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$6.95 From the Tracks of a Wolf PAGE 4 The Mexican Wolf/Livestock Coexistence Plan: An Innovative Solution PAGE 8 Shadows of the Wolf PAGE 12 Item 6667 $18.95 Deck the Halls with Howling Great Gifts! Item 9665-PARENT $25.00 Item 7223 $13.50 Item 3801 $14.95 Item 6610-PARENT $44.95 Order today at shop.wolf.org or call 1-800-ELY-WOLF VOLUME 24, NO. 4 THE QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER WINTER 2014 4 David Moskowitz 8 Interagncy Field Team Mexican Wolf 12 Curtis ©Shutterstock.com/Tom From the Tracks of a Wolf The Mexican Wolf/ Shadows of the Wolf Livestock Coexistence Plan: By tracking wolf OR-7 for a An Innovative Solution The Eurasian wolf, sometimes month, a Wild Peace Alliance known as the common wolf or team consisting of a storyteller, A Mexican wolf recovery Middle Russian forest wolf, was wildlife tracker, documentary plan in New Mexico and prevalent throughout Britain and filmmaker, educator, multimedia Arizona avoids the problems Europe in ancient times. While producer and conservationist of traditional compensation it has long since been extinct in aimed to stimulate conversations programs by instead paying Britain, more than 200 place about wolf recovery and learn ranchers for the presence of names in the British Isles might from the people of the land wolves. This innovative program be associated with the former firsthand about their experiences has the potential to resolve a habitation of the Eurasian wolf. living close to wolves. long-standing conflict between ranchers and conservationists. By Robin Whitlock By Galeo Saintz By Sherry Barrett and Sisto Hernandez On the Cover Departments Wolf ’06: “The most famous wolf in the world.” 3 From the Photo by Jimmy Jones/Jimmy Jones Photography Executive Director Visit http://jimmyjonesphotography.com/ 14 Tracking the Pack for more images of Wolf ’06 and other wildlife. 18 Wolves of the World Did you know... 23 Personal Encounter One easy way for you to help us conserve natural 25 A Look Beyond resources is to make sure we have your email 26 Wild Kids address. Simply email your address to Sylvain Macchi [email protected]. Every Wolf That Has Publications Director Ever Lived David Kline Graphics Coordinator Has A Story Carissa L. Winter Consulting Editor To Tell... Fran Howard “ ‘Six, seven, eight—oh boy!’ I Technical Editor Dr. L. David Mech was mesmerized—bound by the excitement of my first sighting Graphic Designer Tricia Austin of wild Yellowstone wolf pups.” Great Gift! International Wolf (1089-683X) is published quarterly and copyrighted, 2014, by the International Wolf “But even this minuscule sliver Center, 3410 Winnetka Ave. N., Minneapolis, MN of 3410’s life told us some remarkable things about tundra 55427, USA. email: [email protected]. All rights reserved. wolves’ dependence on caribou, and the difficulty of following Publications agreement no. 1536338 their ever-moving prey.” Membership in the International Wolf Center includes a subscription to International Wolf magazine, free admission to the Center and discounts on programs “I was sure the wolf must have heard my hammering heartbeat, and merchandise. but the animal just stood there looking at us. Then she moved on Membership Levels: (in U.S. dollars) • Wolf Pup $25 (students • Wolf Associate $125 in a slow trot, passed us at the edge of the trees, and disappeared age 21 and under) • Wolf Tracker $250 into the darkness.” • Lone Wolf $40 • Wolf Sponsor $500 (individual) • Alpha Wolf $1,000 • Wolf Pack $70 (family at same address) “We never laid eyes on the Vireo wolf, not while he was alive. For those outside the United States, please add an Phantom-like, he sifted through the Algonquin hills, down by additional $15 to Wolf Pup, Lone Wolf, Wolf Pack and Wolf Associate memberships. some lonely bog one night, far away on a maple ridge the next.” 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- national Wolf do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the International Wolf Center or its board of directors. International Wolf welcomes submissions of personal adventures with wolves and wolf photo graphs. Prior to submission of other types of manu scripts, address Wild Wolves We Have Known queries to David Kline, magazine coordinator. Stories of Wolf Biologists’ Favorite Wolves PHOTOS: Unless otherwise noted, or obvious from the Edited by Richard P. Thiel, Allison C. Thiel and Marianne Strozewski caption or article text, photos are of captive wolves. International Wolf is printed entirely with soy ink on FSC® certified $18.95 available at www.shop.wolf.org paper. We encour- FSC logo here or call 1-800-ELY-WOLF age you to recycle All royalties benefit programs at the International Wolf Center this magazine. 2 Winter 2014 www.wolf.org From the Executive Director INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER Understanding Leads to Compassion BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nancy jo Tubbs n this issue of International Wolf, we’re excited to share the story by Galeo Saintz of Wild Chair Peace Alliance’s 1,200-mile (1,931-kilometer) expedition to retrace the footsteps of OR-7 Dr. L. David Mech Vice Chair on his epic two-year journey, becoming the first known wolf in California since 1924. Cree Bradley I Secretary Just a few years ago, opportunities like this were not possible. With remarkable advances Paul B. Anderson in technology, scientists and the public are able to track the exact movements of wolves, Treasurer providing tremendous detail about how they live and the challenges they encounter. Rick Duncan Nancy Gibson These new insights are bridging the differences between how scientists Debbie Hinchcliffe and the public have historically looked at wolves. While researchers study the Judy Hunter population as a whole, stories of individual wolves (such as OR-7 and Deborah Wold Lewis Dr. Rolf O. Peterson Yellowstone’s legendary ’06 Female) ignite the public’s imagination, curiosity and Mike Phillips compassion and motivate us to think about how to better coexist with wolves. Debbie Reynolds This information also demonstrates how close we can live to wolves, often Jerry Sanders Paul Schurke without knowing so. How many wolves without GPS collars have made jour- Rob Schultz Dick Thiel neys similar to OR-7’s into California and other states? How closely do our Ray Wells Teri Williams paths cross each day? This story reminds us that the news we hear about wolves almost always centers on the few that cause problems, rather than the many more that don’t. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Rob Schultz Collared research animals such as OR-7 are critical links in helping researchers better understand wolves and essential in finding effective solutions for our coexistence. Their MISSION The International Wolf Center lives include all of the ingredients of a blockbuster movie: incredible journeys, stories of advances the survival challenge and perseverance, and as we’ve seen in this latest chapter of OR-7’s life, some courtship of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their and the excitement of pups. relationship to wildlands and the human role in their future. There’s no doubt that while we know a lot about wolves, stories like these help us under- Educational services and stand we have so much more to learn. We hope you enjoy the story and form your own informational resources are available at: meaningful perspective. n 1396 Highway 169 Ely, MN 55731-8129, USA 800-ELY-WOLF 218-365-4695 email address: [email protected] Web site: www.wolf.org Rob Schultz, executive director International Wolf Winter 2014 3 From the Tracks of a Wolf 4 Winter 2014 www.wolf.org Reflections from the Wild Peace Alliance’s Wolf OR-7 Expedition Sunrise over the Zumwalt Prairie in Wallowa County, Oregon, part of the home range of OR-7’s natal pack. when it was otherwise. Great herds of By GALEO SAINTZ cattle, wildflowers and endless views of white peaks stretched across the north- Photographs by DAVID MOSKOWITZ ern horizon, but short grassland, in my view, gives little cover for a wolf—maybe he tracks were big. Even in the back to Oregon. He had received more that is why he kept moving. snow, the unexpected size of a media attention than any male wolf in The expedition mission was clear. Tfresh wolf track took me by sur- the United States as his long travels had To achieve it we set out to meet and prise. The excitement shared by the team been broadcast around the world and interview as many people as we realis- was wild. Jackets and beanies came off on the Internet. His story is a beacon tically could while following the GPS despite the cold, and some of us got of hope for wolf recovery, but it is also track of OR-7. An opportunity to inter- up close by lying flat on the snow to see a tale of how collaboration can lead to view wolf biologist Russ Morgan, from the tracks more clearly in the light coexistence with carnivores across a the Oregon Department of Fish and slanting through the trees. The tracks led landscape diverse, not only in plants and Wildlife, and the man who collared directly downstream toward Oregon’s animals and uses but also in opinions, OR-7 on a cold February day in 2011, Imnaha River, which we had just crossed, livelihoods and points of view.