22 - wolf.org · photos are of captive wolves. 2 winter 2005 answer: adolph murie conductedhis...

2 As a Matter of Fact

3 From the Executive Director

14 International Wolf Center Notes From Home

17 Tracking the Pack

18 Wolves of the World

22 Book Review

23 News and Notes

24 Personal Encounter

27 Wild Kids

28 A Look Beyond

Features

THE QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER VOLUME 15, NO. 4 WINTER 2005

On The Cover“Wolf Painting #11” by Mary Roberson

Mary Roberson has been featured in WildlifeArt magazine, and will be featured inSouthwest Art magazine’s November 2005issue and Informart magazine’s fall issue.

To view and purchase additional artwork,visit www.maryroberson.com, or call 208-788-3865.

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The End of an Era: The Last Days of Wolf 21

Throughout the decade of Yellowstone wolf recovery, no wolfpack has enjoyed celebrity status more than the famed DruidPeak pack. And one member of the pack always stood outdue to his size and charisma—21, the Druid dominant male.The author relates the history of wolf 21 and his last days.

R i c k M c I n t y r e

The 2005 Wolf ConferenceIn October 2005, approximately 450 people

from 18 nations met in Colorado Springs, Colorado,for the fourth international wolf conference, “Frontiersof Wolf Recovery.” The authors provide an overview of this important event.

S t e v e G r o o m s a n d N a o m i H u i g

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Gray Wolf ReclassificationDerailed, Delisting in

Eastern United States DelayedThe leader of the team of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists that crafted the gray wolf reclassificationdiscusses the impacts of its overturning by a U.S. DistrictCourt ruling in January 2005.

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Publications DirectorMary Ortiz

Magazine CoordinatorTerri Ellman

Graphics CoordinatorCarissa L.W. Knaack

Consulting EditorMary Keirstead

Technical Editor L. David Mech

Graphic DesignerTricia Austin

International Wolf (1089-683X) is publishedquarterly and copyrighted, 2005, by theInternational Wolf Center, 12615 Co.Road 9,Minneapolis, MN 55441, USA. e-mail: [email protected]. All rightsreserved.

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 membershipsare U.S. $30 • Wolf Pack $50 • WolfAssociate $100 • Wolf Sponsor $500 • Alpha Wolf $1000. Canada and othercountries, add U.S. $15 per year for airmailpostage, $7 for surface postage. Contact theInternational Wolf Center, 1396 Highway169, 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-relatedissues. Articles and materials printed inInternational Wolf do not necessarily reflectthe viewpoint of the International WolfCenter or its board of directors.

International Wolf welcomes submissions ofpersonal adventures with wolves and wolfphotographs. Prior to submission of othertypes of manuscripts, address queries toMary Ortiz, publications director.

International Wolf is printed entirely withsoy ink on recycled and recyclable paper (text pages contain 20% post-consumerwaste, cover paper contains 10% post-consumer waste). We encourage you to recycle this magazine.

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

2 W i n t e r 2 0 0 5 w w w . w o l f . o r g

Answer: Adolph Murie conducted his primary wolf study in Alaska.Between 1939 and 1941, Murie conducted one of the first formalstudies of wolves anywhere, at Mount McKinley National Park (nowcalled Denali National Park). �

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Question: Where did Adolph Murie conduct his primary wolf study?

What is RLU?New Question

Correction: A photo on page 10 of the Summer 2005 issue ofInternational Wolf was mistakenly credited to Leo and Dorothy Walter.

The photo was taken by Leo and Dorothy Keeler.

West Gate

After spending hours watching the pack, we had many questions on our minds, one of which was, where was the sixth adult? The previous day all members of the pack—the six adults and three pups—were settled into their rendezvous site. The pups spent most of the day sleeping,

interspersed with moments of activity to adjust positions, often staying in thesame place, just pointed in a different direction. It was as if they were fluffingup the pillows provided by the Arctic hummocks.

This pack was on the western coast of Ellesmere Island, well north of theArctic Circle, thus allowing us to observe the wolves anytime ofthe day. I had the great fortune of accompanying Dave Mech onhis twentieth year of wolf research in the remote location. I hadjoined Dave in 2001, but we saw no wolves that year.

This year was different.After two days of searching, we found the pack, and because

these wolves had not suffered persecution by humans, their fearwas minimal, allowing us to get very close to them. We watchedthem for hours on end as they largely ignored us. It was simplyan amazing experience to be that close.

This brings me back to the “missing” wolf. In this landscapewhere trees grow laterally, not vertically, it is easy to see any move-

ments on the tundra. And sure enough “number 6” suddenly appeared headingup the streambed toward us with a deliberateness to its stride. It held its headhigh as it searched to find the other members of its pack. As it passed a tongueof the ridgeline, it saw the adults and quickly approached them. The usualgreeting of moving tails, ears, heads and most of the rest of the body followedas each adult was met. But this greeting seemed a bit shorter than the usual.Number 6 seemed intent on other business—to find the pups. It again held its head high and keenly looked around, but failed to see the pups, who hadnestled themselves deep in the hummocks. The wolf picked up a scent andquickened its pace in a direction that would take it to the pups. Before it gotclose, the three pups popped out of the hummocks, and an exuberant greetingensued. Pups rolled over each other as they begged food from the adult. Theirears pointed down and then up, their tiny tails wagged, and their back and fronthalves wiggled from side to side. The pups’ exuberance was rewarded withregurgitated food from the adult. We could see one pup carrying a piece ofbloodied meat, and when their heads came up from eating, their white maneswere colored with blood from the fresh meal—likely a young arctic hare.

Often I’ve read that members of the pack help care for the wolf pups. Neveragain will I read that without visualizing number 6 making its triumphant returnto its own pack, determined to make sure it did indeed take care of the pups. �

From the Executive DirectorINTERNATIONAL

WOLF CENTER

BOARD OF DIRECTORSNancy jo Tubbs

Chair

Dr. L. David MechVice Chair

Dr. Rolf O. PetersonSecretary

Paul B. AndersonTreasurer

Dr. Larry D. Anderson

Thomas T. Dwight

Nancy Gibson

Hélène Grimaud

Cree Bradley

Cornelia Hutt

Dean Johnson

Mike Phillips

Deborah Reynolds

Jerry Sanders

Paul Schurke

Ted Spaulding

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 W i n t e r 2 0 0 5 3

Walter Medwid


Valerie Gates

Anonymous Donor

Turner Endangered Species Fund

Tracy A. Weeks Fund

U.S. Department of AgricultureWildlife Services

U.S. Forest Service

Wolf Forum of Southern RockiesCheyenne Mountain ZooPueblo ZooDenver ZooAlbuquerque BioPark’s Rio Grande ZooInternational Wolf Center

National Park Service

The Leighty Foundation

The Harold W. Sweatt Foundation

Defenders of Wildlife

Sinapu

The 2005 Wolf Conference

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Once every five years, the International Wolf Center organizes an international wolf confer-ence. In early October 2005, approximately

450 people from 18 nations met in Colorado Springs,Colorado, for the fourth such wolf conference:“Frontiers of Wolf Recovery.” A wolf conference is a bitlike a class reunion, a bit like a fair, a bit like a celebrationand a lot like an advanced college seminar in wolfresearch. In short, a wolf conference is pretty special.

Attendees this year included a colorful internationalmix of wolf researchers, wolf managers, wolf educators,wolf fans and environmental activists. Also present were“stakeholders” in the great debate about wolf man-agement, including people who raise sheep and cattle.What that mixed group had in common was a passionateinterest in wolves, positive or negative.

The four-day conference offered a great deal forparticipants to think about. Saturday afternoon featuredan IUCN World Conservation Union Wolf SpecialistGroup meeting including people from 13 different countries. As a part of this world’s foremost internationalconservation organization, their goal is to promote eco-logically sound management of the wolf worldwide and

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ConferenceSponsors and

PartnersThe International

Wolf Center gratefullyacknowledges the following

conference donors:


International Wolf Center andArizona rancher Darcy Ely followedthe conference. Representatives fromlivestock, hunting, governmental andenvironmental organizations discussedefforts to educate the public aboutwolves and their effects on people inthe Southwest. Jackie Fallon, MexicanWolf Education Advisor for theMexican Gray Wolf Species SurvivalProgram and Minnesota Zoo Keeper,and Lori Schmidt, Wolf Curator for

the International Wolf Center,addressed the unique and importantissues surrounding day-to-day wolfmanagement at their facilities in aCaptive Wolf Management Meeting,another post-conference event.

In short, it was a splendid event,and I hope you didn’t miss it. If youdid, on the next pages are a few quotesto give you a taste of the provocativeand thoughtful presentations at the2005 wolf conference.

especially endangered wolf popula-tions. In more than a hundred oralpresentations, wolf experts sharedcutting-edge research and the kind of wisdom that comes from decadesof political wolf wars. Some of thosepresentations were moving. Somewere funny. Some were contentious.All were fresh and intriguing.

The particular focus of this con-ference was wolf recovery in theSouthwest. The U.S. Fish and WildlifeService has launched an effort to re-cover wolves in the south-western United States. Thisrepresents only the thirdtime federal managers havedetermined to recover graywolves in a specific region(the first two being thesuccessful efforts to restorewolves in the upper GreatLakes and the NorthernRockies). As the panel dis-cussions made clear, manyquestions and challengesremain to be dealt withbefore wolves can be re-stored to the Southwest,but interest in the project is high.

The conference wasn’tlimited to wolf talk,although that was the heart of it.Attendees also saw slide shows andwolf films. One slide show demon-strated how better photographictechnology is advancing wolf research.Authors of wolf books signed theirbooks. One evening featured a ranch-house meal, followed by an evening of cowboy music. Filmmaker BobLandis gave attendees a sneak pre-view of some of his latest footage,including some never-before-filmedinteractions between wolves andother species. Trainers demonstratedhow dogs can be used to performwildlife census work by discoveringwildlife scats. Some attendees touredbeautiful parks in the ColoradoSprings area.

A Southwest Wolf StakeholderMeeting co-hosted by the ColoradoWool Growers Association, theNational Wildlife Federation, the

Left: Doug Smith, shown here, andother authors signed their books forconference participants.

Below: Wolf experts shared theirresearch with conference participantsthrough poster exhibits and oralpresentations.

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“Increasingly, wolves andhumans are competingfor space. It might notseem like that is theissue, but it is. Whenwe grow our food, weconsume space that isnot available to wolves.We have this attitude ofwanting to eat our cake andhave our wolves, too. Over the next 25 to 50 years, we will have more and moreproblems finding enough suitable spacefor wild wolves. While some folks worryabout Alaskans aerially shooting a fewwolves, what we really should be worriedabout is saving wild lands.”

L. David Mech, U.S. Geological Survey

“While the depredation compensationprogram is perhaps better than nothing,it doesn’t address the emotional loss. We ranchers don’t talk much about feelings. But I have to tell you, I justdon’t like the feeling I get when my cows and calves are attacked by wolves.”

“When I read some statements by envi-ronmentalists, I feel they favor an ethniccleansing of the range of all ranchers.”

Tom Compton, rancher

“I don’t agree that the purpose of theEndangered Species Actis to prevent extinction.The purpose of theEndangered Species Act is recovery of the species. The act issupposed to recover anendangered species in a‘significant portion’ of its orig-inal range. Shouldn’t the significant portionbe larger than the insignificant portion? Ifwe don’t get this right for a species like thewolf, what are the chances we will get itright for a species that is not celebrated?”

Mike Phillips, Turner Endangered Species Fund

The conference focused on wolf recovery in theSouthwest, where the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has

launched an effort to recover the Mexican gray wolf.

Walter Medwid presented the Distinguished Service andEducation Award to Valerie Gates in recognition of hercommitment to the environment and environmental education and generous support of the International Wolf Center.

Conference participants enjoyed aranch-house meal at the Flying WRanch, followed by an evening of cowboy music.

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“Habituation to humans is the responsewolves or other animals have to frequentnonconsequential contacts with humans.It is interesting to note that we considerhabituation to humans a bad thing in the United States, but in Europe suchhabituation is seen as good because itmakes it possible for wolves to live indensely settled areas.”

Diane Boyd, ecological consultant

“Wolves are well studied, but this does not mean we should no longer studythem. The first 10 years of wolves inYellowstone has produced some amazinginsights: interactions we have seenbetween wolves and grizzly bears, coyotes,elk and bison have been some of the best looks into this anywhere. And documenting the impacts on theecosystem has also presented a remarkablescientific opportunity in that there wasgreat data on Yellowstone without wolves;now we have great data with them, awonderful chance for comparison.”

Doug Smith, Yellowstone National Park

“We are born with two ears and onemouth, so we should be listening at least twice as much as talking to thevarious interest groups. When govern-ment agencies start saying they are goingto listen to the various interest groupsinstead of talking to them, we will bemaking progress in public involvement in resource management decision-making.I have yet to see any interest group getupset because they were listened to. Wehave the tools to reach decisions that allinterest groups agree to, but managersmust be willing to work with interestgroups toward a better understanding and addressing of each group’s concerns.”

Alistair Bath, Memorial University of Newfoundland

“Saying that wolf losses to the cattleindustry are insignificant—which is true, statistically speaking—is like saying the loss of New Orleans to the national economy is insignificant.”

Ed Bangs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

“Long-range studies offer the only chance to study ecosystems in detail. And the ironic truth is that the more youstudy, the less you know—or the less youthink any simple explanation will suffice.Long-range studies offer the only chancesfor us to find out how little we know.”

Rolf Peterson, Michigan Technological University

“In parts of India,the lives ofwolves andhumans areintimatelyinterwoven. Insome agricul-tural areas, thereis no natural preyfor wolves. In theseareas, without livestockthere would be no wolves.”

Yadvendradev Jhala, Wildlife Institute of India

Steve Grooms has recently rewritten hisbest-selling book, The Return of the Wolf.He was assisted in this article by Naomi Huig, a wildlife student from the Netherlands.

International Wolf CenterAwards Presented

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ANDEDUCATION AWARD was presented to Valerie Gates in recognition of hercommitment to the environment and environmental education and generoussupport of the International Wolf Center.

The annual “WHO SPEAKS FORWOLF” (from a Native American myth)award is given by the International WolfCenter to an individual or individualsoutside the organization who havemade exceptional contributions to wolfeducation, both by teaching people how the wolf lives and by placing thewolf in the broader context ofhumankind’s relationship to nature.

This year’s recipients are:

Bob Landis, cinematographer

Rick McIntyre, Naturalist,Yellowstone National Park

Jennifer Gilbreath, Red Wolf Coalition

Bobbie Holaday, founder anddirector of Preserve Arizona’s Wolves

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Editor’s note: Stretching across the northeastern portion of YellowstoneNational Park, the Lamar Valley has been called America’s Serengeti.With its broad vistas and abundant wildlife, the Lamar has long been a favorite destination for park visitors. Since 1995, when wolves werereintroduced to Yellowstone, the valley has gained renown as one ofthe best places in the world to see wolves.

Throughout the decade of Yellowstone wolf recovery, no wolf pack hasenjoyed celebrity status more than the famed Druid Peak pack. Andno individual wolves have captured the hearts and imaginations ofwolf supporters more than wolf 21 and wolf 42.

une 11, 2004, seemed like a typical day in LamarValley. We found the Druid wolves feeding on a freshlykilled elk just after first light. Word spread quicklythrough the valley, and soon scores of park visitors

were watching the pack. As always, one member of thepack stood out due to his size and charisma—21, theDruid dominant male. Most of the wolf watchers there that morning knew about 21 and his history before theycame to the park. To see him, just 400 yards away, was like seeing their favorite rock star in person.

At that time 21 was just over 9 years old, the oldestknown wolf in the park. He had been born in April 1995to wolf 9, one of the original reintroduced Canadianwolves. Just before his birth, 21’s father, wolf 10 (themagnificent Yellowstone “poster wolf”) was illegally shotand killed. Wolf 21’s mother gave birth to eight pups under adverse conditions near the remote town of RedLodge, Montana. Since it would have been almost impos-sible for her to get enough food by herself for such a largelitter, the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and WildlifeService captured the family and put them in the RoseCreek acclimation pen in Lamar Valley. Wolf 9 and herpups spent the summer and early fall in the enclosure.

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Among the members ofthe famed Druid Peakpack, one wolf stood outdue to his size andcharisma— wolf 21, theDruid dominant male.


The plan was to release the familyin mid-October 1995. Around thattime Wolf 8, a low-ranking yearlingfrom the Crystal Creek pack, wanderedup the Rose Creek drainage, wherehe found some of the pups and be-friended them. Wolf 9 accepted himinto her pack, and since wolf 8 wasthe only adult male in the group, hebecame the Rose Creek pack’s domi-nant male by default.

Wolf 21 eventually became thesecond-ranking male in the pack, andhe helped wolves 8 and 9 raise littersin 1996 and 1997. During the 1997denning season, 21 was particularlydevoted to caring for the pups. Oneof the pups in that litter was sickand did not play or interact with theother pups. I remember seeing 21deliberately go to that pup and sit be-side it, much like a dog might sit byits sick owner.

In late 1997, the Druid Peak wolves,which lived just east of 21’s pack,headed out of the park, and both ofits adult males were illegally shot and killed. The surviving three adultfemales and five pups returned toLamar Valley and ran into wolf 21, whoacted friendly toward them. The adultfemales tested 21 by snapping at him.He just stood there with a wagging tailand did not snap back. Wolf 21 joinedtheir pack as its dominant male andadopted the pups of wolf 38, just likewolf 8 had adopted him.

Wolf 21 sired many pups from1998 to 2004, including 21 pups in2000. At one point, the Druid Peakpack numbered 37 wolves, the secondor third largest known wolf pack inhistory. Many of 21’s offspring haveleft to start new packs and now havepups of their own. For example, hisson 253 is now raising pups in a newpack near Jackson, Wyoming.

Wolf 21 was amazingly benevo-lent toward the other wolves in hisfamily. At times he would wrestlewith younger males in the pack andlet them win. Even though he was thedominant male, he frequently wouldwalk off after a kill and let the otherwolves feed first. I often saw pupsharass him by biting his tail or ears.He never retaliated. He would justwalk away. Once I saw him cross theroad and hide in bushes to get awayfrom pups that were bothering him.

When necessary, Wolf 21 woulduse his great size and strength tobenefit his pack. If the youngerwolves were attacking an elk butcould not pull it down, 21 would runin, leap up and grab the elk’s throat inan iron grip. The elk could not shakehim off and would die in a minute ortwo. As he got older and slower, thatability to quickly kill an elk enabledhim to still contribute to the pack’s

welfare. On two occasions I saw 21run into clusters of big wolves fromrival packs and defeat them byhimself, like an action-movie hero.

Wolf 42, the Druid dominant femaleand 21’s long-time companion, diedin February 2004. Her remains werefound at the west end of the LamarValley on Specimen Ridge near a bullelk carcass. It looked like she hadbeen killed by other wolves, mostlikely Mollie’s pack. The Druid andMollie’s wolves probably encounteredeach other at the carcass site andfought. In the confusion, some of therival wolves must have killed 42.

Whatever happened, 21 and all theyounger wolves survived and made it safely back to their territory. Therewas some evidence that 21 may nothave known what had happened to42. Over the next few days he did more howling than usual, and he traveled extensively to the pack’s most

For many wolf watchers in Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley, to see Wolf 21 was like seeing their favoriterock star in person.

Wolf 21 was amazingly benevolent toward the other wolves in his family.At times he would wrestle with younger males in the pack and let themwin. Even though he was the dominant male, he frequently would walk offafter a kill and let the other wolves feed first.

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Wolf 42, the Druid dominantfemale, shown here with wolf

21, died in February 2004.She was probably killed

by other wolves.


in the chase. Perhaps he was tired orjust not feeling well.

Over the next few days, we sawDruid wolves, but not 21, and I startedto worry. His radio collar had not beenworking for awhile, and that meantthat we might never know what hadhappened to him. Some people whoknew 21 well were desperate to knowhis fate; others preferred not to knowin case that fate might not be pleasant.

In July, an outfitter reported finding a dead radio-collared wolf highon Specimen Ridge. He had broughtthe collar down with him and given it to a ranger, who showed it to me. It was 21’s. Doug Smith, head of theYellowstone Wolf Project, several otherWolf Project personnel, and I rodehorses up to the site a few days later.

Wolf 21 had died in the pack’sOpal Creek rendezvous site, a late-summer site the Druids have used formany years. We found his remains

under a tree at theedge of a meadow.

If a person or a wolfwanted to pick a tran-

quil place to spend his lastday of life, this would be a good

choice. There was no sign of struggleor violence. I think he knew his timewas coming, and went to a site he likedand lay down.

That meadow will likely be usedby the Druid wolves for many moreyears. The legacy of 21 will live on inthat special place and in the futuregenerations of Druid pups. Wolf 42died only a few miles west, on thesame ridge. During their many yearsas a mated pair, the two were rarelyapart, but when they were separated,they could always find each otheragain quickly. Certainly in the memo-ries of the people whose lives wereenriched by them, 21 and 42 willalways be together. �

Rick McIntyre, author of A Society ofWolves and War Against the Wolf, hasbeen watching wolves for the past 27years in Denali, Glacier, and YellowstoneNational Parks. He currently works forthe Yellowstone Wolf Project.

commonly used areas, in-cluding their den. All this indicated hemight have beensearching for her.

After 42’s death,21 carried on withthe pack as besthe could. He matedwith wolf 286, ayoung pack memberthat was not his daughter.She returned to the traditionalDruid den site in early April and gave birth to a litter of at least six pups. As he had for so many other litters ofpups, 21 worked hard to feed and care for them.

Those of us who were watching 21on the morning of June 11 knew thathe was very old for a wild wolf andthat he might not survive much longer.Later that day the pack went to theirrendezvous site at Chalcedony Creekand bedded down. In the evening abull elk walked into that meadow, and several wolves chased him. I re-member seeing 21 jump up with the other wolves, but he did not join

With its broad vistas and abundant wildlife,Yellowstone National Park’s Lamar Valley has long been a favorite destination for parkvisitors. Since 1995, the valley has been even more popular and for one reason—the return of the wolf to Yellowstone.

Wolf 21 died in the pack’s Opal Creek rendezvous site, a late-summer sitethe Druids have used for many years. We found his remains under a treeat the edge of a meadow. If a person or a wolf wanted to pick a tranquilplace to spend his last day of life, this would be a good choice.

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n January 31, 2005, U.S. DistrictCourt Judge Robert Jones deliv-

ered an important ruling against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service(USFWS). The ruling wasn’t just asurprise to me—it was a shock! I hadbeen the leader of a team of USFWSendangered species biologists that hadcrafted the gray wolf reclassificationoverturned by the ruling. With thehelp of several career EndangeredSpecies Act (ESA) attorneys for theDepartment of the Interior, we hadspent nearly three years developingthe initial proposal, held 14 publichearings across the nation, and ana-lyzed comments from 43,000 individ-uals and organizations interested inthe changes we had proposed. Wespent an additional three years care-fully making changes based on thosecomments and to comply with thelegal requirements of the ESA. Wewere convinced that we had followedthe law and had used the best scien-tific data in making the final decisionthat we announced in April 2003. Soyou might understand why we wereshocked when Judge Jones ruled thatwe had misinterpreted and improperlyapplied the ESA, and that he wasvacating—overruling—our gray wolfreclassification final rule and the threeDistinct Population Segments (DPS)that it had established.

Our 2003 gray wolf reclassificationhad subdivided the 1978 48-state-wide listing of the gray wolf into three geographically delineated DPSs.Under its definition of “species” theESA allows the listing/reclassification/delisting of DPSs of vertebrate animals,so our 2003 reclassification had“listed” three DPSs that correspondedto the USFWS’s three on-going graywolf recovery programs. These DPSswere an eastern one encompassing thearea of the 25-year-old Eastern TimberWolf Recovery Plan (from the Dakotasto the Atlantic Coast), a western onethat was centered around the NorthernRocky Mountain Gray Wolf RecoveryProgram, and a southwestern one thatwas built around the Mexican GrayWolf Recovery Program in the UnitedStates and Mexico. Because wolves in

Gray WolfReclassificationDerailed, Delistingin Eastern UnitedStates Delayed

Gray WolfReclassificationDerailed, Delistingin Eastern UnitedStates Delayed

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The three wolf recoveryprograms and the respectiveDPS designations reflected along-standing USFWS under-standing that the purpose of theESA is to prevent extinction ofrare plant and animal speciesby improving their status to thepoint where they are not likelyto be in danger of extinction forthe foreseeable future.

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Rockies, he indicated that theUSFWS’s reclassification of muchlarger DPSs around those recoveredpopulations was improper because wehad not analyzed the threats to graywolves throughout all “significantportions” of historical wolf rangewithin the Eastern and Western DPSs.Without such DPS-wide assessmentsof threats, our newly designated DPSswere invalid, according to the judge,as were our reclassifications of wolvesin two of those DPSs from endan-gered to threatened status.

Judge Jones viewed “significantportions” of gray wolf range to be anylarge areas of historical range in theDPSs that still have suitable habitat,while the USFWS had viewed thesignificant portions of wolf range tobe those areas in each DPS that werenecessary to establish and maintainviable wolf populations for the fore-seeable future. Thus, we had limitedour assessment of threats to thosesmaller areas, instead of conductingthe geographically larger analysis thatJudge Jones envisioned. Because theUSFWS has no written policy or guid-ance on the meaning of “significantportion of range” as the phrase is used

in the definitions of “threatened” and“endangered,” Judge Jones was ableto provide his own interpretation.

At this writing, the Department ofJustice has not yet decided whether toappeal the ruling of the OregonDistrict Court to the Ninth CircuitCourt, so the long-term impacts of theruling are uncertain. (A “ProtectiveNotice of Appeal” was filed with thecourt on July 1, retaining the govern-ment’s ability to appeal for an addi-tional period.) But these immediateimpacts have already occurred:

� All changes made by the April 1,2003, gray wolf reclassification finalrule are canceled, including the estab-lishment of three gray wolf DPSs.� Minnesota’s 3,000 wolves remainlisted as threatened, as they havebeen since 1978.� Gray wolves throughout theremaining 47 conterminous statesand Mexico have reverted to endan-gered status, except where they arelisted as part of an experimentalpopulation for reintroduction pur-poses (throughout Wyoming and inportions of Montana, Idaho, Arizona,New Mexico and Texas).� The April 1, 2003, Special Regulationsfor parts of the Eastern and WesternDPSs (primarily dealing with the con-trol of wolves attacking domesticanimals) cannot be implemented.� The 1994 and 1998 ExperimentalPopulation Regulations remain ineffect for the experimental popula-tions in the Northern Rockies and theSouthwest.� The 1985 Special Regulations thatapply to control of depredatingwolves in Minnesota remain in effect. � Our July 21, 2004, proposal to de-list gray wolves through-out the

Eastern DPS cannot befinalized.

The 2005 regulationsfor the experimental pop-ulations of gray wolves in the Northern Rockiesremain in effect, as theywere not linked to the2003 reclassification.These regulations in-crease management flexi-

bility for states and tribes in theNorthern Rockies experimental areasif they have wolf management plansapproved by the USFWS.

In February, the Departments ofNatural Resources in Wisconsin andMichigan requested that the USFWSissue subpermits to them that wouldrestore some or all of their ability tokill wolves verified as attacking do-mestic animals. The states and tribesin the Eastern DPS had gained such“lethal control” authority under the2003 special regulations for that DPS;

the Eastern and Western DPSs hadalready achieved the numericalcriteria that their respective recoveryprograms had established to triggerreclassification from endangered tothreatened status, our 2003 final rulehad reclassified gray wolves in thesetwo DPSs to threatened status. Wolvesin the Southwestern DPS remainedlisted as endangered due to their lownumbers, limited range, and contin-uing threats to their survival.

These three recovery programsand the respective DPS designationsreflected a 30-year USFWS under-standing that the purpose of the ESAis to prevent extinction of rare plantand animal species by improving theirstatus to the point where they are notlikely to be in danger of extinction forthe foreseeable future. We believedthat establishing three gray wolfmetapopulations—three isolatedpopulations of wolves, each of whichare composed of semi-isolatedsubpopulations, are sufficiently largeand geographically dispersed, andpreserve genetic diversity so that theyare independently viable—wouldguarantee that the gray wolf wouldnot be threatened with extinction in

our lifetime or in the lifetimes of ourgrandchildren. Those of us who hadspent many years working in the ESAprogram—over 20 years in my case—did not believe the ESA requiredrangewide restoration of a speciesbefore it could be considered to berecovered and removed from the listof threatened or endangered species.

Judge Jones’ ruling indicated thathe interpreted the ESA differently.While stating that gray wolves haveachieved their recovery goals in theWestern Great Lakes and Northern

Those of us who had spent many years working in theESA program— over 20 years in my case—did not believethe ESA required rangewide restoration of a speciesbefore it could be considered recovered and removed from the list of threatened or endangered species.

the two DNRs had used that authorityto kill a total of 34 wolves in 2003 and2004. After careful review of theimpacts of the 2003–04 lethal controlactions in those states, we issued one-year subpermits to each DNR. Thesubpermits authorize limited lethalcontrol programs under stricter condi-tions than those previously containedin the 2003 special regulations. Detailsof each subpermit and our analysiscan be found on our Web site at http://www.fws.gov/midwest/WisconsinWolfNEPA/ and http://www.fws.gov/midwest/MichiganWolfNEPA/.

Two things are crystal clear to me:The wolves have done their part, byreproducing and colonizing suitablehabitat areas in the Midwest at a fasterrate than most biologists expected.And the ESA has done its part, byprotecting and fostering that expan-ding wolf population and providinglegal flexibility to effectively deal withwolf-human conflicts during therecovery process. But now we face anew dilemma, and the solution is farfrom clear: how do we go aboutdownlisting and delisting recoveredpopulations of a species that onceranged over almost all of the United States?

The USFWS and the federal courtsystem have had a great deal of expe-rience with ESA listing actions andrecovery programs, but we have hadvery little experience with the down-listing and delisting of species.Hopefully the public will bear withus longer as the USFWS, the courtsand the environmental groups whoopposed our DPS designations figureout how to make it work. �

Ron Refsnider is the Endangered SpeciesListing Coordinator for the Midwest Regionof the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He has been working in the EndangeredSpecies Program for over 21 years and has been involved in gray wolf recovery for the past 15 years.

Editor’s note: Also see “Should the Wolf BeDelisted?” in the Spring 2004 issue.

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The wolves have done their part intheir recovery by reproducing and colonizing suitable habitat areas in the Midwest at a faster rate than most biologists expected.


articles in Minnesotamagazines , one ofwhich featured Grizzeron the cover!

While I’ve enjoyedmeeting wolf enthusi-asts, the most rewardingaspect of these talks is answering questionsand watching the facesof people who prob-ably would have nevertaken an interest inwolves and our role intheir future. Peopleimmediately relatewhen I tell them thatthe first few monthsafter returning home, I didn’t wash my rednanny jacket because I couldn’t bear to washaway the scent of the pups’fur. From that point on, thecaptivating images of thepups tell the rest of the story.

The true treasure of the


INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER

Notes From Home

Nanny Passes Forward Wolf EducationD e b o r a h L u c c h e s i

If someone had told mefive years ago that I’d be

standing in front of peopletalking about wolves andwolf pups, I’d have told them they had me mixed upwith someone else! But lifehas a way of weaving itsstrands to create unexpectedconnections between peopleand animals, places andexperiences.

This past summer whenI volunteered to become asurrogate pack member to thethree pups at the InternationalWolf Center, I planned to usemy canine experience to helpout, learn about wolves andpups, and return home to re-sume my life. But the expe-

rience was too powerful for me to leave the packbehind, so I found a way tokeep them close to me by“passing them forward” allover Minnesota!

I put together a Power-Point presentation from thehundreds of digital images I (and other nannies) had of the Center’s ambassadorwolves Maya, Grizzer andNyssa, which includedbottle feeding through their7-month birthdays inJanuary 2005. Then I tookthe show on the road tosome unlikely organiza-tions, businesses, outdoorexpos, colleges and schools.I also published a couple of

Deborah Lucchesi is passing the word onabout her experience as a wolf pup nanny.

Romance Flourishes at the International Wolf Center

Keeping secret one’s plans to proposemarriage is no easy task, as Kevin

Ericson found out. His girlfriend of nearly a year, Renee Meissner, kept figuring outevery plan he came up with. But he wasfinally able to surprise her.

The two went on vacation to Ely,Minnesota. Renee had been there andvisited the International Wolf Centernearly every year since 2001. Kevin knew

Renee would appreciate the location, so hepopped the question by the bronze wolvesin front of the Center on July 8, 2005.

The timing surprised Renee, who wasexpecting to be asked on her birthday, oneweek later. The reception inside the Centersurprised them both.

Kevin had notified Center staff of thepending occasion. So everyone was peeringthrough the windows, watching the eventunfold, and the happy couple were greetedwith cheering and applause as they walkedthrough the doors.

A time and place for the wedding hasn’tbeen set, but maybe they’ll end their vowswith a nice loud howl.

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Center’s nanny program isopening eyes to wolves andtheir place in the web of lifeand passing it forward, onenanny at a time.

Kevin Ericson and ReneeMeissner, shown here at aRenaissance festival, wereengaged to be married at theCenter on July 8, 2005.

College, Steinkjer, Norway,experienced a week of studyin the United States throughthe University of Minnesota.A portion of that week wasspent learning about wolvesat the International WolfCenter.


“Leave Your Zoom Lens at Home”

Not-for-profit organizations rely heavily on thegenerosity of others to fulfill their mission.

The donation of time, money and expertise isalways appreciated. And the International WolfCenter is highly indebted to an advertising team at Campbell-Mithun, which has gone above andbeyond in their quest to help.

Campbell-Mithun is based in Minneapolis but isknown around the world for its amazing advertisingcampaigns for many corporations. Randy Gerda, MarkFrancel, Reid Holmes and Gretchen Heim took time fromthose campaigns to do pro-bono work for the Center.

They’ve created posters, print ads, rack cards, postcards and even a billboard withcatchy taglines and incredible designs—the wonderful result of which is that morepeople are drawn to the Center and learn more about wolves in the process.

A couple of the taglines they have created are “Leave your zoom lens at home” and“Wolves are born with every skill necessary for their survival. Except fundraising.” It’simpossible to tell what they’ll come up with next. Whatever it is, it will be appreciated.

Their wolf experiencebegan the day after arrivalwith a talk by famed wolfbiologist and Center founderDr. L. David Mech in St.Paul. A couple days later the group headed north tothe interpretive center inEly, Minnesota, for what

Twenty-six students from Norwayspent part of a week at the Centerlearning about wolves.

Norwegian Students Study Wolves in Minnesotamany students called “morethan just a field trip.” There,Program Director JenWestlund discussed wolfbiology, ecology and ethologywith them. Wolf CuratorLori Schmidt took them tothe U.S. Forest Service andU.S. Geological Survey’sKawishiwi Field Lab tolearn more about telemetryand field study.

University of Minnesotaprogram coordinator BillGanzlin says everyone onthe trip gave enthusiasticreports after the week wasdone, describing what theylearned and experienced. Itwas a trip they’re not likelyto forget. �

A Campbell-Mithun advertising team didpro-bono work for the Center. Back row,left to right: Linda Francel, Mark Francelholding Jakob Francel, Reid Holmes withPeter Holmes on shoulders, Randy Gerdawith Lucas Gerda on shoulders; front row:Josef Francel, Elaina Francel, Katy Holmes,Gretchen Heim, Alina Gerda.

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Agroup of exchange students got to know

the wolves of Minnesotaduring an April 2005 visit.Twenty-six students enrolledin natural resource manage-ment and forestry courses atNord Trondelag University


INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER

Contributors

MemorialsIn memory of Rev. Edwin Hunt Badger:Bill & MadelineStockbridge

In memory of David Bassitt:Patricia Hamm

In memory of PVT. Stephen A. Bulger:Mary & John Gourley

In memory of Arthur Chuzum:Mrs. Arthur Chuzum

In memory of Richard Eizember:Tom and BJ Kobierksi

In memory of Elmer Foronda:Joe & Jody Greenhalgh

In memory of Samuel Gittlen:Carra, Scott, Eli & SydraVictor Bobes Jr.Jodi FlenerSandra GittlenBernard KleimanMichelle and MichaelSandersJohn & Marilyn ScarfiSharon StillerAFSCME- AFL CIOInternational Officers ofthe United SteelworkersSteelworkers Organizationof Active RetireesUnited Steelworkers ofAmerica-District 10Revolving Fund

In memory of Margaret R. Helms:Jeffrey Helms

In memory of Julia BakerJensen of Side Lake,Minnesota:The Jensen Family

In memory of Nyssa:Michele AmackerRichard AugustaChris and Paul BatisteNancy BayerMaureen BlackRobert CohenPhyllis DaleBrian & Ellen DietzLisa DuryeeJames FitzpatrickJohanna GoeringMichelle HackettMarlene C. HansonSharon HasertDonna HedrickDawn HorstmanCatherine JentsKari KoehlerSandra LockwoodCindy LudwigBetty MagnusonMaureen MonagleBarbara B. MoodyLaura MoyerMarcia MummauJanet NarronAndrea NelsenPhyllis PriceKristine J. RainesBonnie Jean RamseyDiane RamseyD. Ann RasberryLori RhodesJennifer RoeElizabeth SerratoreDebra ShepherdTina SovaryKay TaylorPeter & Kathryn TrussellDan & Agnes TynaValorie UrinkoJohn VirrStephen H. Watson

Joyce WellsMary WesseliusKimberly WheelerMary WilkinsonKathy YeltonWeek Eight Nannies:Sherrel Grabler, LynneHaines, Joey Haswell, Deb Lucchesi, Karen Penn,Art Bomberger, and Vicki Bomberger

In memory of Pia:Chris Batiste

In memory of Rodney J. Siekkinen:Jean V. Ruth

In memory of Vizsla Tabazsco:Barbara Farley

HonoraryIn honor of Mr. HarveyFidler’s 90th birthday:Jill L. F. Wai

In honor of Carolyn Maples:Kary Reid

In honor of Marcia McKalvey:Andrea McKalvey

In honor of Kathleen McManamon:Diana and Daniel Long

In honor of JackReisinger’s 50th birthday:Delcena Byers

In honor of Jen Westlund and thesummer intern staff:Stuart & Shelley Rossman

In honor of the wild and crazy InternationalWolf Center staff:Rina Rossman

In honor of Rina Rossman and all the summer interns:Martin and Ruth Sorkin

Matching GiftsSue A. Blomquist and theXcel Energy FoundationMatching Gift ProgramJudith K. Fech and theWells Fargo CommunitySupport CampaignSherry Green and the Microsoft GivingCampaignRichard Kandiko and theKimberly Clark FoundationMatching Gift ProgramGordon King and the WPS ResourcesFoundation, Inc. Matching Gift ProgramEd Kramer and the SunMicrosystems FoundationMatching Gift ProgramCaryl McNeilly and the InternationalMonetary FundEdith Newbrand and Thrivent Financial for LutheransMark F. Rammer and the UPS FoundationCynthia Wong and theGerson Bakar FoundationREI Employees and the REI Charitable ActionCampaignSan Diego RegionalChamber of CommerceFoundation and LawsonSoftware

EstatesVincent Hillyer EstateVictoria C. Koch Estate

In-KindDonationsKen & Donna Dowell on behalf of the late Ralph DowellBarbara Redmond andBarbara Redmond DesignMaria Retana and High Desert ProductionsAlvin Sugerman

MAY–AUGUST 2005

ThankYou

Major DonorsVirginia AtterburyDorothy BlairCatherine D. BrownJohn Cain & Tanya Reiss CainPatty CoppolaBrian & Ellen DietzMary Lee L. DaytonMark Eisner Jr.Alan J. Feary, MDJoe & Jody GreenhalghJ. Parker & Julia HallMichael Scott HartF. B. Hubachek Jr.Neil HuttVirginia IvancichLaura JaegerDr. Mitchell MacenskiPeter MarantoDr. Dave MechPat MeyerDorothy Donnelley MollerStephen & Rosa MonroeSarah MorrisJohn H. RidenourTed RockwellHal and Sharon StarrAngelina TrujilloHelen R. TysonJohn and Donna VirrCorey VossFrank and Ada WarnerAmanda WhiteHawksglen Foundation

RoyaltiesVoyageur PressDr. David Mech


social dynamics that dictatelife in a wolf pack. Thewolves were being wolves in a world that is clearly runby wolf rules.

Wolf-on-wolf aggressionis one of the top two causesof natural mortality towolves in the wild. Wolvescompete aggressively fordominance, territory, accessto food and opportunities to breed. Most of the time,but not always, the aggres-sion is ritualized to avoidserious injury, but if somefactor heightens the aggres-sion, wolf fights can be fatal.We may never know whattriggered this incident, butone factor may have beenthat Maya and Nyssa hadbeen spayed five days earlierand still had stitches fromthe surgery. Although thesutures were healing well onboth females, an exuberantrun or jump across the pond

could have popped a stitchand caused bleeding, drawingthe wolves’ attention to thesuture site.

The Center’s exhibit isunique compared to otherfacilities because wild wolveslive near the Center. Severalstaff observed a wild wolfcrossing the highway infront of the Center withindays of the incident. Wolvesare very territorial; the presence of another, strangeadult wolf and an inabilityto deal with the threat frombehind the enclosure fencewould have likely agitatedthe captive wolves. Thewolves could have redirectedtheir aggression to the lowestpack member.

The philosophy of theCenter is to “teach theworld about wolves.” Theactions of the captive packcontinue to do just that. �

Tracking the Pack

A World Run by Wolf Rulesb 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

Nyssa had grown into a strong, healthy and independent adult, but she was the lowest-ranking member of the pack.

Several staff observed this wild wolf crossing the highway in front of theCenter within days of the incident that led to Nyssa’s death. The presenceof a wild wolf could have triggered the aggression toward Nyssa.

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mined that her woundswere beyond repair and the damage left no optionsbut euthanasia.

Nyssa had grown into astrong, healthy and inde-pendent adult. She weighedin at 95 pounds during theMay medical exam, com-pared to Maya’s 79.5 pounds,but size doesn’t always meanstatus. Natural wolf beha-vior includes a rank orderwith dominant wolvesaggressively forcing lowerwolves to submit. Nyssawas the lowest-ranking wolfin the pack, and Maya act-ively showed her moredominant status. The eventsof May 11 stand as a re-minder of the instinctual

On the morning of May 11, 2005, the

wolf care staff en-countered a day like noother. Upon arrival, staffmember Jen Westlund pre-pared for the morning wolfcheck. She noticed thatNyssa, who was lying up-right in a wooded area of theenclosure, wouldn’t come to the fence. We put theother members of the packinto an adjacent holdingarea, and Jen and I wentinto the enclosure. It wasimmediately evident thatNyssa had suffered trauma;we crated her and trans-ported her to the vet clinic.After a thorough examina-tion, the veterinarian deter-

sighting came in July 2002 along theSwiss-Italian border near Valais.

“In the beginning there wererumors being spread that the wolveswere being brought in by environ-mental groups,” said Doris Calegari, alarge carnivore specialist with WWF’sEuropean Alpine Programme. “Noone actually believed that they cameon their own naturally.”

A Wolf ’s ParadiseWildlife experts believe that there

are up to six wolves in Switzerland,originating from packs in the Abruzzoregion of central Italy some 600 kilo-meters (372 miles) away. Because ofincreased wolf protection in Italy in


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It is attitudes like this that first ledto the wolf’s extinction in Switzerlandsome 100 years ago. Despite con-tinued persecution (and vilificationthrough numerous folk tales, such as “Peter and the Wolf,” “Little RedRiding Hood,” the “Three Little Pigs”and others), the European wolf (Canislupus) is showing signs of a come-back as several have sneaked acrossthe border in recent years from Italyvia France in search of new territoryand food.

The presence of a single male wolfwas first spotted in the Swiss canton ofValais in 1995 (and reportedly killedin 1996). Since then there have beenwolf traces and other sightings in thesoutheastern cantons of Graubündenand Ticino. No breeding has so farbeen recorded, but the first female

This article was originally published online athttp://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/features/news.cfm?uNewsID=19492.

Looking for wolves in Switzerlandis a bit like looking for a needle

in a haystack. Perhaps evenharder as there are only a handful of them roaming throughout thecountry’s vast mountain ranges andalpine meadows made famous by the19th-century children’s classic, andlater the popular television series,Heidi. But for many living in the SwissAlps, this is a handful too many.

“If I ever came across a wolf, Iwould shoot it,” a Swiss hunter fromthe Italian-speaking canton of Ticinosaid point-blank. “They are cold killingmachines that threaten farmers andtheir livestock.”

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There were once hundreds of wolves living throughout Switzerland, but years of populationgrowth, industrialization, and forest conversion for agriculture and logging saw their habitatencroached upon. With little game left in the Alps, large carnivores turned to domesticatedanimals, like sheep and goats, for their meals. Seen as dangerous competitors, the wolf andthe lynx were exterminated in the Alps.

the 1970s—resulting in increasedwolf populations (today, there areabout 600 wolves in Italy)—somehave been forced to look for greenerpastures. And nothing is greener than the alpine slopes of Switzerland.

“We welcome this natural recoveryin Switzerland,” said Calegari. “Wolvesare one of the alpine region’s top threepredators, along with the brown bear and lynx. The fact that they havereturned is an indicator that thehabitat is much healthier than it wasin the past.”

There were once hundreds ofwolves living throughout Switzerland,but years of population growth, in-dustrialization, and forest conversionfor agriculture and logging saw theirhabitat encroached upon. The loss ofmountain forests, coupled with un-controlled hunting, also resulted inthe reduction of the deer population,the wolves’ main prey. With little game left in the Alps, large carnivoresturned to domesticated animals, likesheep and goats, for their meals, often

bringing them into conflict withfarmers who saw them as a threat totheir livestock. Seen as dangerouscompetitors, the wolf and the lynxwere exterminated in the Alps.

Today, however, mountain forestshave recovered, and with them anabundance of herbivores, thanks tomore protected areas and better landmanagement. Switzerland is now atrue wolf “paradise” with large popu-lations of roe and red deer, marmotsand chamois (horned antelope).Wolves never lost their taste, though,for easily accessible livestock, whichoften graze without protection in thehigh alpine meadows.

“Wolves are opportunists,” saidJoanna Schoenenberger, WWF-Switzerland’s European AlpineProgramme Officer working on wolfissues in Ticino. “Yes, they will go after sheep, but there is now enoughof a deer population to keepthem happy.”

Above: Today mountain forests have recov-ered, and with them an abundance of herbi-vores, thanks to more protected areas andbetter land management.

Left: Switzerland is now a true wolf“paradise” with large populations of roe deer(pictured), red deer, marmots and chamois(horned antelope).

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Debunking the myth that wolveshunt for “fun” and not only for food,a recent camera trap showed a wolf inTicino returning to a deer it killed thenight before.

“Mass killing by wolves is ex-tremely rare,” added Calegari. “Evenwhen going after livestock, the loss ofjust a few animals is more common.”

Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf?

Not everyone has welcomed thepredator’s reappearance. Since crossinginto the Swiss Alps from Italy, wolveshave been blamed for hundreds ofattacks on sheep and goats. In spite of compensation for losses by thegovernment, resistance against thewolf returning to Switzerland isstrong, especially among sheepfarmers and hunters.

According to the Swiss-based KORACarnivore Research Centre, 44 sheepwere reportedly killed in Switzerlandin 2004 by a large canine out of some250,000 grazing sheep. The numbersare significantly lower than in 2000,when 105 sheep were killed. From1998 to 2003, 456 sheep and goatshave been compensated as wolf kills.

However, not all livestock attacksare the work of wolves but by theirnext of kin. The European wolf is a bit smaller and leaner than itsNorth American counterpart and caneasily be confused with a large dog.In Ticino alone there are about 80goats and 200 sheep killed by dogseach year. Despite the figures, farmersand hunters are still quick to blamewolves for their losses.

“Wolves present a problem, espe-cially as there are lots of sheep whichgraze without shepherds,” said MarcoMondada, president of the TicinoHunters Federation. “Farmers’ inter-ests should not be put at unnecessary


risk by animals which can be sodestructive. They must be managed.”

Although the wolf is legally pro-tected under Swiss law, as well asunder the 1979 Bern Convention onthe Conservation of European Wildlifeand Natural Habitats, farmers andhunters have in a number of instanceswon the support of local governmentto go after the few existing wolves.

Regulations were introduced in2001 permitting the shooting of anywolf believed to have killed at least 50 sheep over a four-month period, or 25 in a single month. The minimumhas now been lowered to 35 sheep overa four-month time frame, and maycontinue to be lowered if wolf attackscontinue. But the law is not totally on the side of wolf hunting. WWFrecently won the right from the SwissFederal Supreme Court to oppose deci-sions made by cantonal authorities in Valais to shoot a female wolf. WWFis now appealing the Valais cantonalcourt to overturn the decision.

Wolf attacks may occur at anytime during the year, but mosttend to take place in July andAugust when sheep are left

unattended for long periods of timehigh up on the alpine pastures. Somepastures can be located at more than2,500 meters (8,200 feet) and spreadout over several square kilometers.Last summer, Giacomo Cominelli, ashepherd of 40 years, saw his largeflock of sheep attacked five times. Over10 sheep, including lambs, were killed,and many more injured.

“It’s a terrible thing to lose one’ssheep, not just from a financial point ofview, but emotional as well,” Cominellisaid. “If I wasn’t a shepherd I prob-ably would be for the wolf, but thesheep are my livelihood, and I needto protect them the best I can. Killinga wolf would solve a lot of problems,but I think I would have a dilemmakilling it myself.”

Send in the DogsFortunately, Cominelli has not

been quick to take up arms like someof his colleagues, and has been opento several alternatives supported byWWF and local government, in-cluding the use of specially trainedlivestock guard dogs.

“The use of guard dogs is some-thing shepherds haven’t used in

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Right: Guard dogs are trained from an early age to protect the flock from wolves.Although not 100 percent foolproof, there

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generations in Switzerland,” saidAlberto Stern, a veterinarian outsideof Bellinzona who raises GreatPyreneans, a large dog breed suitablefor livestock protection. Maremmano-Abruzzeses are also being used.

“These guard dogs are the bestpossibility of reducing wolf attacks.They work because they becomeattached to the sheep starting at birthand instinctively defend their herd.”

Although not 100 percent fool-proof, there is evidence that they have reduced livestock loss in someareas, not just against wolves, butalso against foxes and golden eagles,who also prey on small lambs.According to Stern, there are about 70 to 80 dogs in Switzerland beingused by shepherds for this purpose.

Trying to diffuse the growinghuman-wildlife conflict, WWF’sEuropean Alpine Programme initiateda livestock guard dog project to helpthose being affected by the wolf attacks.

“When we saw the problemsfarmers were having with their sheep,we decided to take measures to helpprotect them,” Schoenenberger said.“We encouraged farmers open to theidea to buy and train dogs againstpotential wolf attacks. We are now

offering advice on how to choose theright animals for protection.”

For those not comfortable withdogs, donkeys have also been trained,as they are larger than wolves and canbe equally aggressive when confrontedby a threat. WWF has also helpedfarmers put up fences as anotherdefense system against predators and istaking groups—school kids and adultsalike—out to “wolf country” to meetwith farmers to improve understandingbetween rural and city communities.

Last year, WWF volunteers helpedOttavio Cotti-Cottini construct an elec-tric fence to guard his herd of alpinegoats. Earlier that year, and the yearbefore, Cottini lost nine of his goatsin separate wolf attacks.

“I think more and more farmers arerealizing that there are other ways toprotect their livestock without havingto shoot wolves,” Schoenenbergeradded. “This is very encouraging.”

Wolf recovery in Switzerland is at a very early stage, and its future by no

means secure. But the reality of thesituation is that more wolves are ex-pected to cross the border in the yearsto come. Their permanent residencystatus will depend, however, on howwell all sides involved in the issue can come to a common understandingabout the wolf’s place in the Alps.

“If you think about it, the wholearea of the Alps is former wolf terri-tory. It is a fact that they lived herelong before we did,” Schoenenbergersaid. “Their return would be animportant contribution to enrichingSwitzerland’s biodiversity.” �

Mark Schulman is Managing Editor at WWF International, based in Gland,Switzerland. Before joining WWF inSeptember 2004, Mark spent seven yearsas a freelance journalist in Senegal,Australia and Israel, writing for theAfrican Geographic, Asian Geographic,Christian Science Monitor, EnvironmentalNews Network, Earth Negotiations Bulletin,Jerusalem Post and other publications.

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b y J i m W i l l i a m s , A s s i s t a n t D i r e c t o r f o r E d u c a t i o n , I n t e r n a t i o n a l W o l f C e n t e r

The Lost Wolves of JapanBrett Walker

University of Washington Press, 2005

The islands of the Japanese arch-ipelago were once home to twounique subspecies of the gray

wolf: the Japanese wolf (Canis lupushodophilax) and the Hokkaido wolf(C. l. hattai). The Lost Wolves of Japan,an important new book by historianBrett Walker, reveals how Japan’sadoption of Western cultural values in the 18th and 19th centuriesabruptly reversed thousands of yearsof Japanese reverence for the wolfand ultimately led to the extinctionof both subspecies by 1905.

Before the 18th century, Japaneseculture was dominated by nature-worshiping religions that cast wolves

GREAT LAKES NEWS

In 2003, wolves in Michigan andWisconsin were reclassified from endan-gered to threatened under the EndangeredSpecies Act, and those states could lethallycontrol wolves depredating on livestock. InJanuary 2005, a judge nullified thatreclassification, and the wolves’ statusreverted to endangered. The states werethen granted permits to lethally controlproblem wolves.

In August, several organizations (notNWF) protested the permit, claiming lackof a public comment period on the appli-cations, and were granted the injunction.

Both Michigan and Wisconsin refiledapplications, and a comment period isunder way. While the permits were valid,Wisconsin killed 29 depredating wolves,and Michigan, 2.

NORTHEAST UPDATE AND NEWS

In Vermont, a court ruled in the NWF’sfavor that the 2003 Wolf ReclassificationRule illegally terminated federal wolfrecovery efforts in the Northeast, wheresuitable wolf habitat exists and wolves mayimmigrate from Canada. The U.S. Fish andWildlife Service is now trying to determinehow best to proceed with wolf recoveryand delisting.

Recent Court RulingsModified with permission from the National Wildlife Federation’s (NWF) e-WOLF NEWS #26

centuries, first by a rabies epidemicthat transformed Japan’s wolves intothe lupine demons of Western imag-ination. This was followed by the Meijirestoration of 1868, which advocatedand imported all things Western, in-cluding meat-heavy diets, industrialranching, and conquest of the wolf’swild land habitat. In short order,wolves began killing more livestock,the Japanese commenced a wolf exter-mination program, and the spiral toextinction had begun.

This is a powerful book withrather dark implications for our owntime. The contrast of pre- and post-Westernization Japan brings intobold and disturbing relief thedestructive impact of Western atti-tudes toward nature. As thoughholding up a mirror, Walker guidesus to look at the lost wolves of Japanand see the wolfless future that mayawait us if we cannot curb our exces-sive appetites.

Despite its melancholy subject,The Lost Wolves of Japan is ultimatelyenlivening and empowering. Thestory it tells is unmistakably impor-tant, sparking us, from page one, to situp and pay attention. And thoughWalker himself refuses to offer any solutions, the bitter self-awareness hedoes offer may be just the kind of prodwe need to choose a different fate forourselves and our own wolves. �

as divine messengers. This beneficentimage was bolstered by the belief that wolves protected the crops of themostly plant- and fish-eating Japanesefrom the depredations of deer and wildboar. Walker is careful to point outthat even pre-modern Japanese ex-perienced problems with wolves—attacks on horses and, very rarely,people. However, their response wastypically measured—killing theoffending animals, not the wholepopulation—and their respect for thewolf persisted.

The remarkable harmony betweenwolves and humans in Japan wasviolently upset in the 18th and 19th


creasingly persuading authorities thatanimals from Manitoba, Minnesotaand Montana may be finding theirway into the state.

RECORD WOLF DISPERSAL.Scientists tracked a female wolf

wearing a GPS collar from Norway to northeastern Finland, a 660-miletrip. The collar, which includes a Global Positioning System and a data storage chip, recorded 4,500locations that will give researchersmany details about the wolf’s recordtravels. The previous dispersal record was 534 miles held by aMinnesota wolf that traveled tonorthern Saskatchewan. �

WOLF PACKS, a National Geo-graphic Explorer documentary

by Bob Landis of Gardiner, Montana,won an Emmy for outstandingscience, technology and nature pro-gramming. The award was presentedat the National Television Academy’sSeptember 2004 ceremony.

WOLVES IN ARIZONA arepopular with a high percentage

of the state’s citizens according to a Northern Arizona University poll.Wolf proponents outnumberedopponents seven to one, and nearlytwo-thirds thought wolves should get as high a priority on public landas does livestock grazing.

WOLVES AND WILD LANDincreasingly go together. This

fact makes wild land preservation an important tool for wolf recovery.That is one of the reasons why theBlandin Foundation and The NatureConservancy’s plan to protect 75,000acres of Minnesota forest land fromfragmentation is so important. The$6.25 million fund to do this wasestablished by the Blandin Foundationin June.

NORTH DAKOTA WOLVESmay have been spotted in May

2005 north of Minot. Although thestate officially harbors no wolves,periodic reports of sightings are in-


of their other duties to do much trap-ping. Eventually, the Wolf Depre-dation Program was set up to dealwith livestock problems. That programhas been a godsend for us. Bill Pauland John Hart, our federal trappersfrom Grand Rapids, have becomeregulars to our farm. They know theterrain as well as we do. When I tell them, “There was a kill just pastthe power line through the gate into the woods that goes to the back part of the farm,” they know what I am talking about.

And that was the scenario in Aprilwhen two calves were taken by wolves.One calf was less than one day oldwhen he was taken, and the other calfwas only an hour or two old when he was killed by wolves. I called thetrappers, and they came right out toset their traps. Within a few days two were trapped. One was a yearlingfemale, and the other was a muchlarger male with the biggest head Ihave ever seen on a wolf taken fromour farm. It kind of scared me to thinkof the damage he could do. Thesekillings didn’t surprise me as weknew this pack was on the farm allwinter. It would be just a matter of time before they struck.

We were very lucky to have foundthese calves that were killed. In mostcases, the calves are dragged off to theden or killed in the woods, where wecan’t find them. I must have my losses

They Are Always Thereb y D a v i d R a d a i c h

It seems the best solution to our wolf problem

would be to move the farm. We are in an ideal spot for the wolves to live.

Chr

isto

pher

and

Am

anda

Bly

The wolves were on our farm all winter. We knew it wouldjust be a matter of time before

they struck... and in early April 2005,they did. We called the WildlifeService trappers, John Hart and BillPaul, hoping they would come to helpus out again.

I’m a beef farmer in Goodland,Minnesota. On our farm of 1,200 acreswe run about 250 beef cows and asmall flock of sheep. My wife,Robbie, and our three children are all involved with the farm. Our oldestson is in the farm partnership, and he has his own herd of cows. Ourdaughter owns the sheep, and theyoungest, our 17-year-old son, hashis own small herd of cows. It’s afamily affair.

Spring is a time of renewal, newgrass, new leaves, and new calves.

April and May are an especially busytime on the farm as they are thecalving season. We will earn our farmincome by selling the calves born thisspring to other farmers next January,who will finish feeding them forharvesting. Beef from our farm even-tually will make it to the CarnivalCruise ships that have exclusive steak-houses aboard them. The old adagethat “farmers feed the world” is true.

In the 1970s as a teenager, Iremember my father struggling withwolves preying on our cow herd. Hewould try shooting them, but theywould never come out of the woodsenough to be an open target. Theconservation officers would come out,but they seemed too busy with all


verified to put in a claim for compen-sation. I need to show the trappers the calves that were killed. On a farmas large as ours, it is usually impos-sible to find them. We hate crying“wolf” when a cow can’t find her calf.If we tell John Hart we have a cowcrying for her lost calf and we can’tfind it, we are out of luck when itcomes to being compensated for it. Iguess that is one way to prevent abuseto the compensation program. We are excellent managers of our cattle.We do have natural losses of calvesdue to injury or sickness. But in someyears, we know there are other forcesout there. It hurts us financially whenunexplained disappearances pop up.

We have tried different manage-ment practices to reduce our wolf-related deaths. We used an AnatolianShepherd guard dog with littlesuccess. He preferred to play with ourpet dogs rather than shoo away thewolves. I think he helped alert us totheir presence sometimes, but hedidn’t keep them at bay.

Another management practice isto bury our cows and calves that have died. That works very well inthe summer, but winter losses areharder to bury with two to three feetof frost in the ground.

We also try to keepour calving cows asclose to our house as wecan. The new babies arein the greatest dangerof being killed. Wethink the activities ofpeople checking cowsand running tractorsto feed hay do helpkeep wolves at bay, butthey certainly didn’thelp this year. At night,we see coyotes andwolves moving throughour herd. Last weekmy son was doing the 2 a.m. calvingcheck when he saw a wolf in hisfour-wheeler headlights and chasedhim off the field. It makes for inter-esting breakfast talk in the morning.

I do have to share with you mysecret weapon for wolf control. It’smy wife, Robbie. A few years ago shehad just gotten up in the morningand was buttering her toast for break-fast. She heard our dogs making a commotion outside. There was a wolf, 200 feet away, eyeing our barkingdogs. Robbie would have none of this and proceeded out the door andtook after the wolf. Would you run if you saw some crazy woman in a

David Radaich, his wife, Robbie, and their three children areall involved with the farm. Left to right: Neil, David, Robbie,Kristen and Lee Radaich.

The Radaichs run about250 beef cows on their farmin Goodland, Minnesota.The 1,200-acre farm is alsoperfect habitat for wolves,with wooded ground andlots of deer and beavers.

John

P. H

art

John

P. H

art

robe, with morning hair, screamingobscenities, coming after you whilewaving a butter knife? You bet Iwould run!

It seems the best solution to ourwolf problem would be to move thefarm. We are in an ideal spot for thewolves to live. We live on the deadend of a dirt road about three milesfrom town. Then think about the1,200 acre farm we have. Our farm is almost two miles in length. Andthen we have UPM Paper Companyforests on three sides of us. That’sanother 10,000 acres. No peoplearound for miles and miles. Perfecthabitat for the wolves, with wooded


blood. Some days we wish we couldshake it from us, but it’s too hard to do.

We are in a business that has a lowreturn on investment and seems totake a million hours to accomplish ourgoals. In the United States, 80 percentof all beef farms have less than 40cows. Beef cattle farming is a part-timebusiness. In the end, it means that mostbeef farmers must also have anotherjob off the farm. Working 40 hours atthe factory and then working eveningsand weekends on the farm is long andhard. Remember when I said farmingis in our blood? It’s a tough cycle tobreak. So, when a farmer loses a calf, it is not “just a calf.” It is his money,his food for his table, his time, and his pride in “feeding the world.” All ofthat gets caught up in his mind.

I don’t think farmers hate wolves.They really are preservationists andconservationists. Without everythingthat nature has given us, we would be nothing. There would be no farmstoday. I think that farmers just wanteverything to live. We want the grassto grow and the calves to stay alive.And we want the wolves to live too. . .and that’s the catch. How do we do all of that? �

David Radaich took over his family’s beef cattle farm in Goodland, Minnesota,in 1978, after graduating with a B.S. in animal husbandry from the Universityof Minnesota. In addition to farming,Radaich is currently pursuing a degree in nursing.

ground, lots of deer, beaver, and anoccasional Black Angus calf for lunch.What more could you ask for!

The problem that has arisen is the “other” pack of wolves to thewest of our farm. John Hart said thatpack is larger than the one Bill Paulis trapping right now. When Bill isdone trapping, we expect a pair tobreak off and move onto our un-occupied farm, and the cycle will begin again. Gary LeFebvre, our con-servation officer, came by last weekto fill out compensation forms forour losses. He asked me a questionthat didn’t take long to answer. Hesaid, “If you could do it all over again, would you have built yourfarm someplace else?” I said, “No.”

I would not trade our farm for anyother in Minnesota.

I want to talk about the psycho-social and economic impacts ofwolves. Most farmers have a strongwork ethic. We spend hours and hours tending to our animals andcrops. It’s a family affair. Spouses andchildren are all bonded by the workthat must be done. There is not muchcomplaining. We enjoy our lives. Wedon’t have much extra money for fastcars or other toys. It seems we put any“extra” money back into the farm, ormore specifically, back into the cowherd. Our cows are our most impor-tant asset beyond our family. You see,we are farmers. My father was a farmer.His father was a farmer. It’s in our

The Radaichs’ daughter, Kristen, owns a smallflock of sheep on the farm.

The new calves are in the greatest danger of being killed by wolves.

So, when a farmer loses a calf, it is not “just a calf.” It is his money, his food for his table, his time, and his pride in“feeding the world.”

John

P. H

art

John

P. H

art

food in return for the energy it useswhen it kills a moose, but it’s dan-gerous for a wolf pack to hunt some-thing so much bigger than itself.Sometimes the prey is just too strongor quick, and gets away from the pack.

A wolf can eat 25 percent of itsweight at one meal. Most wolvesweigh about 80 pounds. Of course,these numbers will depend on theage of the wolf, the pack size, or thetime of year, but roughly translated,that’s like a 100-pound personordering 80 quarter-pounders andeating them in one sitting!

Scientists estimate that a wolfwould eat about 1,800 pounds of foodin a year. Most of this would be meatfrom animals that would have to behunted. Using the chart below withanimal weights, see how many animalswould be eaten in one year. �

Think about this:Be a researcher! Use an encyclo-

pedia or the Internet to answer thefollowing questions:

?Do you think a wolf would eatonly one kind of animal all year

long? Why not?

?If three moose would provide awolf with more than enough

pounds of meat for the year, whydoesn’t a wolf just catch three and eatthem for the rest of the year?

?Can you name some scavengersand decomposers who would

share a wolf’s meal?

Dinner Is Served—Carnivore Style!b y K e l l y B u r n s , I n t e r n a t i o n a l W o l f C e n t e r I n t e r n

27 S u m m e r 2 0 0 5 w w w . w o l f . o r g

A wolf can eat 25 percent of its weight at one meal.Most wolves weigh about 80 pounds, and canusually take in 20 pounds of meat in one meal.

Try it on for size.If you were a wolf, how much couldyou eat at one sitting?(your weight) __________Multiply by .25 = __________

what you could eat at one time as a wolf!

Estimated pounds Number of animals of meat for Divided Average weight wolf would have to one year: by: of animal: Equals: eat in one year:

1,800 pounds ÷ Snowshoe Hare –3 pounds =

1,800 pounds ÷ Beaver –40 pounds =

1,800 pounds ÷ Deer –100 pounds =

1,800 pounds ÷ Moose – 800 pounds =

Fill in this chart

Does everyone in your house help out at mealtime? A

whole wolf pack usually getsinvolved with big meals, too. Most ofthe time, the meal wolves eat is meat.Wolves are called carnivores, becausethey eat meat such as deer or moose.A predator must hunt for its food,which is called prey—so when a

wol f goes outhunting, that’s itsway of preparingfor a meal.

A lot of hardwork is involvedin a hunt beforeany eating takesplace. A wolf getsmore energy from

Fun Fact: Wolves have a hunting

success rate of about

5-25 percent. That

would be like going to

the refrigerator 10 times

and only finding food

there two times!

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McMansions. We can choose to keepour eye on the ball—focusing onthreats that truly constitute a majormenace to animals—and not get side-tracked by peripheral wildlife issues.Comprehending limits and playing a role in community planning can’tcompete with the drama of protest,but when it comes to the longevity of a species, they are the more critical.

Our insatiable appetite for goodsand services takes a toll on the repro-duction and survival rates of our wildbrethren. Those cumulative effectsdon’t send an animal crawling off towhimper and writhe with a bulletthrough the spine. Encroachmentwon’t cause animals to chew off atrapped leg. Nevertheless, habitat frag-mentation leads to deathby attrition. And becauseit’s not dramatic or “inour face,” our brains arenot well equipped toempathize with itsvictims. But in therest of the animalworld, discomfort, con-fusion, death and finallyextinction occur nonetheless.

Whatever your spiritual,religious or philosophicalbeliefs might be, it’s impos-sible to deny that our homeplanet and its living inhabi-tants are a gift—humans have


evolved and adapted along with theentirety of life, not merely a selectionwe deem “good” or beneficial. Now,more than at any time in our past, weneed to direct our big brains towardenvisioning a future that provides for the needs of wild creatures as wellas our own. Without a home, life isimpossible. Like climbers connectedby a rope, each dependent on theother not to make a fatal slip, ourlives are linked to all of life on theearth. The quality of my future, yourfuture, and the future of our childrenand grandchildren depends on uscomprehending this simple fact. �

Bruce Weide and Pat Tucker direct Wild Sentry (www.wildsentry.org). Wild Sentry combines science and thehumanities to foster a fuller under-standing of wolves and natural history.

Sher

ry J

okin

en

Homeb y B r u c e W e i d e a n d P a t T u c k e r

Modified with permission from Wild Sentry, Newsletter #48

Home is where you live, theplace you know and feel com-fortable to move around in.

Most humans understand the rules ofhome ownership. We’d be shocked,incensed, and probably a little morethan righteously indignant to find astranger clear-cutting the backyardtrees or bulldozing the family gardento make way for a tennis court. Butwhen we buy a piece of vacant landand build a house, we often overlookthe fact that tenants already live there.They didn’t pay for the land or possessa title, but from their point of view it’s theirs, and we’re the intruders.

As houses are built, habitat forwildlife becomes an island amid a seaof human development. That is habi-tat fragmentation. It’s insidious. It’s difficult to control. It isn’t vivid orgory. Yet, over the long run, habitatfragmentation poses far graver reper-cussions for wild wolves than aerialhunting or leghold traps; in fact, it is a major threat to most wildlife.

While a return to an early-Pleistocene mode of existence seemsan unsavory and impractical solutionto this problem, at the very least we can be aware of our impacts andmitigate them when possible. We can actively back politicians whounderstand that there are limits tohow many humans this planet cansupport. We can choose fuel-efficientvehicles and overcome our reluctanceto use public transportation. We caneducate ourselves to act as responsibleconsumers. We can question wantsversus needs. We can affirm thosewho live in town and not ogle over

22 - wolf.org · photos are of captive wolves. 2 winter 2005 answer: adolph murie conductedhis...

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