A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002...

32
Living with Wolf–Sheep Conflict, page 4 Wolf Research: The Electronic Revolution, page 8 Grazing Permit Retirement, page 11 A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002

Transcript of A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002...

Page 1: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

Living withWolf–SheepConflict, page 4

Wolf Research: The ElectronicRevolution, page 8

Grazing PermitRetirement, page 11

A PUBL ICAT ION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTERFALL 2002

Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1

Page 2: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEKat the Minnesota ZooOctober 17–20, 2002 • 9am–4pm

Join the Minnesota Zoo and the International Wolf Center to learn more about wolvesduring Wolf Week, 2002.

Learn about the Zoo’s conservation efforts with the Mexican Wolf Program. Talk to theZoo keepers who care for the wolves. Visit booth displays representing various wolforganizations. Costumed characters from the International Wolf Center and kids’ “wolf-centered” activities make this a fun and educational event for all ages. Registerto win prizes each day. Call 952.431.9200 for more information about Family

Zoo adventure classes and eventschedules or visit our Web site:

www.mnzoo.orgExecutive Director of the Turner

Endangered Species Fund Thursday, October 17 • 7:30pm

Zoo Theater • Call 952.431.9200

SPECIALGUEST

SPEAKER

MIKEPHILLIPS

Due to the generosity of two of our longtime members, we will receive $5,000 to fund our new Wolf Outreach Education Program.

But there is a catch.

For every dollar that they give us, we need to raise one of our own.

Your support will help our OutreachEducation Program teach many morepeople about the essential role the wolfplays in keeping our wilderness wild.

Please give generously! We can double the impact of every dollar that you give.

Thank you.

WE HAVE BEENCHALLENGED!

Our Wolf Education Programneeds your help.

Please send your checks or credit card contributions to:

International Wolf Center Challenge1396 Highway 169 • Ely, MN USA 55731-8129

Call 1-800-ELY WOLF or visit our Web site at: www.wolf.orgAll contributions are tax-deductible.

Lori

Sch

mid

t

Cover.fall 02 7/22/02 11:15 AM Page 2

Page 3: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

2 As a Matter of Fact

3 From the Executive Director

14 International Wolf CenterNotes From Home

17 Tracking the Pack

18 Wolves of the World

22 Personal Encounter

25 News and Notes

26 Wild Kids

28 A Look Beyond

4Living in Wolf Country Many sheep producers in northern Minnesota’swolf range have left the sheep business because of depredation by wolves. Can guard dogs solvethe wolf–livestock conflict?

J a n e t M c N a l l y

Features

THE QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER VOLUME 12, NO. 3 FALL 2002

On The CoverPhoto by Tom Brakefield

8A Brief History of WolfResearch: Part IIMuch early science on wolves was based on indirect evidence of behavior. An electronic revo-lution has given scientists a way of monitoringan animal that is difficult to find and watch.

S t e v e G r o o m s

DepartmentsLu

ke E

iden

schi

nk

Lynn

& D

onna

Rog

ers/

ww

w.b

ears

tudy

.org

Jane

t McN

ally

11Permit Retirement and WolvesLivestock production on public lands remains a key barrier to thewidespread restoration of wolves in the West. The National PublicLands Grazing Campaign has launched a drive to implement apotential solution: the voluntary permit retirement program.

G e o r g e W u e r t h n e r

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:04 PM Page 1

Page 4: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

Publications DirectorMary OrtizMagazine CoordinatorCarissa L.W. KnaackConsulting EditorMary KeirsteadTechnical Editor L. David MechGraphic DesignerTricia Hull

International Wolf (1089-683X) ispublished quarterly and copyrighted,2002, by the International Wolf Center,3300 Bass Lake Rd, Minneapolis, MN55429, USA. e-mail: [email protected] rights reserved.

Publications agreement no. 1536338

Membership in the International WolfCenter includes a subscription toInternational Wolf magazine, free admissionto the Center, and discounts on programsand merchandise. • Lone Wolf member-ships are U.S. $30 • Wolf Pack $50 • Wolf Associate $100 • Wolf Sponsor $500 • Alpha Wolf $1000. Canada and othercountries, add U.S. $15 per year for airmail postage, $7 for surface postage.Contact the International Wolf Center,1396 Highway 169, Ely, MN 55731-8129,USA; e-mail: [email protected]; phone: 1-800-ELY-WOLF

International Wolf is a forum for airingfacts, ideas and attitudes about wolf-related issues. Articles and materialsprinted in International Wolf do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of theInternational Wolf Center or its board of directors.

International Wolf welcomes submissionsof personal adventures with wolves andwolf photographs (especially black andwhite). Prior to submission of other types of manuscripts, address queries to Mary Ortiz, publications director.

International Wolf is printed entirely with soy ink on recycled and recyclablepaper (text pages contain 20% post-consumer waste, cover paper contains 10% post-consumer waste). We encourageyou to recycle this magazine.

PHOTOS: Unless otherwise noted, orobvious from the caption or article text,photos are of captive wolves.

2 F a l l 2 0 0 2 w w w . w o l f . o r g

In the most recent assessment,what is the number of graywolf subspecies populatingNorth America?

New Question

Lynn

& D

onna

Rog

ers/

ww

w.b

ears

tudy

.org

What are the jaw pressure and number ofteeth of a wolf compared to a human’s?

The biting capacity of a wolf is 1,500 pounds of pressure per square inch. A human has a much lower biting pressure of 300 pounds per square inch.

The massive molars and powerful jaws of a wolf are used to crush the bones of its prey. The strength of a wolf’s jaws enables it to bite through a moosefemur in six to eight bites. Wolves have 42 teeth, whereas humans have 32. ■

CORRECTION The photo on page 16 of the Spring 2002 issue of International Wolf was mistakenly credited to the International WolfCenter. The photo was taken by Dan Groebner.

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:04 PM Page 2

Page 5: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

A New Vision

What will the world look like if we at the International Wolf Center do our

job well? Here is our answer:

The International Wolf Center envisions a world in which populations

of wolves thrive well distributed in many more parts of their native range. A global

system of designated wildlands supports abundant habitat and prey for wolves and

other large carnivores. The Center provides useful scientific information and learning

opportunities to diverse individuals and groups, and supports well-informed dialogue

about management of wolf–human conflict. As a result, more humans

adopt an attitude of respect toward wolves. As informed participants,

humans create policy and act in support of ecological sustainability,

which includes the survival of wolf populations. In day-to-day life,

more humans accept coexistence with wolves.

That vision set the tone two years ago for the work of the Center’s

new Strategic Planning Committee, Board of Directors and staff. Using

a self-assessment tool designed by renowned business strategist Peter

Drucker, we also defined “changing the lives of populations of wolves”

as the organization’s bottom-line goal. Education is still our tool, to be

sharpened and to serve audiences who can make measurable differences to wolves.

Our members, donors and other educators remain the heart link in this work, telling

the wolf’s story in schools and to friends, legislators and media. We asked ourselves

and the wolf biologists who work in wolf recovery who else the Center needs to reach.

Our new audiences, one said, should include people in love or in conflict with wolves.

We need to talk and listen to rural people who own guns and live among wolves,

and whose livestock, pets and hunting interests are affected by wolves. We also need

to listen and talk to urban people whose view of the wolf may be more romantic than

realistic. Offering information that points audiences toward coexistence with the

real wolf is a continuing challenge for the Center.

International Wolf and our Web site (www.wolf.org) are windows through which we

share many views of the wolf’s world. Here you will read about the trials of ranchers

working in wolf country as well as the spiritual meaning that comes to some people’s

lives from meeting a wolf in the wild. If we are to attain coexistence with the wolf, we

need to draw on compassion for each other and courage to listen to each other’s stories.

Thank you for joining us at the window. ■

From the Chair of the BoardINTERNATIONAL

WOLF CENTER

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Nancy jo TubbsChair

Dr. L. David MechVice Chair

Dr. Rolf O. PetersonSecretary

Paul B. AndersonTreasurer

Dr. Larry D. Anderson

Thomas T. Dwight

Nancy Gibson

Hélène Grimaud

Cornelia Hutt

Dr. Robert Laud

Mike Phillips

Dr. Robert Ream

Paul Schurke

Teri Williams

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Walter M. Medwid

MISSION

The International WolfCenter advances the survival

of wolf populations byteaching about wolves, their

relationship to wild lands andthe human role in their future.

Educational services and informational resources

are available at:

1396 Highway 169Ely, MN 55731-8129, USA

1-800-ELY-WOLF1-218-365-4695

e-mail address:[email protected]

Web site: http://www.wolf.org

I n t e r n a t i o n a l W o l f F a l l 2 0 0 2 3

Nancy jo Tubbs

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:04 PM Page 3

Page 6: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

4 F a l l 2 0 0 2 w w w . w o l f . o r g

Aclassic wolf howl, answered by innu-merable squabbling

puppy voices in the tama-rack bog, signaled the arrivalof our first wolves in 1991. I contemplated the newswith mixed emotions. Awedthough I was to have justwitnessed a wolf pack rendezvous, I was uneasy. It was too close to home for comfort. We live in east-centralMinnesota, an area once thought to be uninhabitable by wolves because of the high density of people, farms and roads.

My farm consists of many small (10- to 40-acre)pastures interspersed by swamps, woodlands and neigh-boring farms. Most of the land is leased from neighborsdesiring to maintain a green firebreak around their homesteads, or is not suitable for cropping. While notproductive under the plow, most of this land producesoutstanding clover pastures. I make my living harvestingthis clover with grazing animals. Our flock consists of 200 to 300 breeding sheep and 10 to 30 beef cows. Typical

of a large portion of theGreat Lakes region, much ofour grazing land interfacesintimately with wildlifehabitat. This benefits somewildlife species, but conflictscan arise with predators.

Throughout the 1980swe successfully prevented

depredation from coyotes, dogs, foxes and bears by usingone or two livestock guarding dogs. Livestock guardingdogs are specially bred dogs that have been used in themountainous parts of Europe and Central Asia for nearly aslong as man has tended sheep. When properly reared, theseunique dogs develop social bonds with the livestock theyare bred to protect. The dogs display aggressive behaviorthat keeps the intruder out of the flock, or they gather thesheep together and move them away from danger. If morethan one dog is available, both strategies may be used. Allguarding dog breeds are large (90 to 150 pounds), andmany have a distinctive heavy white coat. Most people arefamiliar with the Great Pyrenees from France and Spain,but there are many other breeds. An outstanding feature of

LIVING IN WOLFCOUNTRY

Te x t a n d p h o t o s b yJ A N E T M c N A L L Y

LIVING IN WOLFCOUNTRY

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:04 PM Page 4

Page 7: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

I n t e r n a t i o n a l W o l f F a l l 2 0 0 2 5

these dogs is their willingness to staywith and protect the livestock theyare raised with.

My previous success with deterringcoyotes left me somewhat confidentthat we could handle wolves. But I was naive. My learning curvecommenced quickly, however, and Isoon discovered the wolf is not a largecoyote. As of today, my predator lossestotal 93 sheep, a loss of over $12,000,despite having invested in severalexperienced guard dogs and electricfencing. Of the 93 sheep, very fewwere ever found. There simply wasnothing to find. Most were younglambs. Unlike coyotes and foxes, awolf eats everything, leaving only“crumbs” scarcely bigger than a pinkiefingernail, when it eats a small lamb.

Because I had no carcass asevidence, I was not eligible forcompensation through the MinnesotaDepartment of Agriculture (MDA)program designed to compensateproducers for wolf-killed livestock. To receive compensation, producersmust present carcass remains to

experts to determine the cause ofdeath. Without physical evidence, theproducer cannot prove anything. I amnot alone. Surveys of sheep producerssuggest that only 1 in 10 sheep killedby wolves is found. With no proof andno compensation, most producers seeonly one solution: to exit the businessbefore they lose everything. Close to60 percent of the sheep producers inparts of northern Minnesota’s wolfzone have left the sheep businessduring a decade of rapid wolf expansion. This is double the averageattrition of 30 percent outside the wolfzone for the same period.

As my encounters with wolvesincreased, I added more electrifiedfencing and guard dogs. In 1999,with most of the sheep inside a high-tensile, five-strand electrified fencetouted at the time as predator-proof,four adult guard dogs and floodlightsin four of the pastures, I experiencedthe greatest losses yet. The timingwas bad. Just months before lambingbegan, a wolf pack moved into the

neighborhood. The wolves displacedthe local coyote population. Ourfarm was essentially wedged betweena population of wolves and coyotes.Our losses to both wolves andcoyotes totaled 75 newborn lambs in just a few weeks. Our dogs weresimply overwhelmed and overworked,and despite our best efforts, ourfences proved to be ineffective atdeterring the predators.

Fencing is problematic. Even afortress of a fence can be heaved up by frost, drifted over by snow, or dugunder by a wolf. With over eightmiles of fence, much of it along rough land, wolf-proof fencingproved unaffordable and physicallyunmanageable for a commercial-sizedlivestock operation such as ours.

The frightened and plaintive barksof the dogs led me to anotherdiscovery. The dogs need backup.While dogs find it sporting to chasecoyotes with confidence, the samedogs behave differently with wolves.When alone in the presence ofwolves, the dogs seek refuge in the

Livestock guard dogs protect sheep in a variety of ways. Here Jack andJake follow the trail of a coyote.They will follow the trail to justoutside the pasture and then leavescent marks on the trail and aroundthe perimeter of the pasture.

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:04 PM Page 5

Page 8: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

can be trained only 1 or 2 at a time, it may take years to go from owning3 dogs to 10 dogs. With no reserve of trained dogs available in theUnited States, it is impossible torespond quickly to a sudden increasein the predator population such asmight happen when a pack colonizesnew territory. Some method of crisisintervention is needed to protectfarms when they are caught un-prepared with a sudden change in the predator population.

My biggest worry is the mostvulnerable point in the year: lambing.While rotational grazing with a packof dogs has been an effective strategyafter lambing is complete, it is not asuitable strategy during lambing.Baby lambs will not travel very farfrom their birth spot and become lost when moved. Recommendedsolutions to depredation includelambing indoors and sheepherders.The cost of these methods must bepitted against the harsh economicrealities of the sheep business in aglobal market, which often leaveslittle room for environmentalconcerns. Lambing indoors meansadded costs – feed, bedding, laborand manure removal – often totaling$16 extra per ewe. A sheepherdercosts $28 per ewe for a season for 200 ewes, while six guard dogs cost$11 per ewe. A depredation rate of 12 percent will cost the producer $15per ewe. With the net returns per ewe often only $15 to $25, guarddogs provide the most affordable, themost flexible and the most effectivemethod, although they are not alwaysa foolproof solution.

Will guard dogs solve the wolf–livestock conflict? For producers whoare committed to making it work, they provide a viable option that canminimize depredation. While nosolution is 100 percent wolf-proof,dogs can prevent losses from becomingdevastating. Sheep producers whouse livestock guard dogs seem to be

6 F a l l 2 0 0 2 w w w . w o l f . o r g

flock or sometimes abandon thesheep and seek out another guarddog for security. Perhaps the dogseven need to outnumber the wolfpack to be truly effective. I havenoted that in parts of Europe, wheresheep have existed in mountainousregions inhabited by wolves for thousands of years, some flocks are guarded by as many as eight ormore dogs. It is also more common in Europe for guard dogs to beunneutered. If using more dogs is the key, U.S. sheep producers need to hear the word, as it has beencustomary to run just one dog with a flock to prevent depredation fromcoyotes and domestic dogs. A dog

alone is in serious jeopardy whenconfronted by wolves, and mostguard dogs are smart enough toknow that.

In 2001, wolves returned. Thistime, a pack of three took up resi-dence nearby and came to check outthe sheep every night for a month. A repeat of the 1999 fiasco seemedprobable. But by this time, I had six dogs, and lambing had not begun.I was able to place all of the dogs andsheep together into one group,moving them frequently (known asrotational grazing in the farming

sector). Unable to penetrate the nowfortified dog pack, the wolves movedon just before lambing began.

Rotational grazing is perhaps thebest substitute for tending a flockwith a herder, as the herder’s primaryjob is to keep the sheep together andto move them to fresh grass. Withrotational grazing, the fencing andsheep are moved frequently. Insteadof allowing livestock access to theentire farm at once, they are given just a small fresh portion each day.The relatively small pasture size usedwith rotational grazing keeps thesheep within the protective custodyof the dogs. Rotational grazing alsobenefits soil and water in addition

to helping guarddogs pro tec ttheir charges.

Wolves seemto be fascinatedby sheep and will persistentlycheck back everynight, sometimeshanging out forhours . I f thesheep are heavilyguarded, after anumber of visits,the wolves leavefor an extendedtime, maybe forseveral months.Since we have

increased our dog numbers, the last few wolf visits have lasted only a few days.

Perhaps being outnumbered byguard dogs is the key to convincingwolves to leave sheep alone, orperhaps using unneutered dogssomehow sends a stronger messageto a wolf pack. But I am still cautiousabout depending on dogs as the sole tool in the box. One reason isthat wolf populations can quicklyfluctuate. One year a producer mayhave just a pair of wolves; the nextyear he may be facing 10. Since dogs

M I N N E S O T A

W I S C O N S I N

M I C H I G A N

U n i t e d S t a t e s

C a n a d a

Hinckley

St. Paul

Current wolf range in the northern Great Lakes region.

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:04 PM Page 6

Page 9: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

I n t e r n a t i o n a l W o l f F a l l 2 0 0 2 7

Livestock guard dogs have been selected and trained forcenturies to protect livestock from wolves.

Above: This electrified netting will baffle predators for a while,but as Jack demonstrates, can easily be jumped. Fencing alone is not sufficient to deter wolves.

Left: Fencing out predators has its downfalls. The fence shown here wasinstalled by a professional three years ago with the bottom wire 6 inches off the ground, and posts driven 6 feet deep. The forces of freezing and thawinghave pushed it out far enough to permit a wolf to easily enter the pasture.

less fearful and more tolerant of predators. But for guard dogs toprovide the kind of resolution peopleare looking for, a great deal of knowledge and support needs to bemade available to farmers and ranchers

who find themselves listening to a new chorus in the tamaracks. ■

Janet McNally is a sheep and beefproducer living in Minnesota justsouth of the designated “wolf zone.”She has been raising sheep for 28 years and is a public speaker/consultant on pastoral methods of sheep production.

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:04 PM Page 7

Page 10: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

8 F a l l 2 0 0 2 w w w . w o l f . o r g

Wolf research has come a long way in a short time. By the middle of the20th century, decades of ferocious persecution had radically reducedwolf numbers and shrunk wolf range to a fraction of its former size.

The wary survivors were ghostlike inhabitants of North America’s densest wilderness. That situation plus the wolf’s tendency to wander a broad range made it difficult to find and observe wolves. Much early science on wolves

was based on indirect evidence of behavior such as tracks, scats and kill sites.

What was needed was a way of keeping track of an animal that wasdifficult to find and watch. What was needed was an electronic revolution

that would give scientists a way of monitoring an intelligent and wary animal that had learned to avoid humans at all costs.

A Brief History of Wolf Research

P A R T I I

b y S T E V E G R O O M SI l l u s t r a t i o n s b y L u k e E i d e n s c h i n k

Radio Telemetry CollarsHISTORY: The radio collar is a rugged collar fittedwith a device that emits a beeping radio signal for upto six years. Researchers waving what looks like a small television antenna can pinpoint the location of an animal wearing a radio collar. Ground-basedresearchers can detect these signals a mile away,whereas airborne researchers can pick up the signalsfrom distances as great as 15 miles.

Illinois engineer William Cochran pioneered radiotelemetry with wildlife when he attached a radio trans-

mitter to a rabbit in1960. Working in

the SuperiorNational

Forest in the late 1960s, L. David Mech was one of theearliest researchers to use radio collars to study wolves.

ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES: Radio collarsgive researchers an effective way to locate individualwolves. Telemetry collars yield data on the movementsof a particular wolf over time. Radio collars enableresearchers to follow wolves at all times of year, notmainly in winter. Even when a collared wolf cannotbe seen with the eye, researchers gain valuable datawhen they pinpoint the wolf’s location. Modern radiocollars can also indicate whether a wolf is moving,inactive or dead.

The main limitation of telemetry collars is the needfor a human to collect the data. Wolves can travel outof the range of a receiver and become lost from astudy. Because it is difficult to monitor radio collars atnight on the ground (and impossible with anairplane), radio collars mainly disclose wolves’

continued on next page

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:04 PM Page 8

Page 11: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

HISTORY: During the mid-1990s, GlobalPositioning Satellite (GPS) technology wasincorporated into collars. GPS collars receivesignals from a special set of 24 satellites, calcu-late the location of the wolf, the time and thedate, and store the data in the collar.

Some GPS collars drop off after they acquire afull set of data so a researcher can retrieve thecollar and access the stored information. Somemodels store data that can be accessed remotelyby a researcher in the field. Other models senddata directly to satellites, which pass the databack to the researcher’s computer.

ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES : GPScollars track wolf movements with great precision (within a few feet) and offer a greatmany more data points so that a wolf’s move-ments can be analyzed virtually continuously.GPS collars make it possible to map the travels of wolves in difficult terrain (such as in nearly roadless Alaska) where researcherson the ground lack the mobility to follow wolf movements.

The two key disadvantages are high cost($3,000, 12 times the cost of a simple telemetrycollar) and a short usable lifespan (3 to 12months) due to the many data collections. Some of that initial cost is recaptured because it costs less to monitor these collars. Typical data capacity for a GPS collar is 2,000 locations.

RESEARCH ISSUES: The precision andfrequency of data collection by GPS collarsallow researchers to study how wolves usevarious portions of their range, such as theway they choose specific routes. Additionally,GPS collars tell researchers much about wolfactivity patterns.

I n t e r n a t i o n a l W o l f F a l l 2 0 0 2 9

Satellite CollarsHISTORY: Satellite collars have been used for 30years to track large mammals but only became lightenough for wolves in the past decade. These collarsare basically telemetry collars that transmit signalsto Argos satellites. The satellites calculate theapproximate location of the animal and send thedata to the researcher’s computer.

ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES: Satellite-based locations areonly accurate to about half a mile, so the main use of satellite collars isto track long-distance movements of wolves wherever they go. Besidesthe advantage of being able to automatically follow wolves whereverthey go, day and night, regardless of weather, satellite collars alsominimize the biologist’s field time. Once a wolf is outfitted with acollar, field time is over; the data are analyzed as they come into adesktop computer. One disadvantage, however, is that satellite collarsusually last only 6 to 18 months, depending on how frequently theylocate the wolf.

RESEARCH ISSUES: Because of the above advantages and disad-vantages, satellite collars are usually used for two main purposes: (1)to monitor seasonally migrating wolves such as those in Canada thatmay follow migrating caribou for hundreds of miles north and south,and (2) to follow long-distance dispersing wolves.

daylight behavior. Before a wolf can be collared, it must usually be trapped, a step that requires expensive fieldwork and sometimes a bit of luck.

The telemetry collar revolutionized wolf research andstill probably gives more “bang for the buck” than anyother single research aid.

RESEARCH ISSUES : Telemetry collars showresearchers where wolves go and how they spendtime. That breaks down into many smaller issues.Radio collars gave the first solid information aboutthe dramatic movements of dispersing wolves. Radio-collared wolves continue to show researchers a greatdeal about wolf territory: its size, its relation to theterritories of other packs, the variables that affect itand so on. Using telemetry, researchers can locatepacks from airplanes in winter and study pack size(and thus population size) and such complexbehavior as hunting techniques.

continued from page 8

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:05 PM Page 9

Page 12: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

10 F a l l 2 0 0 2 w w w . w o l f . o r g

DNA AnalysisHISTORY: Basic science by Watson and Crickallowed scientists to create the new field of DNA sequence analysis. The analysis of wolfDNA began in the 1980s.

A D VA N TA G E S / D I S A D VA N TA G E S : Theanalysis of wolf DNA opens vast new areas ofresearch, allowing researchers to find answers to questions that previously were unknowable.The work can be slow and painstaking, but itoffers great potential.

RESEARCH ISSUES: Using DNA sequencing,researchers are answering critical questionsabout the uniqueness and developmental historyof the red wolf. DNA analyses allow researchersto determine the genetic relatedness of membersof a single pack or even genetic relatednessbetween members of different but nearby packs.DNA research offers insights into the past andlikely future of isolated wolf populations, suchas the one on Isle Royale. Genetic research maybe an important way of estimating thesize and long-term health of wolfpopulations.

Visual Observation: YellowstoneHISTORY: When wolves were reintroduced into YellowstoneNational Park in 1995, most biologists predicted wolves might beheard but rarely seen by park visitors. They were wrong. The openvistas of Yellowstone favor long-distance wildlife observation. Forreasons not understood, many of the park’s wolves quickly becamecomfortable with the presence of humans and made no special effortto keep out of sight. This has resulted in an unanticipated and excep-tionally exciting opportunity for researchers to observe wolf behavior.

ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES:The obvious advantage of thespectacular wolf observation opportunities in Yellowstone is

that virtually the whole range of wolf behavior can now bemonitored and filmed. In just a few years Yellowstone wolf

observations have produced stunning discoveries andsurprises. The single disadvantage is that it is difficult to know how

representative this behavior might be. That is, researchers cannot besure the behavior of reintroduced wolves in this one park is typical ofthe behavior of wolves in other settings, where humans are dangerousand prey are harder to locate.

RESEARCH ISSUES: Park observations have produced especiallyrich observations of wolf hunting and killing behavior, but the park has also made it possible for researchers to observe and filmthe whole range of wolf behavior except life underground in dens. Amazingly enough, the oldest wolf research technology—just watching wolves—is now producing some of the most excitingscientific results. ■

Steve Grooms has been writing about wolfmanagement since 1976. He is the authorof the book The Return of the Wolf, andserves on International Wolf magazine’sadvisory committee.

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:05 PM Page 10

Page 13: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

I n t e r n a t i o n a l W o l f F a l l 2 0 0 2 11

Aquick review of the western wolf recovery program demonstrates that we can restore wolves to the landscape. In places like

Yellowstone National Park and the Central Idaho Wilderness, wolves arethriving. But if you go beyond these few special areas, there is another disturbingtrend: nearly all of the wolf packs whose territories significantly overlap areaswith domestic livestock eventually wind up dead or removed. The recent killingby the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of the Whitehawk pack in Idaho, and theDome Mountain, Gravelly Range and Nine Mile wolves in Montana, all in the name of livestock protection, merely highlights this problem.

While wolves in livestock-free zones like Yellowstone are thriving,the real goal of restoring the ecological and evolutionary influencesof a large predator across the landscape is not being realized. A few token populations in Yellowstone or the Central Idaho Wilderness—as wonderful as that may be—do not really contribute to the long-term biodiversity goal of restoring wolves as the top predator onthe public lands of the West.

Though the sheep and cow losses to wolves are greatly exaggerated by the livestock industry (domestic dogs killed10 times as many domestic animals in Montana lastyear as wolves did), the restoration of wolves isnearly universally opposed by livestock interests.And it is the presence of livestock that morethan any factor determines the fate of wolfrestoration goals in the West.

Lynn

& D

onna

Rog

ers/

ww

w.b

ears

tudy

.org

PermitRetirementand Wolvesb y G E O R G E W U E R T H N E R

The Problem

PermitRetirementand Wolves

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:05 PM Page 11

Page 14: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

12 F a l l 2 0 0 2 w w w . w o l f . o r g

often with little direct super-vision from ranchers, whatsome call the “Columbus”method of animal husbandry.They put their cows out on therange in the spring and comeback in the fall and “discover”how many are left alive. Suchlax animal husbandry giveswolves and other predatorsmany opportunities to snatcha cow or sheep.

Even so-called “predator-friendly” livestock operationscan have a negative effect onoverall wolf recovery inseveral ways. First, there is

no free lunch. Currently the majorityof forage is allotted to livestock,leaving less to support native herbi-vores. This can and often does signif-icantly reduce the overall number ofprey animals available to wolves.

Second, the mere presence ofdomestic livestock displaces manyungulate species, including muledeer, elk and antelope. Displacementcan somet imes push na t ive herbivores into habitat that is lessdesirable, making them more vulner-able to weather, low forage qualityand other impacts that may reducetheir overall numbers.

Third, dead animals that are leftlying in the landscape act as attrac-tants for wolves. Wolves often gettheir first taste of beef or lambthrough consumption of deadanimals, and then later turn to killinglive animals. By creating the condi-tions that can turn a wolf into a livestock killer, even a predator-friendly producer can contribute tothe death of wolves if they wind upkilling livestock elsewhere.

These issues loom large in westernwolf recovery efforts because livestockare found nearly everywhere exceptfor the few livestock-free parks andpreserves. Nearly 90 percent of allBLM lands are leased for livestockproduction, 69 percent of all U.S.Forest Service lands, and even a signif-icant number of western livestockrefuges and national parks. Indeed,overall more than 300 million acres ofthe West including state and federallands are leased for livestock produc-tion. That is an area as large as theeastern seaboard states from Maine toFlorida with Missouri thrown in—a sizable tract of land by anyone’s standards. There are few large tracts ofpublic land outside of Yellowstone andthe Central Idaho Wilderness wherethere are no livestock; thus livestockproduction remains a key barrier tothe widespread restoration of wolvesin the West.

Removing livestock from publiclands would significantly reduce

conflicts between livestock andwolves (there would still be some onprivate lands), plus would benefitother native species, from trout tobison. Although the courts andfederal agencies for years haveasserted that livestock grazingpermits are a privilege, not a right,federal agencies seldom reduce live-stock numbers or close an allotment,even when there is clear evidence of ecological abuse or conflicts with other public values — such as wolf restoration.

Western ranchers have successfullyexternalized one of their costs ofproduction, namely, protecting theiranimals from predators by simplyeliminating the predators. Rather thanspend money on animal husbandrypractices that could reduce or eliminate most predator–livestockconflicts, such as use of shepherds,guard animals, lambing and calvingsheds, night penning animals toreduce predator opportunities, andrapid removal and disposal of animalcarcasses to avoid attracting predatorsto the area, western livestockproducers have simply extirpated thewolf from the landscape. But this“solution” comes at the expense ofwolf supporters and the land, whichneeds a top predator to maintain itsevolutionary influences.

Due to the aridity that characterizesthe West, livestock must roam widelyto find sufficient forage. That meansanimal are spaced over vast acreage,

The Solution

Nearly 90 percent of all BLM lands are leased for livestock production.

BLM State JurisdictionBLM Administered Lands

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:05 PM Page 12

Page 15: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

I n t e r n a t i o n a l W o l f F a l l 2 0 0 2 13

In response to these realities, theNational Public Lands GrazingCampaign (NPLGC) has launched a drive to implement a potential solu-tion: the voluntary permit retirementprogram. Under this proposal, ifapproved by Congress, any rancherwho volunteers to relinquish his orher public lands grazing permit wouldbe paid $175 for each AUM (an AUMis a measure of the forage consumedby one cow and calf per month) theygrazed on public lands. For instance, a rancher grazing 200 cows for 12months of the year would receive a one-time payment of $420,000. The payment would be awarded oncethe federal agency permanently closedthe allotment to all future commerciallivestock grazing.

Ranchers would be free to use the money any way they chose. Theycould invest the money and retire.They could pay off the bank. Theycould buy more private land toexpand their ranching operations.

If all 23,000 permittees opted toclose out their grazing allotments,the overall cost of this program couldexceed $3 billion dollars. Despite thiscost, terminating grazing permitswould still be a saving to taxpayers.Administration of the public landslivestock program is estimated to costa minimum of $500 million annually.And this cost does not include any ofthe many ecological costs associatedwith livestock production, such as destruction of riparian areas,degradation of water quality, thespread of weeds, loss of wildlifehabitat and so forth. Given thecurrent annual expenditures of thepublic, the permit retirement wouldhave a payback in less than six years.

A permit retirement programcould be especially useful in resolvingwestern livestock–wolf conflicts. Inmany cases, conflicts occur in the sameplaces over and over because someplaces are just better habitat forwolves. If ranchers in these areaselected to terminate their grazingallotments, the major source of conflictwould be removed, creating thepotential for greater wolf recoverythroughout the West, not just in the few presently livestock-free zones.A permit retirement program may be essential if we are ever to recoverthe Mexican wolf in the Southwest or reestablish wolves in places likeOregon or Colorado, which haveplenty of potential wolf habitat but

few large areas without livestock.In the end everyone wins. The

ranchers get a tidy windfall profit.The taxpayers ultimately save money.And wolf supporters can see the day when wolves are free to roamunfettered not only in Yellowstone orthe Central Idaho Wilderness butperhaps on hundreds of millions ofacres of the West.

For more information on thepermit retirement program seeNPLGC’s Web site at www.publiclandsranching.org. ■

George Wuerthner is an ecologist,writer, and photographer based inEugene, Oregon. He has written 28books on natural history topics.

Lynn

& D

onna

Rog

ers/

ww

w.b

ears

tudy

.org

While wolves in livestock-freezones like Yellowstone are

thriving, the real goal ofrestoring the ecological

and evolutionary influences of a large predator across the

landscape is not being realized.

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:05 PM Page 13

Page 16: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

Top: World-renowned concertpianist and International WolfCenter board member HélèneGrimaud with Elinor Watson Bell

Bottom: Hélène Grimaud

14 F a l l 2 0 0 2 w w w . w o l f . o r g

It was not anormal night

for wolves: citylights lingered,and no howlse c h o e d o f f

granite rocks.But it was a night

to remember. Thisnight belonged to

world-renowned concertpianist and InternationalWolf Center board memberHélène Grimaud. At aconcert to benefit the Center,the audience was privilegedto hear her intimate pianoperformances of works by Beethoven and Brahms,and the thunderous Bach-Busoni “Chaconne.”

Grimaud performed theconcert on Valentine’s Dayat the Belford, home ofElinor Watson Bell. She and Dr. and Mrs. Ford Bellhosted this extraordinaryevent. Center founder Dr. David Mech introducedGrimaud, revealing hisintense interest in music.Ever eager to learn moreabout music, Mech jokinglytold the guests that he and Grimaud frequentlyhave question-and-answersessions, trading betweenmusic and wolves. Grimaudreminded the guests “thatthe International WolfCenter has been the leaderfor dispelling myths aboutwolves and that good information and wild places are critical for theirsurvival.”

Within the first minuteof Beethoven’s Piano Sonata,opus 109, it was evidentwhy every prestigiousorchestra in the world hassought Grimaud’s talent. All eyes were on her handsmoving effortlessly up anddown the piano keys.Taking advantage of twogrand pianos, Grimaudpaused between each pieceto explain her selection ofmusic and piano. Thecrowd rose to its feet at theconclusion, and long-time

INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER

Notes From Home

Concert Celebrated Wolves and Wolf Center

Center member KathyDavies exclaimed, “It wasone of the most exhilaratingand soul-satisfying musicalexperiences I’ve ever had.”Others called it “euphoric.”

The Center benefit was a success. The educationp ro g r a m w a s g re a t l yenhanced with the fundsraised from the event. Inaddition, members met astellar piano soloist whodevotes her endless energyto music and wolves.Grimaud began her musiccareer at the age of 13 at the Paris Conservatory,performing her first concertthe following year. At age15, she recorded her firstCD, and nine more havefollowed. Holding a degreei n a n i m a l b e h a v i o r,G r i m a u d j o i n e d t h eInternational Wolf Centerboard in 2000. With famedphotographer J. Henry Fair,she co-founded the WolfC o n s e r v a t i o n C e n t e r(www.nywolf.org) in SouthSalem, New York, wherethree wolves reside in alarge enclosure. While it isobvious that wolves capti-vate her, the young visitorsgrab her attention as well.Whether for music or wolfeducation, Hélène Grimaudwill be a talented resourcefor years to come.

Inte

rnat

iona

l Wol

f Cen

ter

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:05 PM Page 14

Page 17: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

Cooperation Fuels Idaho Wolf Recovery

Cooperation among diverse bedfellows is resulting in

a successful wolf recovery project in central Idaho,

according to Jaime Pinkham. He spoke during the Sigurd

Olson Lecture Series at the International Wolf Center and

Vermilion Community College in Ely, Minnesota, on March

13. Pinkham credited many groups with the achievement:

state and federal agencies, the Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho, live-

stock and timber industries, hunting guides, a supportive media

and conservative legislators who allocated essential funding.

Pinkham is the resource and fisheries manager for the

Nez Perce Tribe, which managed the wolf population as

it grew from the original 35 gray wolves translocated

from Canada to central Idaho in 1995 and 1996. The tribe

promised livestock owners, outfitters and guides that the

wolves would be closely watched, and removed if they

caused problems. As wolves recolonized Idaho, faster than

expected, wolf biologists Curt Mack and Mike Jimenez

worked closely and sensitively with all the interested

parties, Pinkham said.

Now the Idaho wolf population numbers about 170. As

the wolf nears proposed removal from the endangered

species list, and a state wolf management plan is undergoing

public review, the tribe is negotiating with state and federal

agencies to continue in a key role in the management of

Idaho’s wolves.

Two Harbors, in northernMinnesota, welcomed 76

people on April 3 and 4 forthe Midwest Wolf StewardsMeeting, sponsored by theInternational Wolf Center andthe University of Minnesota-Duluth Continuing Education.Attendees included peoplefrom federal and state gov-ernment agencies, collegesand universities, law offices,ranching industries, andvarious environmental, edu-cational and wolf advocacyorganizations.

The meeting agenda wasdeveloped to provide the latest

news on a varietyof important wolfissues. Invitedspeakers cameprimarily fromM i n n e s o t a ,Michigan andWisconsin, butsome traveledfrom as far as

Montana,Washington,D.C.,and New Jersey.

The first day focused onthe status of Midwest wolfpopulations, federal wolf re-classification, depredationand stakeholders’ attitudes.The day concluded with apresentation by Ed Bangs, U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service GrayWolf Recovery Coordinatorfor the northwestern UnitedStates. Bangs spoke about thewestern wolf reintroductionand what it can teach us aboutfuture wolf management.

The second day focusedprimarily on educationalcurricula, scientific studiesand public policy. Themeeting ended with apresentation by Rolf Petersonon the wolves of Isle Royale.

There was also a post-meeting discussion on thefuture of a proposed MidwestCarnivore Committee. Parti-cipants left the event feelingit had a good balancebetween biological andsocial topics and a great mixof people, topics and discus-sions. Next year’s meetingwill be held in Michigan. ■

I n t e r n a t i o n a l W o l f F a l l 2 0 0 2 15

Rolf Peterson, speaking to the Midwest Wolf Stewards about the IsleRoyale wolves

Midwest Wolf Stewards Meet

Jaime Pinkham, resource and fisheriesmanager for the Nez Perce Tribe,

speaking about wolfrecovery in Idaho

Inte

rnat

iona

l Wol

f Cen

ter

Inte

rnat

iona

l Wol

f Cen

ter

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:05 PM Page 15

Page 18: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

16 F a l l 2 0 0 2 w w w . w o l f . o r g

INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER

Contributors

Thank You!

2001 Annual Report Now Available Online!

The 2001 overview of International Wolf Center activities and accomplishments will be available in September. The annual report also includes a summary of significant 2001 developments

in wolf conservation, commentary from our director and board chair and recognition of our generous supporters and benefactors.

To download your free copy, please go to www.wolf.org.

Major DonorsCatherine Brown

Robert Carlson

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Henry Crosby Jr.-Terra etEducare Foundation

GMAC-RFC & SusanAnderson

Carol Hodges

Dorothy Kanehl

Dave Mech

Park High School

Linda Pirtle

Richard & Bonnie Robbins

Helen Tyson

Christopher Verdi

John Virr

Matching GiftsRosemary Fedt Hughes &American Express Foundation

Brian Ogren & AmericanExpress Foundation

James Schmitz & AmericanExpress Foundation

RoyaltiesMBNA America

Rykodisc Inc.

Voyageur Press

MemorialsIn Memory of Angie Brunner:Lawrence and Sylvia Stoehr

In Memory of Jim Prewett:Mary Lou Aurell & Patty Jo Erven

Jack Berry & Peggy Benedum

Doug & Lil Foster

Leron Hill

Joyce & Dennis Kowalski

The Moffitt Family

Harold & Evelyn Oliver

Christine Pernetti

Beth Prewett & Jenny Wettersten

Rosemary Prewett

International Wolf Center Student Board Seat Available

The Board of Directors of the International Wolf Center is seeking candidates for the student seat on the board. This volunteer

will serve as a full partner with other members in addressing therange of issues facing an active board of directors. This is a

unique opportunity to be on the “inside,” gaining experience inleadership of an environmental not-for-profit organization.

Requirements for the position include the following: enrollment in a four-year college or university with preference for a sophomore or junior,

allowing for a two-year term; the ability to attend meetings held inMinneapolis, Duluth and Ely; a major in environmental studies or rele-vant field; and recommendation by a college advisor. If you are inter-

ested, please submit a letter of application describing your interests,experiences and contact information to: Tom Dwight, Chair, Nominating

Committee, 1200 Hallam Avenue North, Mahtomedi, MN 55115.

Willi

am R

ideg

, Ki

shen

ehn

Wild

life

Wor

ks

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:05 PM Page 16

Page 19: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

I n t e r n a t i o n a l W o l f F a l l 2 0 0 2 17

If you are a dog owner, youhave probably observed

your pet demonstratingbehaviors that make youquestion whether you livewith a beloved pet or shareyour house with somethingfrom Wild Kingdom. Thesebehaviors may be as enter-taining as watching yourdog howl to sirens or asdistressing as finding thecushions of the living-roomsofa shredded like a deercarcass. Many of your dog’sbehavioral traits, even itshabit of completing smallerand smaller circles untilfinally lying down, have agenetic link to wolves.

For years, biologists havetheorized that the domesti-cation of dogs began about10,000 to 15,000 years ago.Recently, DNA analyseshave suggested that thisprocess may have begun aslong as 100,000 years ago.In either case, domestica-tion was a long process ofselective breeding to keepthe traits beneficial tohumans and eliminate thenegative traits. Over time,domestication changes thegenetic makeup of ananimal, but genetic evidencecan tie a domesticatedanimal to the DNA of its

ancestors. Recent geneticstudies reveal strongevidence linking thedomestic dog to its likelyancestor, the wolf.

To acknowledge thisclose relationship, a 1993review of the taxonomicclassifications of wolves ledto a scientific name change.The dog had been calledCanis familiaris and wasconsidered to be a separatespecies from the wolf. Since 1993, the scientificname of the dog has beenCanis lupus familiaris, asubspecies of the wolf.

Does this mean you havea wolf in your livingroom? No. Your dog isstill believed to be adomesticated version ofits wild relative, but theclose relationship meansyou can expect yourdog’s behavior to bemotivated by instinctsfrom its ancestors.

D u r i n g s u m m e r 2002, the InternationalWolf Center, in coopera-tion with VermilionCommunity College’sNatural Resource Depart-ment in Ely, Minnesota,conducted daily educa-tional programs titled“Canine Cous ins .”

Students enrolled in thecollege’s wolf behavior classserved as the dog handlersfor the program, whichfeatured visiting dogs todemonstrate behaviors.Both puppies and adult dogswere included to comparedog and wolf behaviors atvarious ages. While thedogs and the students weredemonstrating behaviorsinside the building, theambassador wolf packlooked on through the large observation windows,curious about the visitingdogs. At times, the wolvesdemonstrated territorialbehavioral traits, pawing at the windows.

Some of the behaviorsfeatured in the CanineCousins program included:

Tracking the Pack

■ Social pack behavior

■ Territorial defense andmarking behavior

■ Predatory behavior andhunting techniques

■ Communicationthrough body languageand vocalization

■ Specialized behaviorsassociated with specificdog breeds

By learning more aboutthe behavior of wolves anddogs, Center visitors devel-oped a better understandingof dogs and the motivationsbehind their behavior. ■

Canine Cousinsb y L o r i S c h m i d t , W o l f C u r a t o r ,I n t e r n a t i o n a l W o l f C e n t e r

Top right: Members of the ambassador pack at play

Bottom: Lori Schmidt with Jake, a visiting Canine Cousin, and membersof the ambassador pack

Inte

rnat

iona

l Wol

f Cen

ter

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:05 PM Page 17

Page 20: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

18 F a l l 2 0 0 2 w w w . w o l f . o r g

Dispersal of wolvesoutside Yellowstone

National Park was antici-p a t e d i n t h e 1 9 9 4Environmental ImpactStatement (EIS) and FederalRules for the experimentalpopulation of wolves rein-troduced to Yellowstone in1995 and 1996. Preparers of

those documents alsorecognized that outside thepark, life would be perilousfor dispersing wolves.

Projections were accu-rate. New packs haveformed in various locationsoutside the 2.2-million-acrepark, both on private landand on parts of the 10.6million acres of federal landssurrounding Yellowstone(see map). One problem

facing dispersing wolves is that winter ranges of prey outside the park aremostly in privately ownedvalley bottoms or in rollingcountry containing bothwintering wildlife anddomestic livestock.

Since wolves occasion-ally kill sheep or cattle, theU.S. Fish and WildlifeService (USFWS) is tryingto ameliorate the situationby aversive conditioning.Methods include using toolssuch as shotgun-propelledbean bags, flares, strobelights, electric fences andguarding dogs. Finally,wolves may be moved or k i l led . The Turner

W O LV E S O F T H E U N I T E D S TAT E S

Dispersing Dicey forYellowstone Wolvesb y N o r m a n A . B i s h o p

Nor

m B

ishop

When elk leave the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park, theybecome fair game for regulatedhunting. When wolves leave the park,they are confronted by livestock.

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:05 PM Page 18

Page 21: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

I n t e r n a t i o n a l W o l f F a l l 2 0 0 2 19

Endangered Species Fund(TESF) and two other con-servation groups, Defendersof Wildlife (DOW) and the Predator ConservationAlliance (PCA), help inthose efforts. They compen-sate livestock owners foranimals killed by wolvesand compile maps of live-stock density, land owner-ship and elk winter range to determine where wolvescan live with fewestconflicts.

By the end of 2001, the31 original wolves translo-cated from Canada toYellowstone had generated apopulation of 216 wolves.Within the park, 132 wolveslived in 10 packs, andoutside the park, another 14packs contained 84 to 93wolves. Pack size is highlyvariable, but packs outsidethe park boundary tend tobe smaller than those withinthe park perimeter.

The difference in packsize reflects contrastingconditions within andoutside the park. Inside thepark, where mortality is low,the complex social fabric of the packs is preserved,and larger packs containmore than one generation ofwolves. Eight packs liveentirely in the park, and twopacks den within the parkbut also roam outside.

Outside the park, smallerpack size appears to resultfrom several factors. First,most of the wolf packs are

newly formed from young,inexperienced dispersersfrom within the park.Second, more opportunitiesexist for conflict with lives t o c k , a n d m a n ydispersers are killed eitherin control actions or ille-gally. Of known mortalitiesin 2001, 2 wolves died fromvehicle strikes, 6 in controlactions, 1 f rom i l l ega lshooting, 1 from a handlingaccident, and 3 from naturalcauses. North of the park,illegal mortality has delayedpotential delisting of wolvesfrom full protection underthe Endangered Species Actbecause key individuals—breeding animals — havebeen killed. Since 1995, 53percent of wolf deaths havebeen caused by humans.

In the greater Yellowstonearea during 2001, wolveskilled 21 cattle, 71 sheepand 3 dogs. Seven wolveswere killed in control

M O N T A N A

W Y O M I N G

I D A H O

YellowstoneNationalPark

Territories of collared wolf packs (polygons) and sightings of non-collaredwolves (circles) in the greater Yellowstone area in 2001.

Nor

m B

ishop

Ada

pted

from

map

pro

duce

d by

the

Yello

wsto

ne G

ray

Wol

f Res

tora

tion

Proj

ect

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:05 PM Page 19

Page 22: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

20 F a l l 2 0 0 2 w w w . w o l f . o r g

surviving pups at year’send. This rule must be usedin counting toward the goal of 30 packs breeding for three successive yearsdistributed throughoutM o n t a n a , I d a h o andWyoming.

Meanwhile organizationssuch as TESF are respondingto ranchers’ concerns.Methods include flaggingaround calving pastures,RAG (radio-activated guard)boxes, removal of carcassesfrom calving grounds,limited use of nonlethal

munitions (rubber bulletsand cracker shells) andtraining ranchers to hazewolves out of cattle or awayfrom ranch houses. Suchproactive measures mayhelp minimize conflicts sothat as more and morewolves disperse fromYellowstone, a highernumber may be able tosurvive outside the park.

Norman A. Bishop is theInternational Wolf Centerfield representative for thegreater Yellowstone region.

W O LV E S I N E T H I O P I A

EndangeredMeans ThereIs Still Timeb y N e i l H u t t

Time may be runningout for one of theworld’s rarest and

most endangered canids.Ethiopian wolves (akaEthiopian jackals), numberingfewer than 400, face in-creasing threats to theirsurvival. The recent popula-tion decline of this highlyspecialized carnivore is duemainly to habitat loss fromsubsistence agriculture andlivestock grazing. Ethiopianwolves are also threatenedby direct persecution, hybrid-ization with domestic dogsand exposure to infectiousdiseases such as rabies anddistemper.

An article in the Spring2001 issue of InternationalWolf (“On the Edge ofExtinction: Saving theImperiled Ethiopian Wolves”)alerted readers to the neces-sity for swift interventionfrom the internationalcommunity. The EthiopianWolf Conservation Program(EWCP) considers such aninitiative essential to dimin-ishing the possibility thatthis unique predator willbecome the next mammalcandidate for extinction.

The EWCP, establishedin 1995, is acting to saveAfrica’s only possible wolfspecies. (Authorities stilldisagree on whether thisanimal is a true wolf or ajackal.) Using the Ethiopianwolf as a flagship species,

actions, and 8 were trans-located. Remarkably, thequestion in summer, whenlivestock are vulnerable towolves on pastures remotefrom home ranches, is not,Why do wolves prey onlivestock? but rather, Whydo they prey so infrequentlyon livestock? The answer isperhaps that they are afraidof animals unfamiliar tothem as prey, and are morecomfortable killing deer andelk, which they learnedfrom their parents to hunt.

To qualify wolves forreclassification under the1994 Federal Rules, a stringent definition of wolfpacks must be used. Thedefinition stipulates that a pack must consist of abreeding pair with 2

For more information about the potential reclassification of wolves inthe Northern Rockies under the 1994 Federal Rules, see

“Reclassification Controversy,” International Wolf, Summer 2001; and the reclassification section of the International Wolf Center’s Web

site at http://www.wolf.org/learn/mgt/delist/delist.shtml.

Nor

m B

ishop

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:05 PM Page 20

Catch this “ ne” on the LAKE!

61 DELUXE LAKEVIEW ROOMS Indoor Pool, Whirlpool and Sauna

Evergreen Restaurant • Antler’s Lounge • Bear Cub Club for Kids

400 No. Pioneer Road • ELY, MN 557311-218-365-6565 • 1-877-GRANDELYwww.grandelylodge.com • email: [email protected]

Nightly - Weekly Rates • Up North 4 hours from Minneapolis

MARINADELUXE Fishing and Pontoon Boat RENTALS

Free Boat Dockage & Lake MapsNEW For Summer – Starting 5/24 – Outdoor Creative Playground

– Swimming Beach – Kids Eat FREE – Ask for Details.FREE Family Fun – Paddleboats, Canoes, Kayaks, Bikes,

Horseshoes, Croquet, Tetherball and Much More!

Page 23: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

I n t e r n a t i o n a l W o l f F a l l 2 0 0 2 21

the organization is workingto consolidate the manage-ment of protected areas andto monitor and manage theremaining wolf populations.Strategies include reducingthe impact of domestic dogs in wolf range through vaccination and controlprograms. Additionally, theEWCP is carrying outcommunity education cam-paigns to promote respon-sible dog ownership and to

raise conservation aware-ness among the Ethiopianpeople. A captive-breedingprogram is planned topromote Ethiopian wolfgenetic variability.

The work of the EWCPis receiving internationalattention through its officialWeb site. The site containsextensive information onthe biology and status of theEthiopian wolf, photographs,the annual report of the

T A N Z A N I A

B U R U N D I

RWANDA

E t h i o p i a

ERITREA

S U D A N

S O M A L I A

UGANDA

DJIBOUTI

Y E M E N

Addis Ababa

A f r i c a

E t h i o p i a

K E N Y A

EWCP and a complete bibli-ography. Also on the Website is a section detailing the ways in which thepublic can help the EWCPsafeguard the future of theEthiopian wolf and theAfro-alpine ecosystem whereit lives.

EWCP Web site: http://www.wildcru.org/endangeredspecies/ethiopianwolf/ewcp/ewolf.htm ■

Neil Hutt is an educator andInternational Wolf Centerboard member who lives inPurcellville, Virginia.

Mar

tin H

arve

y

Mar

tin H

arve

y

Ethiopian wolves (aka Ethiopian jackals), numbering fewerthan 400, face increasing threats to their survival.

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:05 PM Page 21

Page 24: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

22 F a l l 2 0 0 2 w w w . w o l f . o r g

Due to the small size of thewilderness trip groups, reservationstend to fill quickly. Ordinarily, thetrip would have been filled by thetime we learned about it, but onemember canceled and left an openingfor me. A few short weeks aftermaking the necessary arrangements,I was on a plane heading to Bozeman,Montana, to rendezvous with the restof the group.

The mild Pittsburgh winter didnot prepare me for winter inYellowstone. In March the weathercan vary from extreme cold to almostspringlike. During our trip, we experienced the former. Near-zeromorning temperatures were ourwake-up call, and pushing our 15-passenger van through deep snow-drifts added to the adventure.

March is a busy time for wolvesand wolf researchers in theYellowstone area. During this time,park biologists and techniciansmonitor wolves daily from both airand ground. Their objective is todetermine the maximum kill rateduring the period when prey is mostvulnerable.

Up before sunrise, our groupspent each day the way the park’sbiologists do—searching for wolves

that are often on their own search forprey. We were out in the Lamar Valleyin the northeast corner of the park bydawn each morning after a heartybreakfast followed by a radio check-in with Rick McIntyre, one of thewolf project naturalists. We set upscopes and waited patiently besidethe technicians monitoring the activ-ities of the wolves. Our goal was toposition ourselves where the wolveswere most visible. Though the wolveswe observed were typically seen froma distance of 150 yards to 2 miles,they were dramatically magnifiedthrough spotting scopes (45–60x),and we could clearly view the wolvesin their natural habitat.

By 6:30 a.m. on our first day in thefield, we had watched a variety ofwildlife foraging through the snow,including bison, elk, mountain sheepand a rare cow moose. Within minutesof these observations, our scopes andcameras were focused on four wolves:the alpha male, alpha female and twoyearlings of the Druid pack, thelargest pack of wolves in Yellowstone.They passed within yards of two

bison before bedding down in a snowpack. Bison, especiallyhealthy bulls, are rare targets ofwolf predation, which explainsthe wolves’ apparent lack ofinterest as they passed by.

Distinguished wolf biologistand International Wolf Center

Wild About Yellowstoneb y P e t e N e t t r o u r

Northeast of Old Faithful withits tourists and motor homesis Yellowstone National Park

as few people have experienced it. Itis also Yellowstone as PresidentTheodore Roosevelt meant it to be—unbridled nature preserved for thebenefit and enjoyment of futuregenerations.

Nearly 3 million tourists visitYellowstone annually, most of themflocking to the well-known sight-seeing spots between June andSeptember. Even though Yellowstoneis open year-round, only 140,000 visitors witness the grandeur of thepark in winter. I was fortunate to beamong this minority when I joined awolf wilderness trip to the Yellowstonearea in March 2002, sponsored by theInternational Wolf Center.

My wife, a biology professor,stumbled upon information aboutthe trip on the Internet whileresearching an upcoming lesson. Shelogged onto the International WolfCenter’s Web site (www.wolf.org),and news of the upcoming adventurecaught her attention. The Centerhosts several ecotourism wildernesstrips a year to various locations, suchas Yellowstone and the central Arcticin Canada’s Northwest Territories.

Up before sunrise, the group spent each day the

way the park’s biologists do—searching for

wolves that are often on their own search for prey.

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:05 PM Page 22

Page 25: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

I n t e r n a t i o n a l W o l f F a l l 2 0 0 2 23

founder Dave Mech was one of thetrip leaders, and he discussed thewolves’ hunting behaviors. Because itis difficult and dangerous for wolvesto attack and kill large prey, theyselect animals compromised by ageor physical weakness. How wolvesdetermine such weakness is a subjectof current investigation by biologistsin Yellowstone. With its abun-dant prey and thriving wolfpopulation, the park is aliving laboratory for thistype of research.

We continued to watch the wolvesas they bedded down for most of theday. They rose just before sunset andpassed within 200 yards of our partybefore disappearing into the twilight.Our group was pleased with the day’s activities, and we returned toour lodgings for dinner and discus-sions with the experts about the day’s

observations and about theecology of Yellowstone.

The area’s herds of wild-life are so abundant in the

Lamar Valley thatthis region has

been nicknamed the Serengeti ofNorth America. In 1907, long beforethe establishment of the presentYellowstone Association Institute (YAI),this beautiful valley was chosen to bethe home of Buffalo Ranch, a federaleffort to turn around the drasticdecline of the West’s bison populationthat took place toward the end of the19th century. Today, the old bunk-house building that remains from theoriginal structure houses the YAI’seducation facility: classrooms, a largekitchen and bath facilities. This year

Pete

Net

trour

Phot

os le

ft to

righ

t: C

hrist

ophe

r and

Mira

nda

Bly,

Pete

Net

trour

, Int

erna

tiona

l Wol

f Cen

ter

Left to right: a wolf, an elk on a ridge,and a bison in the Lamar Valley.

Left to right: Dave Mech, Jerry Sanders and George Knotek use spotting scopes and binoculars to observewolves and other wildlife in the Lamar Valley.

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:06 PM Page 23

Page 26: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

24 F a l l 2 0 0 2 w w w . w o l f . o r g

alerting us to the whereabouts of the Druid pack’s alpha pair along the Lamar Valley Road in an area called Little America. The wolves’ longmoaning howls greeted us as we set upspotting scopes and scanned the snow-covered hillside with binoculars.

Soon, several members of theDruid pack, including the alpha maleand female, emerged from a cluster oftrees and set off together out of sight.As they disappeared from our view, a radio call reported 11 yearlingsseveral miles farther west on theLamar Valley Road. We missed theirpursuit of a bull elk but arrived intime to witness the young wolves turnthe hillside into a giant playground asthey engaged in elaborate tag gamesand wrestling matches. This group ofyoung wolves is the subject of intenseinterest among the researchers. Theparents had separated from the

youngsters nearly a week before ourarrival, and the young wolves seemedto be developing their hunting skillsby trial and error.

Later in the week, these yearlingstook down a cow elk only to have aherd of bison force them off the elk.The bison continued to protect thewounded elk from the wolves andravens for several hours as it strug-gled to get back on its feet. TheYellowstone researchers had neverseen such behavior. The elk eventu-ally died, and the bison gradually lostinterest. The wolves and bison singu-larly or in groups charged each otheron many occasions. The patient andhungry wolves soon won the contest.

As the young wolves finally beganto eat, Dave Mech explained that some-times a wolf consumes as much as 22pounds of meat at a feeding. Becausedigestion is rapid, the wolves returnrepeatedly to the carcass to eat.Meanwhile, smaller carnivores, birdsand insects all have their turn at the killuntil nothing is left but scattered bones.

All too soon, the week was over,and it was time for our group to headin different directions. We did not go home disappointed. The week ofwolf watching in Yellowstoneprovided a unique opportunity towitness research in the field, toquench an amateur—or profes-sional—wildlife photographer’s thirstfor natural habitat shots, and toparticipate in educational discussionswith some of the world’s mostrenowned researchers. After travelingthe world extensively and visitingnearly every continent, I can say thatthis was as great as any adventure I’vehad. The International Wolf Centerwelcomed me into the pack. ■

Lewis “Pete” Nettrour, M.D., is one of thefounders of, and an orthopedic surgeon with,Tri Rivers Surgical Associates in Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania. A wildlife enthusiast, he hastraveled extensively throughout the world.He lives in the Pittsburgh area with his wife,Lila, and daughter, Barbie.

the institute will offer over 125diverse courses, and more than 60instructors will share their expertisewith over 1,000 students.

The institute’s facility at theBuffalo Ranch, where our groupstayed, creates a comfortable, retreat-like learning atmosphere. The International Wolf Center madearrangements with a Bozeman,Montana, caterer so that we wouldhave delicious meals during our stayat the ranch. Lunch was usuallybrown bag in the field, but theprepared breakfasts and dinnersbrought a touch of luxury to ourrustic accommodations.

The mournful hooting of a greathorned owl summoned us wolfwatchers to breakfast in the pre-dawnhours of our third day. After finishinganother hearty morning meal, wereceived a radio call from the field,

Located in the northeast section of Yellowstone National Park, theLamar Valley has been nicknamed the Serengeti of North Americabecause of its abundant herds of wildlife.

Chr

istop

her a

ndM

irand

a Bl

y

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:06 PM Page 24

Page 27: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

I n t e r n a t i o n a l W o l f F a l l 2 0 0 2 25

DO W O LV E S B E N E F I TWOODPECKERS? Ravens,

eagles, coyotes, bears and other scav-engers benefit from feeding on theleftovers of wolf kills. However, in a2001 issue of the Wilson Bulletin, Dr.Jorge Servin and colleagues describeda pileated woodpecker scavenging oncartilage and muscle on a bone fed tocaptive wolves. Conceivably the samecould happen in the wild.

WOLVES BANNED fromFremont County, Wyoming.

The Fremont County Commissionpassed resolutions banning wolvesand grizzly bears from the county,according to the Associated Press.Because federal law, including theEndangered Species Act, supersedeslocal law, however, the resolutionswould have no practical effect even ifwolves could read them.

ISLE ROYALE WOLVES are downthis year to 17, a drop of 2 from

last year, reported Dr. Rolf Peterson.Only two years ago, the populationwas 29, but conceivably a shortage of old moose (which form much ofthe wolves’ diet) as well as a mildwinter that favored moose resulted in poor food conditions for wolves,according to Peterson.

WOLF DEPREDATIONS onlivestock in Minnesota during

the first quarter of 2002 increasedgreatly compared to the same quarterof 2001, probably due to an abnor-mally warm and snowfree winter.The number of verified complaintswas 12 compared with 1 last year,and the number of wolves killed bythe U.S. Department of Agriculture’sWildlife Services was 23 comparedwith 2 last year.

TWO FOSTER WOLVES seemto be doing well in North

Carolina. The red wolf pups wereborn at the North Carolina Zoo andgiven to a wild female red wolfraising her own two pups of the sameage. As of this writing in early June,all pups were doing well, accordingto the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

WOLVES HELP TOWN. In amodern twist of wildlife

management, fencing has been modi-fied around Jasper, Alberta, Canada,to allow wolves, bears and cougars toenter the town area and help scarethe local elk, according to CharlieGillis in the National Post. The urbanelk had become so tame that they hadbeen injuring humans. Upon recom-mendation by wildlife officials, downwent the fences, in came the wolves,and frightened became the elk.

AWOLF IN SOUTH DAKOTAp r o b a b l y o r i g i n a t e d i n

Minnesota, Wisconsin or Michigan,according to DNA tests. The animalwas killed by a coyote “getter” (adevice that shoots poison into ananimal’s mouth when triggered) innorthwestern South Dakota, over 300miles west of Minnesota.

MEXICAN WOLF RECOVERYcontinues to progress, with six

packs known or thought to havedenned. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serviceofficials captured a litter of 7 pups andthe breeding pair of the Pipestem pack,which had been preying on livestock,and brought them into captivity. Oneof the pups looks unusual and is beingtested genetically.

FA M O U S W O L F D E A D .Yellowstone’s Female Wolf 7, the

progenitor of the Leopold pack,which occupied the Blacktail Plateaubetween Mammoth and Tower, waskilled by other wolves. The pack hasnew pups, but they will probablysurvive because the male and otherpack members are caring for them.

WOLF DELISTING. Some 48scientists, including 2 prac-

ticing wolf biologists, wrote Secretaryof the Interior Gale Norton imploringher to scrap the U.S. Fish and WildlifeService’s proposal to reclassify thewolf. They felt that the proposalwould “end prospects of the speciesto return to vast areas of the wolf’sformer range.” ■

Lynn

& D

onna

Rog

ers/

ww

w.b

ears

tudy

.org

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:06 PM Page 25

Page 28: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

26 F a l l 2 0 0 2 w w w . w o l f . o r g

The Many Faces of the Wolfb y K e v i n S t r a u s s

Have you ever read or heard a story about a wolf? Stories often

help us learn about animals that we don’t see everyday. You

probably remember hearing stories like “Little Red Riding Hood”

and “The Three Little Pigs” in which the wolf acts like a villain.

But there are other kinds of wolf stories. In other, less known

stories, wolves may act wise, foolish, or helpful.

Read the following story and think about what kind of wolf

character the author was trying to portray.

Wolf and Dog (an Aesop’s Fable)retold by Kevin Strauss © 2001

Long ago, Wolf was hungry. Nowyou might think that Wolf is

always hungry, and you would beright. But on this day, Wolf hadn’teaten for weeks. It was almost as if allthe deer and rabbits had evaporatedfrom the forest like mist in themorning. Wolf was so hungry that hedecided to look for food near wherethe humans lived. It was dangerousfor Wolf to hunt near humans. Somewolves that go there never comeback. But Wolf had never been thishungry before. So as the sun dippedred behind the western hills, hewalked through the forest to the edgeof a farmer’s field.

Illustr

atio

ns b

y Jo

an O

uelle

tte

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:06 PM Page 26

Page 29: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

I n t e r n a t i o n a l W o l f F a l l 2 0 0 2 27

Kevin Strauss is a naturalist storytellerfrom Ely, Minnesota. His new CD, The Mountain Wolf ’s Gift: Wolf TalesFrom Around the World, is availablethrough the Wolf Den Store. Contacthim at [email protected].

Wolf sniffed the air and scannedthe field, looking for a calf or lamb toeat. It was then that he heard astrange sound. The barking noise wascoming from a creature that looked alot like he did. The creature wasrunning toward Wolf.

“Woof!” said the creature.“Brother, why are you speaking so

strangely? We wolves never bark thatway,” said Wolf.

“I’m not your brother. I am a dogand we bark when we see wild animalsnear the farm,” said Dog.

“Well we certainly do look alike,perhaps we are related in some way,”said Wolf. And then he noticed howfat Dog was.

“Say brother, how is it that I amstarving while you seem to have plentyof food?”

“I work for my meals. I chase wildanimals and robbers away from thefarm, and for that work I am well paid.Every evening, my master scrapes histable scraps into a bowl and feeds meuntil I am full,” said Dog.

“You mean you don’t have to huntfor your food and catch it in theforest?” said Wolf.

“Of course not, why would I dothat? The only hunting I do is for fun,”said Dog.

“Say brother, do you think that yourmaster could use another worker?I could chase wild animals away fromthe farm, too,“ said Wolf.

“Well, I guess so,” said Dog, “Thereis always work to do. Let’s go askmy master.”

So as eveningsettled on the fields,Wolf and Dogwalked up to the farmhouse. As theygot closer to thehouse, the light fromthe windows shoneon them, and for thefirst time, Wolfnoticed that Dog hadno fur around hisneck.

“Dog, why do youhave no fur on yourneck,” said Wolf.

“Oh that, it’s nothing, you’ll get usedto it,” said Dog.

“Get used to what, Dog?”“Well it’s nothing, really. My master

doesn’t want me running off duringthe day, so he ties me up near the house,and when I pull at the rope, it wearsaway the fur on my neck. It’s finethough; all I do is sleep through the day.You’ll get used to it,” said Dog.

Wolf stopped. He looked at theforest, then back at Dog and thenback at the forest.

“No, Dog, I don’t think I can getused to that.”

And Wolf turned and ran back tothe darkness of the woods. People saythat from that time on, wolves havelived in the forest, and dogs havelived with people, and they havenever spoken since. ■

Activity:Go to your local library and check out as many books as you can findthat have wolf characters in them.Make a list of the ways wolves areportrayed. Is the wolf a villain?foolish? wise? helpful?

Answer these questions:

■What personality does the wolfhave?

■How do you think the author of thisbook wants you to feel aboutwolves?

■What problems are there inlearning about wolves from folk-tales?

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:06 PM Page 27

Page 30: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

28 F a l l 2 0 0 2 w w w . w o l f . o r g

take by deer hunters. Yet the state isexpecting that the kill by hunters in2001 when finally completely talliedwill be one of the highest on record.And interestingly enough, the top fivedeer harvest years all occurred after1990. Last year’s harvest is expected tobe the state’s third highest, and espe-cially intriguing is the fact that deerharvests were up by 3 to 15 percent inwolf range (roughly the northernthird of the state) over the previousyear, depending on the region.

Equally interesting is the number of wolf–livestock conflicts in 2001. It was the lowest in Minnesota since1991 despite the fact that wolf rangehas spread south and west intoagricultural lands. Verifiedcomplaints (those in whichwolves have been deter-mined to have killed ormaimed domestic animals) for2001 totaled 54, down from 95in 2000 —a 43-percent drop.The abundance, if not super-abundance, of deer probablywas an important factor inthis drop in conflicts.

At this moment, there may be asymmetry. Recent winters have beenmild enough to keep deer popula-tions high, and the relative abun-dance of deer has kept wolves largelyout of the riskier fields of ranchers.Wolf supporters, deer hunters andranchers can all take some comfort inthe 2001 statistics.

But if one thing is certain, it’s thatthe balance of 2001 won’t last. Severedeer-killing winters like the ones in 1995-96 and 1996-97 will occur,and complaints about wolves killing too many deer will increase. Wolfconflicts and livestock depredationwill increase; wolf–human conflictswill be in the media once again. And2001’s remarkable confluence offavorable numbers will become adistant memory.

Noted wolf biologist RolfPeterson reported in a recentnews article that “on Isle

Royale, if there was an equilibriumbetween the species, it would beabout 30 wolves and 1,000 moose.But that level is almost neverreached—one of the two species isalmost always out of whack.”

The idealized concept of thebalance of nature has a strong holdon our understanding of the environ-ment. It is a grand law of nature,especially when applied to predatorsand their prey. The concept appealsto the public and has resulted insupport for the protection of birds ofprey, bats, wolves and other animals.Clearly the fly in the ointment of thisecological principle is that balance“works” in the long run, but chancesare that any given wildlife populationat any given time is not likely to be inbalance. The history of Isle Royale’smoose and wolf populations is a greatexample of this seesawing.

Which brings me to someMinnesota statistics that highlight akind of balance in the world ofwolves and humans. First, thewolf numbers—they’re high.Current estimates place thenumber at 2,600, higher thanat any time in the pastcentury. With that kind ofgrowth (a doubling of thewolf population since the late1980s), one would expectthat the deer populationmight be decreasing, a trendthat would be reflected in the

A Look Beyondb y W a l t e r M . M e d w i d , E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r , I n t e r n a t i o n a l W o l f C e n t e r

Lynn

& D

onna

Rog

ers/

ww

w.b

ears

tudy

.org

Willi

am R

ideg

, Ki

shen

ehn

Wild

life

Wor

ks

IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:06 PM Page 28

Page 31: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

Donated collection now available to the public.

Extra savings, low prices!

Limited edition prints by celebrated artists.

Proceeds directly benefit theInternational Wolf Center mission.

Save money on collectible wildlife art and support the survival of wolves worldwide!

The International Wolf Center is a non-profitorganization dedicated to supporting the

survival of wolves worldwide through education.

View our online gallery byvisiting www.wolf.org For private inquiries,please call 763-560-7374Any donation above the already low asking price is tax deductible to the full extent of the law.

Carl Brenders, Tundra Summit Bonnie Marris, Cops ‘n Robbers

B e v D o o l i t t l e R o b e r t Tr a v e r s L e e K r o m s c h r o e d e r J a m e s M e g e r B r u c e M i l l e r ( a n d m a n y o t h e r s ! )

C a r l B r e n d e r s R o b e r t B a t e m a n R . S . Pa r k e r A l A g n e w D o n G o t t J o r g e M a y o l F r a n k M i l l e rMany NEW pieces of

beautiful art just added!

Travel the protected waters ofSE Alaska’s inside passage.This remote area of mountainous islands, old growth timber and tidal estuaries is home of theAlexander Archipelago Wolf.

6 day, 5 night trips, meals,lodging, daily shore excursionsinto the best wolf habitat.

FOR A BROCHURE CONTACT:

Riptide OutfittersP.O. Box 19210

Thorne Bay, Alaska 99919

www.hyakalaskacharters.com907-828-3353

Wolf Watch Aboard the

MV HYAK

LEARN ABOUT WOLVES,

ENJOY MANY DYNAMIC

WOLF IMAGES,SHOP ON-LINE FOR

WONDERFUL GIFTS

AND DISCOVER THE

LATEST NEWS ABOUT OURAMBASSADOR PACK!

www.wolf.orgVISIT

www.wolf.orgTODAY!

Cover.fall 02 7/22/02 11:15 AM Page 3

Page 32: A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF …A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002 Cover.fall 02 7/26/02 11:59 AM Page 1 TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota

3300 Bass Lake Road, #202Minneapolis, MN 55429-2518

NONPROFIT ORG.

U.S. Postage

PAIDPermit #4894

Mpls., MN

It is in this spirit that Lucas,MacKenzie, Lakota, Malik andShadow greet the thousands that

come to the International Wolf Centerevery year. These special wolves dotheir part to represent wolves every-where and to educate the world about the need for conservation.

Now we need to do our part. TheWolf Care Fund is dedicated to carefor the needs of our AmbassadorWolves, now and into the future.We hope you will consider makinga donation for their care.

Here are just two of their most pressing needs: All donations to the Wolf CareFund will be used for the careof our wolves exclusively.

Please make your contribution to the care of our Ambassador Pack.Send your check or credit card donation to:

Wolf Care Fund International Wolf Center 1396 Highway 169Ely, MN USA 55731-8129

Call 1-800-ELY WOLF or visitour Web site at: www.wolf.org

All contributions are tax-deductible.

Jani

ce T

emp

leto

n

F I R E E VA C U AT I O N K E N N E L SDue to the July 4, 1999, windstorm, an increased fire hazard is growing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Our Ambassador Packneeds transportation kennels to carry them to safety in the event of a wildfire.

R E T I R E M E N T E N C L O S U R EAs the elders in our Ambassador Pack continue to age andgrow old, they will need a safe retreat, with ample room, tospend their final days. This fall, work will begin on a retire-ment enclosure. Plans call for the new facility to provide agingwolves with high-quality care, in a relaxed environment.

OurAmbassadorPack Needs Your Help!

If you have ever locked eyes

with a wolf in the wild, even for a

fleeting moment, you know the power

they have to fire our appreciation

of wilderness and its wildlife.

OurAmbassadorPack Needs Your Help!

Cover.fall 02 7/22/02 11:15 AM Page 4