DECEMBER 2011 NEWSLETTER

Navi & Tala having fun with a hat

they stole from one of our visitors!

www.wolfeducation.org

One of the MANY jobs of our staff and volunteers

RIGHT: Darlene, Rachael

and Tracy with Ruby’s new boy Carlos.

BELOW: An intimate

moment caught on film during a

VIP tour.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Rachael using the power saw to cut

up a deer.

www.wolfeducation.org

Recently, the Obama Administra-tion, via the U.S. Department of the Interior, announced a final rule de-listing wolves in the Great Lakes Re-gion, officially removing all federal protection for wolves in the states of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wiscon-sin. State wildlife management offi-cials, along with the trophy hunting, trapping, and ranching lobbies—and the politicians be-holden to them—have been clamoring for years to de-list wolves, and only a series of successful HSUS law-suits have prevented that from happening. We’ll now be examining our legal options and may again urge a federal court to block this premature removal of wolves from the list of threatened species. The HSUS and a coalition of conservation groups suc-

ceeded in a series of legal actions to block de-listing in the Northern Rockies, but eight months ago, Congress de-listed that population through the unprecedented step of attaching a rider to a massive budget bill. As we predicted, sport hunters and trappers have proceeded, hastily and recklessly, to slaughter wolves in Idaho and Montana, and the killing is now set to ramp up next in Wyoming.Wolves in the United States have suffered a long his-

tory of human persecution, with state and federal of-ficials and private citizens amassing a grisly and enor-mous body count. These actions over time resulted in the extirpation of wolves from everywhere in the Lower 48 except the far northern reaches of Minnesota and Isle Royale National Park in Michigan. Now, with wolf populations allowed to reclaim just a small portion of their habitats, the same anti-wolf hysteria of the 19th century that nearly exterminated them has resurfaced, with irrational claims being made about the impacts that wolves have on deer, elk, and livestock popula-tions. These notions are not grounded on fact, but upon the mythology of the wolf as a rapacious predator that slaughters everything in its path.Even with protection under the Endangered Species

Act in place for some wolves over the last 35 years, wolves now occupy less than five percent of their his-torical range in the lower 48 states. There are some 4,000 wolves in the Northern Great Lakes and fewer than half that number in the Northern Rockies. The listing of these wolves under the provisions of the ESA has shielded them from run-away exploitation, but the political pressure to de-list them has been great, and the

resolve of the Bush and Obama ad-ministrations to protect these animals proved weak.The anti-wolf crusaders have staked

out an anti-science, anti-ecological posture. There is superabundant sci-entific evidence that wolves have had an enormously beneficial ecologi-cal impact in the range they inhabit.

They cull weak, old, and sick animals from populations, reducing total numbers of prey populations, and there-by mitigating the browsing on vegetation and bringing great vitality to the entire ecosystem. With less grazing pressure, new saplings have taken hold to form young groves. Stream flow and quality has improved. Other predators, like coyotes, have also been reduced in den-sity, and there’s been a cascade effect that’s restored many of the original characteristics and dynamics of the animal and plant and forest communities.Still, wolf recovery in the Great Lakes region is far

from complete. And hostile state management plans in the region—some of which would allow a nearly 50 per-cent reduction of the region’s wolf population—make it likely that the recovery that has thus far been achieved could be reversed by high levels of trapping, poisoning and recreational hunting.Claims of wolf depredation on livestock are often sen-

sationalized. Last year in Wisconsin wolf depredations occurred on only 47 farms out of 7,000 in the state, and only 63 cattle and 6 sheep were killed. Many people complain about impacts from abundant deer popula-tions—whether deer-auto collisions or browsing on commercial or ornamental shrubbery—but somehow the beneficial social and economic factors of having predators in the ecosystem are omitted from their anal-ysis. It’s plain that the economics work in favor of wolf protection, not against it.A small, vocal segment, driven by an irrational ha-

tred of wolves, is driving the decision-making. Political leaders in these states are all too ready to bow to the pressure and to buy into the rhetoric and false framing, and it’s the wolves who suffer. It’s yet another example of adverse policy actions by this Administration on animal welfare and conservation. It talks a good game of science-based decision-making and sound policy, but in the end kowtows to traditional special interests (most of which will never vote for Obama). There’s not much “change” to be found, but just more of the same old ways of Washington.

Double-Barreled Attack on Wolves

Stay informed. Visit our new blog on

wolfeducation.org

www.wolfeducation.org

The Wolf PackChristmas 2011

www.wolfeducation.org

Our holiday party was a big success.

Thank you to everyone who

joined us.

Happy New Year!

www.wolfeducation.org

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APRIL

FULL MOON TOURSFebruary 4March 10April 7May 5June 2 & 3July 7 & 8August 4 & 5September 1 & 29October 27 & 28November 24December 29

FEEDING FEST TOURTuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday andSunday at 3:30pmMeet our resident ani-mals during the feeding tour and observe them when they are most ac-tive...feeding time! Learn about hunting, howling and hierarchy and communicate with the pack in a group howl! Adults $20 Kids 12 and under $10

SPECIAL EVENTSJanuary 14 · 4-6 pmBonfire & BBQMeet and greet one of our ambassador wolves$25 adults$15 kids 12 and under

February 11 · 3-5 pmCelebrate Valentine’s with the ‘Lovers’$40 per coupleMust be 21 +

Walk on the Wild Side not offered until after May 15th

WINTER SPECIAL EvENTSthese tours and events are in addition to our standard 10am, Noon & 2pm tours

NEXTfull

moon tour

FEB. 4, 2012

RESERVATION

S REQUIRED

FOR ALL TO

URS

AND SPECIA

L EVENTS

719-687-97

42

All tours have limited space

and we have a no-cancellation

policy from May-October.

www.wolfeducation.org

Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center

Bonf ire & BBQ

January 14th · 4-6 pmMeet and greet one of our

ambassador wolves

$25 adults$15 kids 12 and under

reServationS required719-687-9742

Celebrate Valentine’s with the LoVers’

saturday · February 11, 2012 · 3-5 pm $40 per couple · Must be 21+

rsVP reQUIreD 719-687-9742

Information presented on this newsletter is considered public information (unless otherwise noted) and may be distributed or copied. Use of appropriate byline/photo/image credit is requested. Some of the documents in this newsletter may contain live feed references (or pointers) to information created and maintained by other organizations. Please note that CWWC does not control and cannot guarantee the relevance, timeliness, or accuracy of these outside materials.

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of a man by his treatment of animals.”

~ Immanual Kant

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NEWSLETTER BY: Melissa Macis | smallspaceorganizer@gmail.com | www.wix.com/missymacis/portfolio

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WarninG!doGS on

HeaLtH Food/orGaniC Food-

inCLudeS BLue BuFFaLLo

Brand. It was on Fox news

that 70 dogs have died as a result of eating chicken

jerky treats made from chicken that has come

from China. Kingdom Pets brand from Costco is one of

them. Also certain Blue Buffalo brand pet foods have a recall for

the same thing.