WolfThe UK Wolf Conservation Trust PrintIssue 39 Spring 2010 • Wolves in the French Alps • ARMENIA working in a conflict zone ■ NEWS ■ EVENTS ■ MEDIA AND ARTS ■ REVIEWS ISSUE 39 SPRING 2010 1 Wolf Print Editor Toni Shelbourne Tel: 0118 971 3330 Email: [email protected] Assistant Editor Julia Bohanna Editorial Team Angela Barrow, Sandra Benson, Vicky Hughes, Tsa Palmer, Denise Taylor Published by The UK Wolf Conservation Trust Editor's Letter Butlers Farm, Beenham, Reading RG7 5NT Tel: 0118 971 3330 his issue will be my seventh as editor of Wolf Print and I can't Fax: 0118 971 0522 believe how quickly the time has gone. Over the last couple of Email: [email protected] Tyears we have striven to get the mix of information right and Patrons come up with new features. Many of you have been kind enough to David Clement Davies tell us how much you love it and lots of you continue to subscribe to Erich Klinghammer Desmond Morris the magazine even if you decide not to renew your membership. We Michelle Paver are so grateful and pleased you enjoy the magazine. We certainly Christoph Promberger enjoy putting it together. The UK Wolf Conservation Trust Directors Nigel Bulmer This issue is brimming with articles from all around the world. The Anne Carter human dimensions work in Armenia continues and Alistair Bath gives Charles Hicks Sue Hull us an update on how the work is evolving in the area. We don't hold Tsa Palmer back at the UK Wolf Conservation Trust and are quick to tell you the truth about wolves so the article from Troy Bennett on 'lessons in The UK Wolf Conservation Trust is a company acceptance' from the French Alps will interest those among you who limited by guarantee. Registered in England & Wales. Company No. 3686061. wonder how wolves and Shepherds live together. The article is as captivating and inspiring as Troy's talk at the book launch back in The opinions expressed in this magazine are not November 2009. necessarily those of the publishers or The UK Wolf Conservation Trust. There are some old favourites, including what our wolves have been All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in any up to, and the fantastic news of how much you helped raise for wild manner, in whole or in part, in English or other languages, is prohibited. The work may not be photocopied or otherwise wolf projects in 2009, (see the total on the wolf trust news pages). produced within the terms of any licence granted by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd or the Publishers Licensing Society Ltd. We are always interested to hear from our members who go off on the most fantastic travels, visiting wolf organisations around the Aims of the UK Wolf Conservation Trust world, and in this issue, you can read about Sue Buckingham's trip to · To enhance the conservation, scientific knowledge the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Centre. If you've experienced a good and public awareness of the environment. one please tell us. You can email your write-up and photos to me at · To stimulate greater interest in wolves, their food, their [email protected] habitat and their behaviour. · To provide opportunities for both ethological research Because of the change going from four to three issues a year it has and for people to interact with wolves. meant that you have had a bit of a gap between this issue and the · To improve the changes of survival of European last, thank you for your patience and we hope you enjoy this issue. wolves in the wild. Toni Shelbourne · To provide education programmes for schools, conservationists and other organisations. Education Officer / Senior Wolf Handler / Wolf Print Editor Cover Price - £3.50 3 issues - £14.00 inc P&P STOP PRESS: WEB UPDATE 26 JANUARY 2010 Overseas subscriptions - £14.00 plus P&P. Please contact the UKWCT for overseas postage costs. Just as Wolf Print went to press two significant events happened: Online subscription £10.00 - PDF download only. Please visit www.ukwolf.org Sadly Alba, our alpha male European, wolf died. Alba had been Design and Artwork: Business Pluspoint suffering from the after-effects of a spinal injury sustained in 2005. www.businesspluspoint.co.uk Tel: 0845 890 8690 For the full story go to the news section of our website. email: [email protected] Printed by: Pensord, NP12 2YA. www.pensord.co.uk Also, the winner of the Veolia Environnement Wildlife Printed on FSC paper from sustainable forest sources. Photographer of the Year 2009 competition featured on page 19 This magazine is fully recyclable. By recycling magazines you can help to was stripped of his title when an enquiry concluded that the photo reduce waste and add to the millions of tonnes of paper already recycled every year by the UK paper industry. You can recycle paper through your was in breach of the rules as a socialised wolf was allegedly used. home recycling collection scheme or at your local recycling centre. Visit Cover photo: Lunca by Clive Readings www.recyclenow.com and enter your postcode to find your nearest site. 2 UKWCT WOLF PRINT 8 12 18 contents REGULARS 2 Editor's Letter 12 Life and Behaviour of Wolves Wolf Teeth: Dentition and Disease 22 Merchandise Wolf gifts, souvenirs and sale items 18 Making Tracks Wolves in media and art 26 NEWS 4 News from the Trust 8 World Animal Day 10 Wolves of the World FEATURES 14 Wolves in the French Alps Lessons in acceptance, by Troy Bennett 20 Human Dimensions: working in conflict zones Alistair J Bath visits Armenia 24 Return to the Wild Red wolf recovery, by Steve Grooms 26 Information and Feedback WHAT'S COMING UP 27 Special Events at the Trust 23 Open days, holiday activities, howl nights and more ISSUE 39 SPRING 2010 3 Wolf NEWS: Update on the Trust Wolves ALBA suffers the most in the cold, LATEA doesn't like to share. This Life for the UK Wolf Conservation Trust damp winter months due to the is never more apparent than wolves follows the same cycle as their wild arthritis in his spine and the strain on enrichment days when the cousins. In the autumn they grow their winter on his body from the developing packs are given stuffed melons, coats and now they are gearing up for the paralysis in his left hind leg. It is pumpkins or Hessian sacks filled four and a half years since the with straw, scented with perfume breeding season. This will be the first true accident that left him partially or coffee. She will grab hers and breeding season for the Canadian pack disabled and each year we battle a run off with it but she never goes (formerly know as the Mackenzies): Torak, little harder to keep him fit and far as there might be an Mai and Mosi, since reaching full maturity. It healthy. This winter he has joined opportunity to steal someone the ranks of the young men trying else's and have two. Last year could be an interesting time for wolves and to build muscle by taking anabolic Latea and Lunca have begun to go handlers both. steroids. He had his first injection out on the members' walks in November and has been having occasionally and although neither them monthly to try and increase of them enjoys standing around to muscle and therefore help him get be stroked, they do enjoy sniffing around a bit easier as he can be everyone in the line up and often unstable on his hind legs. Although double back to re-sniff anyone of he won't let the vet near him, he is interest. After a few years off very good at having his injection work, the girls seem to love the which Toni Shelbourne administers extra stimulation but if Latea picks while he is being fussed over by on her sister too much in the Colin Thorne, two of the Trust's breeding season these walks will Senior Wolf Handlers. He also has be temporarily stopped. As Alba access to a warm dry bed 24/7 if he is the protector and peace-keeper wants to get out of the weather. it is essential that he is around Don't be fooled by his failing when Latea bullies her sister and 1 exterior, he can still tell his sisters he can't manage the longer off and guard his food if necessary. members' walk. LUNCA is as usual taking some of DAKOTA is slowing down a lot; this the brunt from Latea's hormonal will be her third year of living with surge but as always is coping well, cancer and she sometimes does especially with the added benefit of feel her age. That's until a hotdog Alba protecting her. Over the sunny appears or a photo session is in the summer months handlers noticed offing - then she is bright as a that her eyesight in bright sunlight button. She had a minor operation seems to be impaired slightly which back in October to remove what can make her hesitant in striding we thought was a benign lump on out on a walk. She has always had her lower right hind leg. While problems with her eyes but copes under anaesthetic the vet very well so we are watching it discovered a second growth carefully. She is still playful and hidden under the first which 2 visitors on a recent Howl Night were looked abnormal. The biopsy treated to her bouncing around results showed that the second inviting her sister to play and lump is likely to have been encouraging the pack to howl back malignant and may therefore be to the humans.