Returning Grazing Land to Nature Helps More than Wolves PAGE 4 Wild Canids Among Us: Can We Coexist? PAGE 8 Pros and Cons: The 2017 Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan PAGE 12 Savana Brown Logo Wear T-Shirt Item:1099p Wolf $10.00 Den Store Your purchases help support the mission of the International Wolf Center. Tall Camper Mugs $7.95 Gray Item: 2394 Cobalt Item: 2395 Wild Wolves We Have Green Item: 2393 White Item: 232 Known - 2nd Printing Item: 6668 $18.95 Highlights of the Ambassador Wolf Canvas Wolves 2018 DVD Shopper Bag Item: 9024 Item: 2097 $19.95 $7.95 Contigo Stainless Steel Travel Mug Item: 2400 2019 Ambassador $24.95 Nalgene Wide Mouth Bottle Wolves Calendar Item: 2398 Item: 2377 $14.95 $14.95 To Order, visit: or call 1-800-ELY-WOLF VOLUME 28, NO. 3 THE QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2018 4 Ratner B Jonathan 8 Ilya Raskin 11 UWFWS Clark / Jim Returning Grazing Land Wild Canids Among Us: Pros and Cons: The 2017 to Nature Helps More Can We Coexist? Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan than Wolves More than three billion people now The 2017 Mexican wolf recovery Large carnivores and their prey need reside in cities around the world. As plan, an update of a plan devised in healthy, spacious habitat in order to we’re moving into town, canids are 1982, has evoked strong reactions thrive, but huge tracts of land have right behind us, and they’re subjects from biologists and environmentalists. been decimated by the grazing of of growing scientific interest—so Here, two experts present opposing domestic livestock. About 2,400 much interest that they have earned viewpoints on the validity and grazing authorizations are granted their own name: synanthropes. Here’s effectiveness of the plan—one to ranches across 12 western states what researchers are learning about questioning the science involved, each year. The author describes the this growing group of city-dwelling and the other declaring it solidly problems that can cause, along with carnivores. designed to assure the survival of current efforts to return grazing land this wolf subspecies. By Cheryl Lyn Dybas to a wild state. By Jim Heffelfinger By Tracy O’Connell and Mike Phillips On the Cover Departments Mexican Wolf © Bob Jensen 3 From the Executive Director Did you know? 20 Tracking the Pack One easy way for you to help us conserve 24 Wild Kids natural resources is to make sure we have your email address. 26 Personal Encounter Simply email your address to 27 Wolves of the World [email protected]. 30 A Look Beyond 32 Book Review Inernational Wolf Center Wolf Inernational Popular “Wolves at Our Door” Programs, Presented to More Than 51,000 Minnesotans, Will Continue Publications Director he International Wolf Center in June con- Chad Richardson cluded a unique, four-year program that Graphics Coordinator Ttaught unbiased lessons about wolves to more Carissa L. Winter than 51,000 people in the state. “Wolves at Our Door” presentations educated and entertained more than Consulting Editor Kristine Chapin 49,000 students and 2,000 state park and library visitors from September 2014 through June 2018. Technical Editor Funding for the project was provided by the Dr. L. David Mech Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Graphic Designer Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Tricia Austin Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR). International Wolf (1089-683X) is published That funding ceased at the end of June, but based on research results, the quarterly and copyrighted, 2018, by the International Wolf Center has vowed to continue the program. International Wolf Center, 7100 Northland Circle N, Suite 205, Minneapolis, MN 55428, USA. Before and After email: [email protected]. All rights reserved. Follow-up research conducted by educators indicates that the statewide program was a smashing success. Publications agreement no. 1536338 Educators took before-and-after surveys to gauge how much children knew Membership in the International Wolf Center includes about wolves and what they learned from the presentations, also measuring a subscription to International Wolf magazine, free attitudes toward wolves held by young people before and after their exposure admission to the Center and discounts on programs to the program. The results were impressive. and merchandise. Using Clicker survey technology, students were surveyed pre-and post- Membership Levels: (in U.S. dollars) • Wolf Pup $25 (students • Wolf Associate $125 program to collect data on knowledge of, and attitudes toward, wolves and age 21 and under) • Wolf Tracker $250 wolf issues. The resulting data showed an increase ranging from 8 percent to • Lone Wolf $45 • Wolf Sponsor $500 34 percent, pre-program to post-program, in knowledge of wolf facts, positive (individual) • Alpha Wolf $1,000 attitudes, and understanding of current issues concerning wolves and humans. • Wolf Pack $75 (family at same address) “The clear success of the program prompted our board of directors to find Outside the United States, please add an additional a way to continue offering it to schools across the state,” said Rob Schultz, $15 to Wolf Pup, Lone Wolf, Wolf Pack and Wolf the Center’s executive director. “We’re thrilled that students will continue to Associate memberships. receive this educational programming in their classrooms.” Please mail membership payment to: International Using engaging video and photos, the PowerPoint-based “Wolves at our Wolf Center Administrative Office, Attn: Membership, Door” covers basic wolf biology, predator-prey dynamics, the role of wolves 7100 Northland Circle N, Suite 205, Minneapolis, in healthy ecosystems, myths and opinions about wolves, wolf management MN 55428, USA. Contact the membership department and the importance of wildland habitat. Students also learn by handling arti- with questions: 763-560-7374 ext. 230 or [email protected]. facts such as wolf, deer, and moose bones and pelts. International Wolf is a forum for airing perspectives, They Learned About Wolves (2014-2018) science-based information and personal experiences about wolves. Articles and materials printed in The total number of classrooms in grades 2-12 that had 1,981 International Wolf do not necessarily reflect the an hour-long classroom presentation. viewpoint of the International Wolf Center or its board of directors. 49,099 The total number of students who received the programming. International Wolf welcomes submissions of personal State parks in which programs were presented. adventures with wolves and wolf pho to graphs. Prior 33 to submission of other types of manuscripts, address 32 Public libraries that had Wolves at Our Door programs. queries to Chad Richardson, publications director. PHOTOS: Unless otherwise noted, or obvious from the More than The number of Minnesota counties in which there was caption or article text, photos are of captive wolves. 52 at least one program. International Wolf is printed entirely with soy ink. Paper More than The number of school districts in which there was use is offset with a donation from the Center through 124 at least one program. Print Releaf. We encourage you to recycle this magazine. 2 Fall 2018 www.wolf.org From the Executive Director INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER It’s dynamic, fun and mega-fauna charismatic. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nancy jo Tubbs And it’s coming in 2019! Chair n some respects, it was a museum exhibit that led to the creation of the International Wolf Dr. L. David Mech Vice Chair Center. In the early 1980s, the Science Museum of Minnesota developed a natural history Debbie Hinchcliffe Iexhibit featuring the social, biological, mythological and ethical relationships between Secretary wolves and humans. The 6,000-square-foot “Wolves and Humans” display won awards, Paul B. Anderson set attendance records and eventually went on tour in 18 cities around Treasurer the United States and Canada. One of the main biologists from whom the Cree Bradley material for that exhibit came was Dr. L. David Mech. Cindy Carvelli-Yu At the time, Dr. Mech was studying wolves in the Superior National Rick Duncan Forest near Ely, Minnesota. He and his team commonly fielded questions Fitz Fitzgerald Nancy Gibson from the public about wolves. The need for the exhibit to have a perma- Judy Hunter nent home along with the stream of public interest about wolves eventually Connie LaFond led to the 1993 opening of the International Wolf Center in Ely. Deborah Wold Lewis Rob Schultz Since the Center opened, the exhibit has helped educate more than a Aaron Morris million visitors from around the world. But scientific knowledge about wolves has increased Mike Phillips significantly since the exhibit was created, and the story of how this endangered species has Debbie Reynolds Jerry Sanders been recovering in the U.S. over the past few decades needs to be added. Paul Schurke Last winter, work began on a redesign of the entire exhibit. The new exhibit will be installed Keira Thrasher in May 2019, in time for our busy summer months in Ely. New features will include a howling room, interactive displays and even augmented reality. It’s a huge undertaking at the Center, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR but we’re ready for the challenge. Rob Schultz The new exhibit is funded, in large part, by a $1 million grant from the Legislative- MISSION Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources. The funding was secured when Minnesota The International Wolf Center Gov. Mark Dayton signed the budget bill on May 30. We deeply appreciate the efforts of advances the survival of wolf Rep. Rob Ecklund, Sen. Tom Bakk and the Ely City Council for their support of the funding. populations by teaching about We look forward to sharing this wolves, their relationship to wildlands and the human role new exhibit with you in 2019! n in their future.