sandi Maloney John and Donna Virr Jason Dilly Thomas Boller Jeffrey Marchal In memory of Daniel Vogel Charles Kimpston Joseph Ehrbar Jeff Hausmann: Jerry and Diane McAllister Bruce Weeks Mark and Kimberly Dianne Mrak Kathryn and Todd Elliott Dr. L. David Mech Cowan Dr. Myra Weiger Louise Fleming Carol Crandall In memory of Seamus Metress Jean West Todd Charles Herter: Michael Freedman Glee Davis Bob and Carol Mucha Lavonne Newman Barbara Wetzel Vic and Yvonne Gagliano Trevor and Linda Davis Kenneth and In memory of John Hurley: Teri Williams Steve and Kathy Melby Valerie Gates Elizabeth Murphy Ken and Celia Martin Margaret Wyllie Sherry and Willy Sears Katleen, Douglas and Adele Nguyen Robert Geier Kathy Yelton Megan Norris Michiel Gerritsen Northern Michigan Natalie Goldberg University chapter Memorial Gifts in Memory of Malik of the Wildlife Society Joe and Jody Greenhalgh (received March 22–April 9, 2014 Jim Nystrom Nona Hamblin Michael and Christie Abraham Steven Houglum Judy Hunter Pam Pagelkopf Ronald Baran Traci McFadden Neil Hutt William Parker Jr. Lorie and Don Chesnut Rebecca Mesa Charles Inman Carol Petersen Christine Cutler Gail Ramee Dave Jacobs Judith Posnikoff Patricia D’Antoni Rob Schultz The Jacques Family and Andrew Engelhart Tanya Reiss Dorene Eklund Kjerstyn Jordheim John and Donna Virr Debbie Reynolds Nancy Gibson Kristine Karnos Sue Rodell and Ron Sternal Joyce Wells

20 Summer 2014 www.wolf.org In memory of Isabelle: In memory of In honor of Judy Hunter In honor of Lynne Reder: GE on behalf of: Doris Olson Pollyanna Wetzel Woodall: and Lorena Palm: Christine Neuwirth Roger Feirstine Keli Bonanno Barbara Bonifas In memory of Tom Iwen: In honor of General Mills on behalf of: Don and Sandy In memory of Carol Wright: Alexandra Runnels: Rebecca Iwen Craighead Deb Wells Frederick Sechler Mia O’Brien In memory of Kovu: GRACO on behalf of: In honor of the International Sheri Ungar Jennifer Micale In memory of Wyld Spirit: Wolf Center and Staff: Lori Soldatke Susan Myers Judy Hunter In honor of Carol Shuckra’s In memory of Lakota: birthday: Hewlett-Packard Lyn McClure on behalf of: Nancy Vanderwerff Honorary Mary Ellen Carpino Julie Kim In honor of all those who In memory of In honor of JoAnn Abbott: In honor of Vanessa Sikora: Michael G. Leinbach: work and volunteer at the Hospira Inc. on behalf of: JoAnn Abbott International Wolf Center. Jon Fleck Laurie Leinbach Stanley Lipinski Jr. You do great work!: In honor of In honor of Tristan Scoffield: In memory of Maya: Donna Mack-Iwanski Intel Corporation Don and Maudella Albright: Michele Harris Dana Pond on behalf of: Richard Warren In honor of In honor of Diane Tullia: Cekiel Danielson In memory of Bernie and Jeff Janisch: In honor of Daniel Muck Emmett Tullia Mohhamed Saghir Khan: Dr. and Mrs. L.T. Austin: JPMorgan Chase Jim Tumpane on behalf of: Catherine Austin In honor of Randy Jurewicz: In honor of Michael Vieths: Thea Necker-Wachter Barbara Jenkin Michael Heinsohn In memory of Mother: In honor of Ann Bosch Medtronic on behalf of: William Babutzke: In honor of Ms Kelly and In honor of Anita Babutzke Greg and Sue White: Jonathan Eisenberg In memory of Mary Myers: her second-grade class Julie White at Green Woods Charter The Merganser Fund Jock Scott In honor of School, Philadelphia: Ellen Bokde’s birthday: In honor of the wild: In memory of Don Neary: Nathan Martin Microsoft on behalf of: Alina Bokde and Francis Liberty Godshall Anonymous Ida Neary In honor of Michael Kuwica: In honor of the 27th Infantry Raul Garcia In honor of Jane McMillan In memory of Robert Palmer: Gloria Campione: “Wolfhounds,” Schofield The Dorothy D. and Jennifer and Gloria Campione In honor of Andi Lamb: Barracks, Hawaii: James Murduck Joseph A. Moller Foundation Calann Hertel Frank Gollub Lois and James Robertson In honor of Lisa Carena: The Northwest Area Maestro Joe Carena In honor of Dylan Looney: In honor of the Foundation on behalf of: In memory of Wolf of Weed Street: Randall Looney Patrick Ciernia Penny, Jack and Lacey: In honor of Elaina Carlson: Gene Haddox Kathy Preziosi Deanne Carlson In honor of LaVonne Ludke: SAD Foundation In honor of Don Johnson In memory of In honor of Lynn Cook: “Wolves Everywhere”: TE Connectivity Vanessa Petrusha Barbara Cook In honor of Luna’s birthday: Lois Starck on behalf of: Ronald Petrusha Gail Ramee Ray Wells In honor of Don Craighead: In honor of Nancy Woods In memory of Samantha: Jim Thompson In honor of M1483: and Vera Moritz: US Bank on behalf of: Alicia Gobert Barbara Garriel Arwen Dewey Deborah Wankel In honor of In memory of Samson: Eddie, my wolf dog: In honor of Jackie Matelski: Estates In-Kind Michael Porter Joan Ouellette Dana Fulton M. Geraldine Gage Donations In memory of Sasha: In honor of Charlene Ellis: In honor of Milo and Molly: Edna Mae Lamb Vernone and Terrell Linda Bergstrom Marilyn Nelson Karleen Sveum Feyereisen

In memory of Samuel Shaw: In honor of In honor of those who Matching Gifts Annette Good Peter Tritz Donna-Marie Geddes: work for wolves: and Foundations Google Donna-Marie Geddes James Brady In memory of Shilah: Ameriprise on behalf of: Andrea Hasan Elissa Maas In honor of Nancy Gibson: In honor of Andi Nelsen: Erik Johnson James and Loretta Verbout Derek Lahr Judy Hunter In memory of Becton, Dickinson and Wintergreen Sukey, Heidi and Sumi: In honor of In honor of the next Company on behalf of: Stephanie Wright Julie Kim Max and Bess Golkin: generations of people: Clifford Boldt Peter Golkin Ava Bishop In memory of Tom Thurston: Faegre Baker Daniels Marlene Thurston In honor of Judy Hunter: In honor of Kelly Overly: Foundation on behalf of: Thank Joyce Seymour Jon Fleck Richard Duncan You!

International Wolf Summer 2014 21 International Wolf Center Member Profile

by Darcy Berus, Development Director, International Wolf Center

everal times a month International which attracted 500 partic- Wolf Center board member Judy ipants from 18 countries. SHunter spends her time volun- As with everything she teering at the Interpretive Center in Ely, does for wolves, Hunter Minnesota—doing a wide variety of jobs. led this effort with grace Her numerous volunteer roles have had and generosity. “It was a an extraordinarily positive impact on lot of work,” Hunter said. the Center’s work. “But it was also a lot of Over the past eight years Hunter fun. I love volunteering for has been a board member, symposium the Center, but I certainly co-chair, member of the Pup Care team, get a lot out of it myself. I committee member, advocate, teacher volunteer because I believe and cheerleader. She is also a donor, an in the mission, but I also Alpha Legacy member and a sustain- believe very deeply in vol- ing member. unteerism. I don’t think “I knew I wanted to volunteer when I people realize how many moved to Minnesota from Illinois,” said opportunities there are to Hunter. “I’m an animal lover. I knew the help out.” Center was a nonprofit organization, Volunteering as a mem- and the Center’s educational mission ber of the Pup Care team appealed to me.” and helping with the Though she eventually would vol- youngest members of the unteer with the Pup Care team, Hunter Center’s Exhibit Pack has

said she didn’t start volunteering with been one of the highlights C enter I nternational Wolf a vision of ever actually working with of her experience with the a wolf. “I just wanted to help in some Center. “I started helping way,” she said. with the pups for myself, Hunter first started volunteering with but I ended up realizing the Center by supporting the develop- it wasn’t for myself; it was ment and membership programs. As for the wolves. What I Judy Hunter with Luna, May 2012. a retired executive director of a Girl learned through this expe- Scout Council in Illinois, she offered rience was phenomenal,” she said. “The “Judy is a tremendous asset to the significant fundraising experience. training course was outstanding. I really Center and one of our most dedicated “Fundraising wasn’t my favorite thing learned a lot.” volunteers,” said Rob Schultz, executive to do, but it was something I had expe- Hunter is quick to reflect on the many director of the International Wolf Center. rience in, so I knew I could do it. Then benefits she has received through her “She brings a generous spirit, can-do I started to help stuff envelopes,” Hunter time with the Center. “When I think attitude and leadership to all she does said. “I knew I was interested in eventu- about the International Wolf Center and to advance our mission—from logging ally joining the board, so I started pur- volunteering, I enjoy everything I do,” miles to and from our Interpretive Center suing more leadership roles.” she said. “I think of all the opportuni- in Ely to providing gifts of time, talent, Last fall Hunter took on the key role ties it’s given me: working with people, funds and supplies and even delivering of co-chairing the International Wolf with staff, with wolves, with volun- holiday treats to the staff. She possesses Symposium 2013: Wolves and Humans teers and to be on the board. I never a wealth of talent and experience—and at the Crossroads. In this capacity, she would have had these opportunities if she’s a lot of fun. We are grateful to her recruited and managed more than 100 I hadn’t volunteered.” Hunter hopes oth- for all her support. Judy is a superstar.” n volunteers to assist with the four-day ers also recognize the personal benefits conference held in Duluth, Minnesota, of volunteering.

22 Summer 2014 www.wolf.org blamed for 5,000 sheep deaths a year, Study Sees Negative Relationship double the number five years ago but Between Legal Hunting and still 80 percent fewer than the number of deaths attributed to dogs, which doesn’t Poaching of Wolves draw equivalent ire. There are believed to be up to 300 by Tracy O’Connell wolves in France in an estimated 20 to 25 packs. Current rules, strengthened he last issue of International Wolf in February that the remains of an adult in farmers’ favor last year, allow up to 24 addressed the recent killings of wolf that had been shot were found wolves to be culled annually by govern- Tred wolves in the southeast- just over 92 miles (150 kilometers) east ment shooters. Shepherds are allowed to ern United States in what looked to of Paris, in the commune of Coole in defend flocks from an actual wolf attack. be poaching of these endangered ani- the Marne region. It was the first time A recent poll, however, found that 80 mals. Poaching of wolves occurs widely a wolf has been found so far north in percent of French people wanted wolves in Europe as well, where European law France in almost a century. defended against attacks from farmers protects wolves as an endangered species. Farmers’ organizations across France rather than sheep protected from wolves. For example, The Connexion, France’s have been demanding a suspension of Some French wolf supporters point English-language newspaper, reported the animals’ protected status. Wolves are approvingly to the way wolves have been iStockPhoto/kjekol

International Wolf Summer 2014 23 accepted elsewhere, for instance, in Italy situation termed “cryptic poaching” and Spain. However, London’s Daily by the research group SKANDULV in a Telegraph reported in January that farm- 2011 study titled Shoot, Shovel and Shut ers in Italy have taken the law into their Up. SKANDULV researchers noted in own hands in response to the increased a separate study, Illegal killing of wolves number of wolves roaming the country, in Scandinavia 1998–2011: variation in shooting and dumping them in towns space and time, that worldwide there are as an apparent reprisal for the death of several potential causes behind illegal livestock. killing, but in affluent countries with low The wolf population, estimated at commercial incentives to poach, such as 1,000 in Italy, is concentrated in the Alps Sweden and Norway, its existence “might and along the Apennines, mountains be an expression of disapproval of the running down the Italian peninsula. prevailing conservation policy.” They The backlash has been most notable in asked whether a relaxation of wolves’ Tuscany, the Daily Telegraph reported, legal protection would lead to a decrease where at least eight wolves were ille- in illegal killing. Other studies have iStockPhoto/ MH jerpe gally shot in the previous two months. supported a negative correlation between Carcasses left in villages or by roadsides the extent of legal hunting and illegal seem, according to some, to be an anony- killing (Wielgus, et al., 1994; Huber, mous protest against the presence of the et al., 2002; Andrén, et al., 2006), but carnivores meant to shock the viewer. findings vary (Treves 2009). Poaching is believed to account for SKANDULV researchers concluded: half the wolf mortality in Scandinavia, “Our simulations suggest that without where it is believed more than two-thirds of its instances remain undetected, a iStockPhoto/torkil1970

24 Summer 2014 www.wolf.org poaching during the past decade, the population would have been almost four times as large as it was in 2009. Such a severe impact of poaching on population recovery may be widespread among large carnivores. We believe that conservation strategies for large carni- vores considering only observed data may not be adequate and should be revised by including and quantifying cryptic poaching.” With wolves traveling freely across part of the 1,020-mile (1,630-kilometer) long shared border between Sweden and Norway, the two countries in January 2000 initiated the Scandinavian Wolf Project, or SKANDULV, to coordinate issues of wolf management and conserva- tion in the 323-square-mile (837-square- kilometer) peninsula. Wolves range over 38.6 square miles (100 square kilome- ters) in the south-central part of the pen- insula, 80 percent of which is in Sweden. (Yaffa Epstein, Uppsala University, addressed the issues of cross-border wolf management in a presentation at the October symposium sponsored by the International Wolf Center, in Duluth, Minnesota, that included examples from nternational Wolf C enter I nternational Wolf Finland and Russia, as well as from Sweden and Norway.) A consortium of several subproj- dynamics, geographical expansion and In addition, they noted that Sweden ects with separate budgets, SKANDULV genetics, social behavior and predation. is a member of the European Union currently has researchers from nine Also studied are human attitudes toward and is bound to the strong protective different institutions working under the canids, not only across Scandinavia legislation for large carnivores, whereas its umbrella. Core partners include but also with attention to how national Norway is not. Consequently, Norwegian Norway’s Hedmark University College, differences affect views toward large wolf policy is more influenced by rural located near the Swedish border north of predators. interests and less by those of nature Oslo, and the Grimso Research Station Researchers noted that “the two coun- protectionists as compared to Sweden, in central Sweden, founded in 1974 tries have rather different political and leading to different policies. The Swedish and now part of the Department of economic situations, which also have wolf management policy states that a Conservation Biology at the Swedish formed their management policies for preliminary national goal is to reach a University of Agricultural Sciences. large carnivores,” adding that Sweden minimum of 20 breeding packs. “Wolves Another partner, the Norwegian Institute is highly industrialized, and farming in shall be allowed to occur all over the for Nature Research, conducts projects large units is strongly justified with “rural country wherever there is suitable throughout the world, including stud- society proportionately small and thus of habitat,” according to the Predator Act, ies of the interactions between humans less political influence.” Norway, on the “but with the restriction that breeding and large carnivores such as leopards other hand, according to the research- packs should not be allowed within the and tigers in India. ers, has “pursued a policy of preserving reindeer summer grazing range (mainly The primary goal of SKANDULV, and promoting rural communities and the alpine areas).” Gradually since 2004 according to its Web site, is to provide culture by subsidies for small-scale agri- the right to defend domestic animals a factual basis for the optimum manage- culture. As a result, a greater proportion has been loosened, now allowing farm- ment of wolves in Norway and Sweden of the Norwegian human population ers to kill attacking wolves before any as well as to disseminate information on inhabits rural areas, and consequently livestock is wounded. wolf biology and management to a broad is more politically empowered relative This change saw the number of audience. Central themes are population to its Swedish counterpart.” legally killed wolves triple from 1.3

International Wolf Summer 2014 25 The decrease was verified in other studies using different datasets, and SKANDULV researchers stated it was the key reason for an average annual growth rate in wolf numbers that increased from 14 percent in the earlier period to 19 percent in the later one. If one could extrapolate these findings to other settings where wolf numbers have met at least minimal management goals, it appears a legal hunt can result in reduced poaching and thus provide a release valve for those with less-favorable attitudes toward wolves. n

References:

Andrén, H., Linnell, J.D.C., Liberg, O., Andersen, R., Danell, A., Karlsson, J., Odden, J., Moa, P.F., Ahlqvist, P., Kvam, Y., Franzén, F., and Segerström, P. 2006. “Survival rates and causes of mortality in Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in multi-use landscapes,” Biological Conservation, 131: 23-32. Huber, D., Kusak, J., Guzvica, G., Gomeric, T., and Frkovi, A. 2002. A nn R asberry “Causes of wolf mortality in Croatia in the period 1986-2001,” Veterinarski Arhiv, 72: 131-139. annually during 1999-2006 to 4 during governments can kill wolves that are the Liberg, O., Chapron, G,. Wabakken, 2007-2010, according to SKANDULV. subject of complaints. P., Pedersen, H. C., Hobbs, N.T., and Additionally, the first quota hunt Given these differences in national Sand, H. 2011. “Shoot, shovel and shut occurred in January 2010, when 28 attitudes and implications, SKANDULV up: cryptic poaching slows restoration animals were shot; in a hunt in January reviewed mortality in general and ille- of a large carnivore in Europe,” Proc. R. 2011 another 19 were harvested. Since gal killing of radio-collared wolves from Soc. B., doi:10.1098/rspb.2011.1275. then requested hunts have been denied December 1998 to February 2011. With Liberg, O., Sand, H., Wabakken, P., each year by the courts. It was reported a dataset of 123 radio-collared animals and Chapron, G., Illegal killing of wolves last January in Sweden’s English-language to track, it was found that 6 died in con- in Scandinavia 1998–2011: variation in online media The Local that while the nection with capture and handling for space and time, report to World Wide government had initially approved a the study and were thus omitted from Fund or Nature, WWF, (Sweden). licensed hunt for 2014 aimed at harvest- the results, 29 died from a variety of Treves, A. 2009. “Hunting for large ing 30 wolves, the decision was again causes including legal hunting and car carnivore conservation,” Journal of reversed on appeal by environmental and train traffic, and 5 were illegally Applied Ecology 46: 1350–1356. groups. Last autumn the government killed. Radio contact was lost on 80 proposed a population of 170 to 270 animals, 19 of which were assumed to Wielgus, R.B., Bunnell, F.L., Wakkinen, wolves; today there are an estimated be illegal kills. W.L., and Zager, P.E. 1994. “Population 400 in Sweden Comparing the 1998-2005 period dynamics of Selkirk Mountain grizzly bears,” Journal of Wildlife Management, By contrast, the Norwegian predator to the 2006-2011 period, both total 58: 266-272. policy passed by parliament in 2004 mortality and illegal killing decreased sets a specified “wolf zone” in southeast- in Scandinavia. However, the extent of ern Norway, along the Swedish border, illegal killing in Norway and Sweden Tracy O’Connell is associate professor where wolves should be tolerated. The showed opposite trends. Whereas of marketing communications at the goal is three Norwegian breeding packs Norway had an insignificant change University of Wisconsin–River Falls and a not including those with territory extend- after 2005, Sweden had an almost seven- member of the International Wolf Center’s communications and magazine committees. ing into Sweden. Outside the zone local fold decrease of illegally killed wolves.

26 Summer 2014 www.wolf.org The Recapture of Wolf 7153: an Update to the Malberg Mystery by Aaron Morris

gaping hole has been freshly radio-collar two adult wolves. ripped into the side of the On a quiet morning in early A beaver lodge where we are stand- September, Tom Gable and I had entered ing. Whitish-gray wolf hairs adorn the the BWCAW for a 16-day canoe trip edge of the hole, and a shredded bea- to trap wolves for the U.S. Geological ver carcass is draped just over the side. Survey’s Superior National Forest Wolf It appears that the beaver died in the and Deer Project led by Dr. L. David lodge and that a wolf or wolves caught Mech and Dr. Shannon Barber-Meyer. the odor and dug it out. This is the first Our canoe was loaded with project fresh wolf sign we’ve seen in nearly equipment and supplies for our assign- a week, an important find since we are ment in the Malberg-Makwa Lakes area in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of the BWCAW. We needed to move Wilderness (BWCAW) to capture and as expeditiously as possible that day, Photos courtesy of Shannon B arber- M eyer nternational Wolf C enter I nternational Wolf

International Wolf Summer 2014 27 both chewed so extensively that only the heavy wire antennae and trans- mitter boxes remained. However, no sign of either wolf was found. This evidence led Mech to believe it was possible that both wolves were still alive and members of their pack had chewed off their collars. During the subsequent trapping seasons, no sign of either wolf turned up. (Barber- Meyer’s account of these two wolves in “Malberg Mystery” was published in International Wolf, Spring 2013.) While first setting our trapline, Gable and I encountered fresh wolf tracks and scats on some of the portages. But after a few days there ceased to be any new signs. We also conducted howl surveys while traveling the trapline on our daily checks as another way to ascertain if wolves because our goal was to start setting were present in the area. Either Gable or traps the next morning, and we had I would howl, and then we would stay many miles to cover. Our permit and quiet and listen for a response. None food supplies limited us to 16 days in ever came. On one occasion, though, the wilderness, so each day our traps Gable’s howl was convincing enough to were set would count. cause other canoeists to scan the shore- That afternoon as the sun peaked line with their binoculars looking for in the sky and its rays beat down on the phantom wolf. us, we shuttled gear across our longest Discouragement mounted as we portage of the day. On most portages reported to Barber-Meyer daily via we were able to find relief from the bright satellite phone that there was no fresh sun under the forest canopy, but here sign of wolf activity. She reassured us the Pagami fire of a few years ago left that she and Mech liked where we had only dead and denuded trees behind. placed our traps and reminded us that Only partway to our destination, we this was one of the largest pack territo- couldn’t slacken our pace. We doubled ries in the study area. It was possible our loads across the portage, hoping that the wolves were simply in a differ- that extra toil might save us time overall. ent area of their territory. Trapping crews like ours had been On Day 13, our hope was buoyed into this part of the wilderness before. when we found the beaver lodge that In the fall of 2010, wolf technicians like had been dug into by wolves, but when us captured two pups from the Malberg we woke two mornings later, we still pack, fitting them with radio collars and had no collared wolves to show despite tagging them with numbered green ear all our work. We left camp and began tags, identifying them as wolves pulling traps and closing our line down. 7153 and 7159. During one of Midway through our trapline, as I was her regular telemetry flights disengaging a trap, I heard the howl of to locate collared wolves a wolf. It was nearby. I heard it again. in the winter of 2011-12, It was coming from the next portage Barber-Meyer discovered where we had set three traps. In a rush that the collars of both of excitement I found Gable farther down nternational Wolf C enter I nternational Wolf 7153 and 7159 were the portage. He’d heard the howling, too. transmitting in mortality Once he and I arrived at the portage, mode. The collars were we found an adult male wolf in one of recovered later that winter, continued on pg 32

28 Summer 2014 www.wolf.org • Obnoxious odors can discourage Sounding Out a New Idea wolves from entering an area but habituation to the odors can occur. by Gus Fenton • Use of cracker or bean-bag shells requires extensive, continuous s wolf populations have increased in • 116 were verified wolf human intervention. the Upper Midwest and Northern depredations. • Wolf relocation is generally A Rockies, the issue of how best to • 107 of the 116 dealt with livestock unsuccessful. protect livestock from wolf packs gen- or poultry (16 cows, 71 calves, erates heated controversy. Some people 11 sheep). • Aversive therapy, like lacing prey maintain that lethal control is the only food with lithium chloride, causes • 296 wolves were removed effective option. Others argue that non- temporary illness, hence aversion, or killed. lethal strategies, combined with respon- but requires a period of captivity. sible husbandry, allow humans, livestock • About $120,000 was paid in • Fladry, pennants hung on ropes, and predators to coexist. compensation. Which strategies work and which is effective but only temporarily. While opinions vary, many people are ineffective? Can “thinking outside • Human presence discourages wolf agree that nonlethal deterrence of wolf the box” be key to new and practical attacks but is difficult to maintain depredation is worth trying. Many meth- ideas? Who would have suspected that long term. ods have been tried: hanging cloth from fence wires (known • Prompt removal of dead livestock • Electric fences are effective but as fladry) would, at least for a while, keep reduces future depredation risk require maintenance and a source wolves away from enclosed livestock? since predators return to kill sites of electricity, are not inexpensive Where do new thoughts like these come to eat carrion, but such removal and cover a limited area. from? New solutions to a problem are doesn’t solve the basic problem. likely to result from combining current • Guard dogs are effective, but continued on pg 32 concepts. For instance, if you are trying wolves regard dogs as competitors to tighten a screw in a tight location, and often kill them. Additionally, you might combine a screwdriver bit it is costly to train both dog with a right-angle flexible joint. Both and farmer. are common tools, but together they suggest a new idea. This melding of concepts occurred to me while watching a YouTube video sent to me by a friend whose nephew, Mark Hinders, a professor at the College of William and Mary in Virginia, described a method he was using to discourage birds from eating crops and endanger- ing aircraft. Before I reveal the direction we’re headed, we’ll first take a detour through the issue of wolf depredation. Depredation is a significant issue to livestock producers. In Minnesota, between 2 and 5 percent of Minnesota livestock producers are affected by depredation annually. In 2012 data showed the following: • About 200 wolf-predation complaints were received. wn B riem A

International Wolf Summer 2014 29 ave you ever gone for a hike and found signs that an animal Hhad been there? Animal signs are little clues that show us that animals live in the area. These signs can be as diverse as holes, scaly skin, bones and C hris rowe nests. Wolves leave behind unique signs within their territories. When wolves move from place to place, they leave prints on the ground called tracks. Wolves are very protective of their territory and mark it with scats, urine and scrapes to warn others to stay out. In spring wolves shed their soft, fluffy undercoats. After consuming a meal, wolves bury their leftovers in a hole in the ground called a cache. Next time you are out exploring, put on your detective goggles and look for some new animal signs.

Aidan

idan was born on April 27, 2008, and since then has been part of the A International Wolf Center’s Exhibit Pack with his littermate Denali. Aidan is an

nternational Wolf C enter I nternational Wolf Irish Gaelic name that usually means “little fiery one” when translated into English. It is a very appropriate name for Aidan. As a pup, Aidan showed his hunting skills earlier than Denali did, and Aidan was always very focused on any movement in the enclosure. As an adult, Aidan is quick to guard things and will chase Denali throughout the exhibit. n

30 Summer 2014 www.wolf.org Daniel, a young school-program attendee, sent this note to the Center thanking everyone for a unique, fun-filled day. To check out fun programs for kids, go to www.wolf.org.

Find the words in the word bank (below) hidden in the puzzle. Words can go Word Find forward, backward, up, down or diagonally. cache paw carnivore S U M M E R T R E R N H predator pack deer R U R K G P A K C A R T pup elk summer coat track rendezvous O E L E A O O S K P W L howl wolf dominance T E H Z N Z C O R O B E A F I C Z D K N L E R T D I A I A U E F O O I P E E W Z D C T Z V W R A

R P D V F X J I V E J C Cache:  A hiding place used for storing food if there P A H O W L N A E O A K is an abundance of meat X W I P C R M D Q M U W from a kill. J Z U G A V O P Z H L S Scat:  Poop, or feces. R P E C N A N I M O D Z Track:  A footprint left by an animal.

International Wolf Summer 2014 31 Continued from Personal Encounter, Continued from A Look Beyond, localized nature of the sound wouldn’t page 28 page 29 spook livestock if aimed correctly. Motion sensors could actually guide the system my traps. The animal had a green ear • Disruptive stimuli such as strobe to continuously direct the sound at a tag in one ear but no collar around his lights, sirens and pyrotechnics moving predator until it left the area. neck. Could this be one of the wolves discourage wolves but habituation Background material is now being from the Malberg pack that had its collar to them can occur. The disruptive collected to better understand what’s chewed off? The number on the wolf’s stimuli can also spook livestock. been accomplished using ultrasound ear tag would be the key to identifying A wolf depredation study conducted aversion in the past. Various experts the wolf; we hoped the numbers weren’t in Minnesota comparing practices are being consulted as to the potential too faded or worn. between 41 farms with chronic depre- feasibility of such an endeavor. A docu- After we had anesthetized the wolf, dation and 41 without showed that farms ment is under development that describes we read the ear tag—7158. We found with chronic depredations were larger, the test procedure, equipment and out later from Barber-Meyer that this wolf had more cattle and their herds were evaluation techniques needed to dem- was, in fact, 7153 of “Malberg Mystery” located farther from human dwellings. onstrate preliminary feasibility. A time- fame. During his original capture, Returning to the new wolf deterrence line and a budget will be put together each of his two ear tags had a different idea, Hinders’ YouTube video explained while testing sites are lined up. Funding number: 7153 and 7158. With the how he was using controlled ultrasound sources still need to be secured. All of exciting recapture of 7153, Mech’s sus- to discourage birds from eating crops this is in progress, and it all takes time. picion that the wolf was still alive was and to keep them away from aircraft. At this point the preliminary testing confirmed. After we finished processing Ultrasound is a high-pitched sound looks like it will consist of enticing cap- 7153, which included taking measure- that humans can’t hear, but most other tive wolves with a food treat to an area ments as well as attaching a new radio animals can. Developed by Hinders and blanketed with the “sonic net,” while a collar and ear tags, Gable and I contin- John Swaddle, also a professor at the critter cam records the events. Should ued toward our base camp on Malberg, College of William and Mary, this system the “sonic net” prove preliminarily closing traps along the way. is a “sonic net” and uses an array of ultra- effective, testing would likely advance On our last portage of the day, we sound transmitters to create a zone of to using deer carcasses in areas with rounded a bend and looked up to see a high-volume sound. The unique aspect known wolf packs. second adult wolf in one of our last traps. of this sound zone is that it is localized Outside of developing a potentially This one didn’t have ear tags. Within a to a specific area. A few feet from this valuable idea, the best part is we don’t matter of hours on the last day our traps area, no sound can be detected. The know where this effort will lead us. n were open, our unsuccessful expedition sound is of a particular frequency that And that’s scientific enquiry. had completely turned around. I couldn’t disrupts communication among birds. Gus Fenton, a semi-retired biomedical wait for our daily check-in via satellite They leave the area rather than risk being phone with Barber-Meyer. Today we had engineering consultant, has worked at unaware of predators. various medical device companies and something to share. Wolves, too, would likely be deterred With part of the “Malberg Mystery” has become intrigued by wolves’ physi- by high-decibel ultrasound noise ologic capabilities. Fenton also volunteers solved, it seems appropriate that a new and unlikely to habituate to it, and the time to the International Wolf Center. question has again surfaced. In late technique is benign. In addition, the September 2013, Barber-Meyer picked up a radio signal from 7153, the first time since we had fitted him with the new collar. He was roughly a few miles north of where we had captured him. Since then, Barber-Meyer has unsuccessfully searched for his signal. In January 2014, she moved 7153 onto a list of wolves whose signals have been lost. Where could 7153 be this time? A new chapter in the “Malberg Mystery” has begun. n

Aaron Morris, a graduate student at Hamline University, is studying natural science and environmental education. He lives in the Twin Cities with his wife, K.C., and their two Alaskan huskies,

Tessie and Scout. John H art

32 Summer 2014 www.wolf.org Inspiring Wilderness Adventure in Canoe Country Since 1987

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2014 Introducing New Ambassador LIMITED EDITION Wolf Coins Membership Gifts

The International Wolf Center is excited to introduce a new line of limited-edition collectibles. These special gifts are available to members only and are not sold at the Wolf Den Store.

New designs will be introduced each year 2014 Limited Edition Collector’s Pin as part of a limited-edition series, so you will Not shown actual size. want to start your collections now!

2014 Special Membership Gifts • Two Ambassador Wolf Coins – Wolf Associate $125 level and above • A Limited Edition Collectors’ Pin – Wolf Tracker $250 level and above

Back of coins • An Ambassador Wolf Photograph – Wolf Sponsor $500 level and above Actu a l size: 1.5 inches • An Ambassador Wolf Paw Print – Alpha Wolf $1,000 level and above