wolves of the high arctic, page 4an arctic wolf on ellesmere island, summer 2006. photo by nancy...

25
WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC, page 4 EDUCATION THROUGH A WOLF HELPLINE, page 8 A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER WINTER 2006 NEW 2006–2007 RETAIL CATALOG INSIDE!

Upload: others

Post on 18-Jul-2020

5 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC, page 4An arctic wolf on Ellesmere Island, summer 2006. Photo by Nancy Gibson. Read about the wolves of Ellesmere Island on page 4. Departments Sherry Jokinen

WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCT IC, page 4

EDUCATION THROUGH A WOLF HELPL INE, page 8

A PUBL ICAT ION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTERWINTER 2006

NEW 2006–2007

RETAIL CATALOGINSIDE!

Page 2: WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC, page 4An arctic wolf on Ellesmere Island, summer 2006. Photo by Nancy Gibson. Read about the wolves of Ellesmere Island on page 4. Departments Sherry Jokinen

2 As a Matter of Fact

3 From the Executive Director

11 International Wolf Center Notes From Home

14 Tracking the Pack

16 Wolves and Wild Lands

18 Wolves of the World

21 Personal Encounter

22 Wild Kids

24 A Look Beyond

Features

THE QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER VOLUME 16, NO. 4 WINTER 2006

On The CoverAn arctic wolf on Ellesmere Island,summer 2006. Photo by Nancy Gibson.Read about the wolves of EllesmereIsland on page 4.

Departments

Sher

ry J

okin

en

Expanding EducationThrough a Wolf Helpline

In summer 2006 the International Wolf Center launchedthe latest in its services to meet its mission of teaching the world about wolves. The Wolf Helpline, geared tofamilies and businesses around the Center’s headquartersin Ely, Minnesota, offers the type of information neededwherever people seek to coexist successfully with theirwild canine neighbors.

T r a c y O ’ C o n n e l l

The Wolves of the HighArctic: Summer 2006

In summer 2006, L. David Mech and three associates from the International Wolf Centertraveled to Ellesmere Island, where Mech hasbeen studying wolves for 20 summers. The traditional den site was once again occupied, and the visitors were able to observe seven adultwolves and five pups in their High Arctic home.

C o r n e l i a H u t t

8

4N

ancy

Gib

son

Page 3: WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC, page 4An arctic wolf on Ellesmere Island, summer 2006. Photo by Nancy Gibson. Read about the wolves of Ellesmere Island on page 4. Departments Sherry Jokinen

Publications DirectorMary Ortiz

Magazine CoordinatorTerri Ellman

Consulting EditorMary Keirstead

Technical Editor L. David Mech

Graphic DesignerTricia Austin

International Wolf (1089-683X) is publishedquarterly and copyrighted, 2006, 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. $35 • Wolf Pack $60 • WolfAssociate $125 • 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 6 w w w . w o l f . o r g

Answer: The wolfis the “definitive” hostof this tapeworm,meaning that the wolfharbors the adults.The intermediatehosts of Echinococcusgranulosus are mostoften hooved animals,or ungulates. Whenan infected ungulateis consumed by awolf, the ingestedtapeworm larvaeemerge from theircysts in the lungs ofprey, mature, and livein the canine’s small intestine. Be aware that very rarely humans canalso be an intermediate host, and remember to wash your hands! �

Question: What isthe intermediate hostof the wolf tapewormEchinococcus granu-losus?

What is the prey of wolvesin Riding MountainNational Park in Canada?

New Question

West Gate

Sher

ry J

okin

en

Page 4: WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC, page 4An arctic wolf on Ellesmere Island, summer 2006. Photo by Nancy Gibson. Read about the wolves of Ellesmere Island on page 4. Departments Sherry Jokinen

On Lucas

My first introduction to the International Wolf Center’s four ambassador wolvesdidn’t go particularly well. They were 4 months old. It was August and hot.Shorts, t-shirt and Velcro-fastened sandals were the dress for the day. Into

the wolf enclosure I went to make their introduction.Initially all went well, with exuberant greetings exchanged, until those sandals

got in the way. They affected the pups like catnip affects cats. The pups’ sharp clawsworked on the straps of the sandals, but mostly the claws worked on the top of my bare feet. The pups were having one heck of a rousing time but not so my feet. I hadno choice but to remove the sandals and toss them over the fence. Fortunately, when

the stimulant was removed from the situation, we all got along famously.I was also relieved to learn that it was indeed the sandals, and not a peculiar characteristic of my feet, that got the wolves so excited.

Thus began my association with the Center’s ambassador wolf pupsin 1993, the summer our new education facility in Ely, Minnesota,opened to the world.

These wolves have stood as proxies for their wild brethren and givenus an opportunity to teach literally hundreds of thousands of peopleabout what it means to be a wolf without the layers of misinformationthat tend to inundate any coverage of the subject. Since those early days,many more thousands of people have come to know our ambassador

wolves via the Internet and our three Web cameras.One of the pups that worked over my sandals in 1993 was Lucas. In his maturity

he seemed to have an aloofness about him, perhaps developed out of his stature as thelone male of the pack—he didn’t have much to prove to the others. Also distinctive washis unique way of asking for a good scratch. While the other wolves would make theirneeds known head-on, Lucas had a different approach. His “scratch ask” was subtle in that no scratch would be allowed if you approached him. He had to approach you,but that always resulted in his going just beyond your reach. If you stayed quiet, hewould perform a stiff adjustment with his back legs, causing his southern half to move a few inches closer to you as if to get within his critical scratching zone. Withthat move he seemed to suggest two things: yes, it would be permissible to give him a scratch in the sweet spot located on his back and in the middle of his rear legs, butunlike the other wolves, he wasn’t going to get too excited over it (which was true).After the requisite time, he would amble off with his scratch quota met.

Lucas was euthanized in July following debilitating medical conditions. His goodwork was done. �

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 6 3

Walter Medwid

Page 5: WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC, page 4An arctic wolf on Ellesmere Island, summer 2006. Photo by Nancy Gibson. Read about the wolves of Ellesmere Island on page 4. Departments Sherry Jokinen

4 W i n t e r 2 0 0 6 w w w . w o l f . o r g

t was the highlight of my life. Hundreds ofmiles north of Hudson Bay, a thousand ormore from the nearest city, I stood alone inthe High Arctic—surrounded by wolves.”

Thus, in his book The Arctic Wolf: Living withthe Pack, Dave Mech begins his account of whathe called his lifetime dream: to travel to thisremote and almost inaccessible region to studythe white wolves.

The arctic wolf lives along the northern andeastern shores of Greenland and also in someregions of the several huge islands between theNorth Pole and the edge of the North Americancontinent. In these regions, sometimes calledthermal oases, the snow melts for a brief periodeach summer, and a variety of shallow-rootedplants feeds musk oxen, arctic hares and Pearycaribou. Conditions are harsh, and food is oftenscarce, so wolf pack territories cover enormousareas—more than 1,000 square miles.

Because the wolves of the High Arctic havenever been harassed or persecuted by humans,they are not secretive or afraid of people the waywolves are in the southern latitudes. Thus, for 20summers, Dave Mech has been granted a researchpermit from the territorial government in Canadaand has been able to observe the wolves for weeksat a time each year, traveling with them, watching

The Wolves of the

High Arctic:S U M M E R 2 0 0 6

“I

b y C O R N E L I A H U T T

p h o t o s b y N a n c y G i b s o n

It is life at the edge, so hardy and diverse, yet so vulnerable to the extreme conditions.—Walter Medwid, Executive Director, International Wolf Center

Page 6: WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC, page 4An arctic wolf on Ellesmere Island, summer 2006. Photo by Nancy Gibson. Read about the wolves of Ellesmere Island on page 4. Departments Sherry Jokinen

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 6 5

them hunt their natural prey andrecording their behavior as they reartheir pups and interact with oneanother as a family unit. Over thecourse of 20 years in his research areaon Ellesmere Island, he has seen theprey populations flourish and waneand bound back again. Wolf numbersfluctuate, too, and are related to theavailability of prey. Some years thewolf pack is composed of severaladults and numerous offspring. Otheryears, a mated pair may produce onlyone pup—or none. And sometimesthere are no wolves at all to be found.For example, in the midsummers of1997 and 2000, accumulating snow in Mech’s research area caused a heavyreduction in musk oxen and arctichares the next year. The wolf numbersreflected the scarcity of prey, and from1998 through 2003, Mech found nowolves denning in the area.

However, improved weather condi-tions since 2001 have allowed prey toincrease slowly, and in 2003, wolvesreturned to the area. Then in 2004 awolf pair produced four pups, and in 2005, three pups. Thus, hopes werehigh for summer 2006 when Mech,accompanied by three associates fromthe International Wolf Center, arrivedin the High Arctic. Thegroup’s first visit to atraditional den siterevealed that it wasonce again occupied.This beautiful rockoutcropping with apanoramic view of a

broad valley surrounded by rollinghills was home to seven adult wolvesand five pups! The wolves welcomedMech and his companions withcautious tolerance, and the teamsettled together at a respectful distancefrom the den to observe the packwithout causing them stress or anxiety.

Mech estimated the energetic pupsto be about 5 weeks old. They hadlost their newborn “kitten” look, and

although their noses were elongating,their sturdy legs were short, and theirgait clumsy. They were still youngenough to pester their mother forbouts of nursing whenever she wouldpermit it, and their round bellies andhigh spirits showed them to behealthy and well-nourished. With the introduction of regurgitated meatto appease their voracious appetites,“Mom” was slowly weaning the

The pups on Ellesmere,estimated to be about 5 weeks old, had lost theirnewborn “kitten” look,and although their noseswere elongating, theirsturdy legs were short,and their gait clumsy.

The group’s first visit to atraditional den site revealedthat it was once again occu-pied and was home to sevenadult wolves and five pups.

Page 7: WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC, page 4An arctic wolf on Ellesmere Island, summer 2006. Photo by Nancy Gibson. Read about the wolves of Ellesmere Island on page 4. Departments Sherry Jokinen

Ball was unabashedly disheveled andencrusted with mud. Gimpy had ahitch in its get-along, Grayback wore a silver gray shawl aroundmuscular shoulders, and the shape ofBottlebrush’s tail made naming thiswolf easy! The breeding male, a wolfthe team called Brutus, was distinc-tive mostly because of his size and hisdemeanor. Brutus had “Attitude.” Hewas a regal Mr. Cool, aloof and impe-rious. His job was to hunt, bring foodback to Mom and the pups and thento sleep, undisturbed by his ram-bunctious progeny. Occasionally hewould rouse himself from a nap,stroll over to the small group ofhuman visitors and give them a no-nonsense appraisal. Satisfied, he wouldsaunter back to his resting spotagainst the rocks to resume his napwith no more regard for the humanguests than he had for the mosqui-toes that buzzed around his ears.

As yearlings, the young adultwolves had lost most of the traces ofadolescence save for the wispystrands of hair on their shoulders andnecks, a trademark of youth some-times referred to as a “bad hair day.”These exuberant young wolves tookturns babysitting when the parents

and the rest of the pack left the den to bring in food from a recent kill or to search foranother musk ox calf theycould catch—not an easy task,even for an efficient predatorlike a wolf. Huge and lum-bering as the musk oxen are,they are quick to form animpenetrable defensive circlearound the calves. The wolvesseemed to know when the jigwas up, and they would headoff to find another, perhaps less wary herd, covering thehuge distances at a ground-eating trot. They could bemiles away, yet still be visiblewithout the aid of binoculars.Like luminous moving dots on the vast landscape, theywould trot tirelessly over the

fast-growing youngsters. A dutifulmother, she nevertheless willinglyturned over the job of keeping thepups amused to the young adults inthe family. After a nursing bout, sheoften ambled down the hill to a sunnyspot in a meadow filled with arcticpoppies and waving cotton grass andflopped down to doze undisturbed by her exuberant offspring.

By discovering identifying charac-teristics (method of urination, a scar,a limp, a whorl of hair, a distinctiveshedding pattern), Mech and theothers sorted out who was male andwho was female and who was who.Mom was pure white, her winter coatstill long and luxuriant. Redneck’scollar of dried blood was doubtless astain from a musk ox kill, and Dirt

6 W i n t e r 2 0 0 6 w w w . w o l f . o r g

A friendly youngraven, named Edgarby the team, becametheir mascot.

Whether alone with thepups as “nanny” for the

day or together whenthe entire pack was at

the den, the youngadults seemed to relishplaying with the pups.

Page 8: WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC, page 4An arctic wolf on Ellesmere Island, summer 2006. Photo by Nancy Gibson. Read about the wolves of Ellesmere Island on page 4. Departments Sherry Jokinen

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 6 7

rough terrain, disappearing intogullies and popping up again as theytraversed the higher ground.

Whether alone with the pups as“nanny” for the day or together when the entire pack was at the den,the young adults seemed to relishplaying with the pups. Brimmingwith energy, the youngsters tumbledand roughhoused with their oldersiblings. A piece of musk ox hideserved as a hotly contested prize in a fierce game of tug of war. The pupswould capture the prize, snarling andmauling the spoils of their victory.Sometimes the adult wolf ’s tailbecame the object of their attention.Tugging fiercely, they would attemptto detach the tail from its indulgentowner, and then giving that up as alost cause, they would climb on thebig wolf’s belly, growling ferociouslyand inviting another game.

As if the wolf family’s daily rou-tines weren’t enough reward for thehours of patient observation, anotherdrama unfolded with the arrival ofEdgar. Ravens are fairly rare in thesehigh latitudes, so when the big glossybird swooped in and landed on therocks behind the wolf den, it caughtthe team’s attention. After regardingthe humans with bright-eyed interest,the raven gave a hop, flapped itswings and landed right beside theastounded group. Strutting aroundlike a barnyard chicken, it looked ateach person quizzically as if to say,“So! Where’s lunch?”

Throughout the days, Edgarbecame the loyal mascot of the team.He was a young bird, and someone,somewhere had certainly hand-raisedhim—perhaps another researchteam. In any case, when Mech and

his three companions left Ellesmere,Edgar had made permanent friendswith the personnel of a small, remoteweather station in the area.

Whether or not one believes inharbingers of good or ill, Edgarseemed to symbolize the unqualifiedsuccess of the summer’s observationsand data collection. Perhaps he will be there when Mech returns insummer 2007 to continue his studyof the wolves of the High Arctic and to share his discoveries with thescientific community and the generalpublic as well. It was hard for theteam members to leave but good toknow the wolf family is healthy and

thriving. Perhaps, along with Edgar,they will be there next summer, too.

(Board members Nancy Gibson,Cornelia Hutt and Ted Spauldingtraveled with Dave Mech to the HighArctic in July 2006. They sponsoredthemselves for the trip.) �

Cornelia Hutt is an educator andInternational Wolf Center board memberwho lives in Purcellville, Virginia.

Because the wolves of the High Arctic havenever been harassed or persecuted by humans,

they are not secretive or afraid of people theway wolves are in the southern latitudes.

Read Neil Hutt’s journal of her trip to research wolves on Ellsmere Island with Dave Mech, Nancy Gibson and Ted Spaulding.

Through unique and exciting day-by-day descriptions, you can learn about Mom, Brutus, Grayback, Edgar and, of course, the puppies.

Visit www.wolf.org’s home page to start your experience of wolves in the High Arctic.

Page 9: WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC, page 4An arctic wolf on Ellesmere Island, summer 2006. Photo by Nancy Gibson. Read about the wolves of Ellesmere Island on page 4. Departments Sherry Jokinen

8 W i n t e r 2 0 0 6 w w w . w o l f . o r g

he encountered when the servicelaunched in mid-May. An example ofthe calls he received was one fromwithin three blocks of Ely High School,where a cat had been killed and a dog chased by a wolf in two separateincidents in June. On June 29, six wolfpups were seen on a golf course nearLutsen, Minnesota; the pups werereported mangy and malnourished,with no adult wolves present.

The helpline (800 ELY WOLF, ext. 34) was augmented by an out-reach effort that Chihak also carriedout: bringing the Center’s “Living withWolves” flyer to area businesses,publicizing the helpline around thecommunity, and speaking to groups.In one speaking engagement, Chihakfielded about 50 questions from ahome-owners group concerned aboutwhat they called a “dramatic increase”in wolf sightings.

In his visits to area resorts, Chihakhelped owners communicate to their

guests that luring wildlife for up-closeviewing creates a problem for theanimals, which become habituated, oraccustomed to being around people.Some resort guests acknowledgeddiscarding meat scraps and grease in open pits outside their cabins,unaware those actions can cause wolfbehavior problematic for the wolvesand the area’s other residents.

Chihak underwent more than 20hours of training at the GrandRapids, Minnesota, office of the U.S.Department of Agriculture (USDA)Wildlife Services before he took tothe phones and the field at theCenter. Included were instruction in investigative procedures andconflict management, identificationof wolf depredation compared to wolf scavenging, and recognition of wolf tracks from those of coyotes and dogs. Chihak also learned use of aversive conditioning equipment,such as the firing of 15mm

Expanding Education Through a

Wolf Helplinehere’s a wolf outside. It’s beencoming into the yard the pastseveral nights. It stands by my children’s swing set and

doesn’t seem to be afraid of me. I’mworried about letting the childrenplay outside, or letting the dog out.What should I do?”

Calls of this type became commonlast summer as the International Wolf Center launched the latest in itssuite of services to meet its mission ofteaching the world about wolves.

The Wolf Helpline, geared to families and businesses around theCenter’s headquarters in Ely,Minnesota, offers the type of infor-mation needed wherever people seekto coexist successfully with their wildcanine neighbors.

“We got about 15 to 25 calls a week right off,” said Steve Chihak, thesummer intern who initially staffed the helpline, about the brisk business

b y T R A C Y O ’ C O N N E L L

“T

The Wolf Helpline, geared to families and businesses around the Center’s headquarters

of information needed wherever people seek to coexist successfully with their

Page 10: WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC, page 4An arctic wolf on Ellesmere Island, summer 2006. Photo by Nancy Gibson. Read about the wolves of Ellesmere Island on page 4. Departments Sherry Jokinen

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 6 9

“whistlers,” to scare wolves away.Training in such equipment isrequired prior to its use to ensuresafety and the humane treatment ofanimals, notes Wolf Curator LoriSchmidt, who supervised Chihakduring his internship.

Depending on the situationChihak encounters, he responds tohelpline calls with an initial phoneconsultation and additional follow-up calls and one or more visits to the site, during which he may present

in Ely, Minnesota, offers the type

wild canine neighbors.

Left: Steve Chihak, the Wolf Helplinesummer intern, set up a wildlife camerato record wolf behavior.

Below: This wolf, suffering frommange, was photographed by awildlife camera near the Ely,Minnesota, cemetery.

Inte

rnat

iona

l Wol

f Cen

ter

Page 11: WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC, page 4An arctic wolf on Ellesmere Island, summer 2006. Photo by Nancy Gibson. Read about the wolves of Ellesmere Island on page 4. Departments Sherry Jokinen

In one case it was discovered that thesame wolf was causing home owners’apprehension at two different sites,having moved to one site after aver-sive conditioning was begun at theother. The aversive conditioning wasthen carried out at the second site.Other Center staff helped Chihak fieldcalls, and Information and ProgramSpecialist Jess Edberg along with Wolf Curator Schmidt assisted insome of the site visits.

Calls dropped off in the middle ofsummer, and both Edberg andSchmidt attribute this to the successof early efforts to assist those area residents who were asking for help.“People we talked to were telling their neighbors the information theyreceived from us, and that helpedspread the word, so people werehelping each other become ‘wolfsmart,’” Edberg says. There is someseasonality to calls, Edberg adds,noting that as pups get old enough to leave the den in summer, there are typically increased sightings. Thisyear, however, there was not an in-

crease in call volume at that time. Falltypically also sees a rise in wolfactivity, and therefore calls, as youngwolves disperse in search of matesand unclaimed territory.

Schmidt was instrumental in con-ceptualizing the helpline, having longseen a need for the type of information it offers. “I’d be in townshopping, and someone would ask meabout wolves,” she says. In con-sulta-tion with others, the idea took shape.

Wolf populations are increasing in the region, says Schmidt, speaking of the need for the helpline. “Withmore wolves in our area—thenumbers are up from 2,400 to 3,000in the state during the past decade—and more people moving into ourregion, the need for this service willcontinue to grow.”

The helpline continues, althoughChihak’s return to classes at the end of August meant a slower response time to calls; the message machinepromises a response within 48 hours.“Lori and I are continuing to take thecalls, and Steve will volunteer his time

as he’s able, with school,”Edberg says. VermilionCommunity College haspromised another internfor summer 2007, so thehelpline will be back infull force at that time. �

Tracy O’Connell is assistant professor at theUniversity of Wisconsin-River Falls and formerlyworked in marketingcommunications for corporate and not-for-profit organizations. She serves on the commu-nications committee of theInternational Wolf Centerand lives in rural westernWisconsin.

the “Living with Wolves” flyer andsuggest ways the home owner candissuade further wolf visits by tacticssuch as more tightly covering gar-bage cans and not leaving pet foodout. In some instances the attractormay be something in the area, such aswildlife in neighboring woods orchickens in a neighbor’s coop.

At times Chihak mounted a wild-life camera at a location where therehad been concern about wolves in anattempt to record the wolf behavior.

10 W i n t e r 2 0 0 6 w w w . w o l f . o r g

Gar

y M

einz

In late June six wolf pups were seen on a golf course near Lutsen, Minnesota. The pups were mangy,a condition that comes and goes in wolf populations.

“With more wolves in our area—the numbers are up from 2,400 to

3,000 in the state during the past decade—and more people moving

into our region, the need for this service will continue to grow.”

The Wolf Helpline was a collaboration of the USDA-Wildlife Services and the

International Wolf Center withcooperation from the law

enforcement divisions of theMinnesota Department ofNatural Resources and the

U.S. Forest Service. The venturewas financially supported in part by these Ely businesses:

Grand Ely Lodge, PiragisNorthwoods Company and

WELY End of the Road Radio.

Page 12: WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC, page 4An arctic wolf on Ellesmere Island, summer 2006. Photo by Nancy Gibson. Read about the wolves of Ellesmere Island on page 4. Departments Sherry Jokinen

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 6 11

“I am truly indebted to theInternational Wolf Center.”

If you would like to haveyour own customized pro-gram at the InternationalWolf Center, contact ProgramDirector Jen Westlund [email protected] or 218-365-HOWL (4695). �

volume as it gets closer tothe collar it is set up to find.“We went out and . . . Markwas able to use his keenauditory senses to locate thecollar that I had hidden,”explained Donna. After-ward he tried to locate somecollared wild wolves in theEly area. Although he wasunsuccessful in locatingone, Mark had the full expe-rience of how it is done bywolf experts.

Mark got a better “feel”for wolves by petting wolfpelts and handling bonesfrom their prey, such as amoose femur and a deer leg.Later, walking around theCenter’s wolf enclosure, hewas able to discover the sizeof the Exhibit Pack’s livingarea. As dusk approachedon a Wolf Communicationfield trip, Mark howled inhope of a return howl froma wild wolf pack.

Stephanie emphasizedthat Mark doesn’t let hisblindness keep him fromlearning or “seeing” whatlife offers. She explainedthat he is a successful busi-nessman who gives his fulleffort to any challenge ortask. He owns a high-endaudio business, is computersavvy and loves to cook. Heeven rebuilds and restoresvintage “hot rods.”

Stephanie and Mark werevery happy with their spe-cialized experience in Ely,Minnesota. Stephanie said itwas more than she expected,

INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER

Notes From Home

Man with Visual ImpairmentVisits the International Wolf Center Hands-On

Mark Balkowitsch, who is visuallyimpaired, participated in acustomized program at theInternational Wolf Center with his partner, Stephanie Grady.

Inte

rnat

iona

l Wol

f Cen

ter

For Mark Balkowitsch’s63rd birthday, his partner,

Stephanie Grady, wanted totake him to a place where he could get a “sense” of hisfavorite animal, the wolf.Being visually impaired, Markwould have the opportunityto benefit from a special program that would allowhim to use his other senses to get to know the wildcanine. So, Stephanie con-tacted the education team atthe International WolfCenter, who, in turn, workedwith special education teacherDonna Prichard to customizean educational program notbased on vision.

Mark and Stephaniespent two days participatingin regular programs at theCenter as well as thoseDonna specifically createdfor them. “I made somemodifications/adaptationsso Mark could fully parti-cipate,” said Donna. Forinstance, while discussinganimal tracks, Mark learnedhow to construct wildlifetrack pads in the sur-rounding forest rather thanvisually searching for tracks.By touching the pads he was able to discover the big difference in paw sizebetween a wolf and a coyote.

Radio telemetry allowedfor a wolf search using hisauditory senses. Telemetryequipment creates a beepingnoise that increases in

Page 13: WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC, page 4An arctic wolf on Ellesmere Island, summer 2006. Photo by Nancy Gibson. Read about the wolves of Ellesmere Island on page 4. Departments Sherry Jokinen

12 W i n t e r 2 0 0 6 w w w . w o l f . o r g

Rolf PetersonBrings Richesto the Board

When two bull moose with antlers died from

exhaustion in rut on IsleRoyale in the early 1990s,Earthwatch volunteers col-lected some of their boneson a hypothermia-inducingMay day. Dr. Rolf Peterson,leader of the Isle Royale wolfstudy, hoped to reassemblethe moose, and over theyears he looked for andcollected missing bones. Theresult: a bull moose skeleton,which has become one of theInternational Wolf Center’smost popular exhibits. AndPeterson became an integralmember of the Center’s boardof directors.

Peterson ended his tenureas professor at MichiganTechnological University inMay of this year. But hedoesn’t plan to slow down.He will continue to researchwolves on Isle Royale as wellas carry on his valued servicewith the International WolfCenter.

Peterson joined the boardin 1994 and has served as

secretary since 1997. He sayshe finds that the “fantasticand committed bunch offolks that also serve on theboard are always interestingand energizing.”

Peterson’s generosity tothe Center and its projectsoften takes unique turns. He once entertained Alphamembers with a fascinatingslide show and a tape ofyowls of snarly foxes he hadencountered on Isle Royale.The photos illustrated thedifference between the be-havior of wolves andfoxes, which are largely soli-tary, with none of the sub-missive or friendly posturesthat wolves exhibit.

While the Center oftenbenefits from Peterson’swolf and moose expertise,in 2007 his contributionstook an artistic turn whenhe donated printed cards of one of his wolf paintings.

“The board can alwayscount on Rolf for clearthinking, a fresh perspectiveand an abiding good humorin its deliberations,” saidboard chair Nancy jo Tubbs.“It’s an honor and a pleasureto work alongside him.” �

Cou

rtesy

of R

olf P

eter

son

Page 14: WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC, page 4An arctic wolf on Ellesmere Island, summer 2006. Photo by Nancy Gibson. Read about the wolves of Ellesmere Island on page 4. Departments Sherry Jokinen

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 6 13

INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER

Contributors JUNE–AUGUST 2006

ThankYou

MajorDonorsRobert Bell

Donald Benson Jr. & Connie WinslowBenson

Dorothy Blair

Catherine D. Brown

Bunny Bucho

Marilyn Capouch

Michael & Doreen Deutsch

Tom & Helen Dwight

Gail Gilmore

Grand Ely Lodge

Joe & JodyGreenhalgh

Julie & Parker Hall

Gary Hipple

F. B. Hubachek Jr.

Virginia Kluwin

David Lee & Family

Mitchell Macenski

Nadia Mead

Dave Mech

William & Patty Miller

Thomas & Victoria O’Connell

Karen Pajari

Robert E. Patterson

Yvonne Pettinga

Ted Rockwell

Elaine Schmidt

John Sheridan

Gerard Snyder

Chuck, Charlie &Kathleen Stelzner

Karen Sternal

John Tollefsen

Helen Tyson

Corey Voss

Viola Walkenhorst

Douglas & Lenore Walters

Frank & Ada Warner

Jaci Zweig

Honorary

In honor of Laura Block &Jordan O’Donnell:

Mary LouiseBeardsley

Katia Breslawec &Guy Peterson

Kimberly Ford &Robert Werling

Brenda Gauvin-Chadwick

Karen Green &Paula Forman

Greg & Jane Laco

Joseph & DeborahNorgaarden

K. Hem & Stomya Persaud

Barbara & Robert Ponzetti

Dave & Sharilyn Potter

Jyothsna Rayadurg &Ajay Gupta

Randy Rud & Joni Anderson-Rud

Linda Liden Urban

Memorials

In memory of “Jackpine” Bob Cary:

Dick & NancyGongoll

In memory of Frank Clybor:

Fred Wuhrman

In memory of Betty Hawes:

Doris Eiselmayr

Wayne & Patricia Hawes

Suzanne Jensen

Judith Torrence

In memory ofWilliam Howard:

Jean V. Ruth

In memory ofMarian Sanders:

Deborah Reynolds

In memory of Buell Tubbs:

Kathleen Kilpatrick

Mr. & Mrs. GeorgeMcFarland

Ray, Jayne & Bill Plantz

Kristin Summerwill

Carol Tellett

In memory of Lucas:

Larry & EvelynAnderson

Julie Atkinson

Paul & Chris Batiste

Linda Behmer

Danielle Belliveau

Maureen Black

Patricia Dantoni

Sandra Dehoyas

Brian & Ellen Dietz

Pamela Dolajeck

Barbara & Marc Farley

Cheryl Folkner

Nan & David Fry

Joseph & Emily Gelwicks

Johanna Goering

Robert Kolb

William Littlewood

Sandra Lockwood

Andrea Nelsen

Monte Pepperell

D. Ann Rasberry

Lori & Jeff Rhodes

Robert & Janice Roseman

Kelley Tees

John & Donna Virr

The Warner Family

Joyce Wells

Jaci Zweig

RoyaltiesVoyageur Press, Inc.

Dr. Dave Mech &The University ofChicago

MatchingGifts &FoundationsJanet Andersen &the Philip MorrisUSA Matching GiftsProgram

Andrews FamilyFoundation

Donald Benson &the Thrivent Financialfor LutheransFoundation

Sue Blomquist & theXcel EnergyMatching GiftProgram

Nancy G. Brooks &the AmeripriseFinancial EmployeeGift MatchingProgram

Michael Carpenter &the CommunitySolutions Fund

CommunityEconomicDevelopment JointWireless

Fabricon Foundation

Raul Garcia & the Microsoft GivingCampaign

Sherry Green & the Microsoft GivingCampaign

Sheila Jaimes & the CAN FoundationMatching GiftProgram

Richard Kandiko &the Kimberly ClarkFoundation

Gordon King & theWPS ResourcesFoundation, Inc.

Joe Liello & theAlliant EnergyFoundation, Inc.

Caryl McNeilly &the InternationalMonetary FundAnnual GivingCampaign

Brian C. Ogren &the AmeripriseFinancial EmployeeGift MatchingProgram

Mark Rammer & the UPS FoundationMatching GiftProgram

Leslye Teuber & the United Way ofKing County

In-KindDonationsTricia Austin

Paul & Chris Batiste

Marilyn Capouch

Debbie Castel

Sarah Fleming

Steve Gregg

John Hyde - WildThings Photography

Lelia Kauffman

Andrea Nelsen

Heather Richman

Lori Schmidt

Deb Smith & the UPS Store

Susan Sweeney

David Tetley

Page 15: WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC, page 4An arctic wolf on Ellesmere Island, summer 2006. Photo by Nancy Gibson. Read about the wolves of Ellesmere Island on page 4. Departments Sherry Jokinen

14 W i n t e r 2 0 0 6 w w w . w o l f . o r g

Tracking the Pack

managers. This lack of theoption to disperse may alsocreate a higher level ofdominance activities than is inherent in the wild.

Understanding the moti-vations of wolves in the wildis critical when managingcaptive wolves. But equallycritical is understanding theinfluences of confinementon captive wolves’ behaviorso that managers can estab-lish the best practicespossible to create a behav-iorally dynamic and cohesivesocial group. The Center’scaptive wolf managementprogram strives for thisgoal. �

Tracking the PackCaptive versus Wild: The Nature versusNurture Discussion, Part II

b 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

Wild offspring will followthe lead of their dominantparents due to their strongbond with them. In cap-tivity, especially at thosefacilities that alter thebreeding within the pack,the leaders of the pack maybe more inclined to asserttheir status through ritual-ized dominance, often withsome intensity. Internal packstrife in captivity is welldocumented at many facili-ties and may in fact be more

intense than internal packstrife in the wild.

Lack of DispersalOption. Biologists estimatethat as many as 40 percentof wolves disperse or leavetheir natal packs in searchof a mate and an opportu-nity to establish a pack in anew territory. Dispersal maybe motivated by restrictedfood resources, space lim-itations or even a boldpersonality trait that moti-vates a pack member to startto travel. In the wild, thefreedom to leave a pack isconstant; in captivity, thereis no freedom of dispersal.Changes to pack structureare at the discretion of thecaptive pack’s human

Ther

esa

Will

iam

s

Dominance behaviorbetween wolves is common,

but it is important formanagers to discern

normal dominance behaviorfrom intense aggressionheightened in a captive

environment.

In the last issue ofInternational Wolf, Idiscussed the similari-

ties of captive versus wildwolves. This article focuseson the two most significantdifferences between theambassador wolves andtheir wild counterparts.

Social Pack Structure.One of the main differencesrelates to the composition ofpacks. A typical pack in the wild consists of parents,offspring from one or twoyears and pups of the year,depending on the number of years since pack estab-lishment. At the Center,there is no breeding, so pupsare acquired from anotherfacility and socialized to livewith the existing adultwolves. While the wolvesdevelop strong social bondswith the new pups in cap-tivity, they are likely not asintense as the bond betweenparents and their offspring.

Page 16: WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC, page 4An arctic wolf on Ellesmere Island, summer 2006. Photo by Nancy Gibson. Read about the wolves of Ellesmere Island on page 4. Departments Sherry Jokinen

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 6 15

minds. People just need to beeducated.”

“We believe in the mis-sion of the Center. Educationis what the Center does best,and that’s where we want ourmoney to go.” �

When asked whythey’ve included theCenter in their estateplans, Cate explained, “I realize that we’reyoung to have all thisin place, but as a nursepractitioner, particularlyhaving worked in on-cology, I see firsthand that life is short. We wanted tomake sure that our wisheswere realized.”

“I talk with patients, somewho are staunchly againstwolves. I’ve convinced a few to read Shadow Mountainby Renee Askins and knowthat my conversations andinformation have trulychanged their hearts and

Nurturing young ones is a theme in Cate and

Doug Kautz’s lives. As par-ents of 4-year-old Kiera and2-month-old Darby and ofDoug’s 12-year-old daughter,Kathleen, they know thedrill firsthand.

Nurturing and learningfrom young ones at theInternational Wolf Centerhas also been an integralpart of their lives. As Dougexplained, “My mom boughtme a wolf adoption kit 13 years ago when I lived inBaltimore. The tradition con-tinued when my daughterKathleen adopted Maya as a pup. Kathleen keeps trackof Maya online to this day.”

Camp can make a big difference in yourson’s life. We place him in an idealwilderness setting, teach him, help himmake friends and grow. Since 1951, our philosophy has evolved into a solidprogram that emphasizes fair play, fun, fitness and REAL CAMPING.

TRADITIONAL SUMMER CAMP FOR BOYS 10-17WILDERNESS CANOE & BACKPACK TRIPS

The Center’s pack consistsof two distinct subspecies of

wolves and does not havethe typical structure of a

wild pack of breedingwolves with offspring.

Kelly

God

frey

Alpha Legacy Profile

D. K

autz

Cate and Doug Kautzwith their children Kiera(right) and Darby

Page 17: WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC, page 4An arctic wolf on Ellesmere Island, summer 2006. Photo by Nancy Gibson. Read about the wolves of Ellesmere Island on page 4. Departments Sherry Jokinen

16 W i n t e r 2 0 0 6 w w w . w o l f . o r g

about wolves. As human populationsgrow, wild land that supports wolvesshrinks to make way for residentialand commercial development. Whenpeople reduce the amount of land that is developed and natural resourcesthat are consumed, the pressure onwild species and their habitats eases.Preserving wild lands ensures therewill be space for wolves and otherwildlife populations to function naturally without competing andconflicting with humans.

The exhibit reminds the viewerthat humans are ultimately respon-sible for the long-term survival ofwolves. Each person can make a posi-tive difference for wolves and allwildlife by learning more aboutwolves and wild lands issues, con-serving the earth’s resources and sup-porting organizations that promotewild lands preservation. �

Highlights from the International Wolf Center’s New Exhibit: Wolves and Wild Lands in the 21st Century

Loss of wild land is the root causeof most problems facing wolves.

These issues are depicted inthe International Wolf Center’s newtraveling exhibit Wolves and WildLands in the 21st Century, which wasfeatured in the Fall 2006 issue ofInternational Wolf magazine. In thisand future issues of this magazinereaders will find synopses of theexhibit’s interpretive panels, which,in composite, represent the chal-lenges that wolves and people facecoexisting in the same places.

“The pending removal of wolvesfrom the endangered species list in the western Great Lakes andNorthern Rockies signals the begin-ning of a new era in wolf conserva-tion,” says Andrea Lorek Strauss,National Information and EducationDirector for the Center and leaddesigner of the new exhibit. “Wolvesand Wild Lands in the 21st Centuryintroduces visitors to issues, includingdestruction of the wolf’s wild landhabitat, interbreeding with coyotes,reduction of wolf-human conflicts andquestions about hunting of wolves.”

The exhibit uses mounted wolfspecimens in combination with maps,original drawings, rare images and textto tell these important new stories

You can display the Wolves and Wild Lands in the 21st Century exhibit at

your local museum, community center, town hall or event.

Visit www.wolf.org for further information.

Mon

ty S

loan

Page 18: WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC, page 4An arctic wolf on Ellesmere Island, summer 2006. Photo by Nancy Gibson. Read about the wolves of Ellesmere Island on page 4. Departments Sherry Jokinen

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 6 17

Land development crowds wolvesExplosive residential and industrial developmentin the Rocky Mountains affects thousands of acres

of wild land eachyear. Bull-dozingprime habitat drivesout elk and otheranimals that wolveseat. If their prey can’tsurvive, the wolvescan’t survive.

Housing displaces wildlife

Private ranchland often includes lush valleybottoms that are critical winter habitat forwildlife but are also prime home sites forpeople. When ranchland becomes valuable real estate, some ranchers are motivated to sell their acreage. Housing developers thensubdivide the land into a patchwork of roads,utilities, and houses. Wolves, and the elk theyfeed upon, are pushed out.

In this situation, keeping ranchers in businesscan help save animal habitat. The Jackson HoleLand Trust encourages ranchers in the Yellowstonearea to restrict future development on their landin exchange for reduced property taxes thatmake it affordable for them to continue ranching.

Wolves lose to resource mining

Well sites and access roads for oil and naturalgas exploration displace the elk, deer, andmoose that wolves eat. A coalition of sportsmenand environmentalists is working to preventexploration that would degrade valuable habitatnear Glacier National Park and in Wyoming’sUpper Green River Valley.

Rocky Mountain wolf Canis lupus occidentalis

Looks: 85–115 pounds, with a mix of black, white, gray, or tan fur Eats: Prey includes elk, moose, bison, beaver,caribou, Dall sheep, deer, mountain goat,salmon and snowshoe hare. Lives: Habitat includes mountains and high plains. Population: About 1,000 wolves.Status: Endangered.

� Historic range of the gray wolf

� Current range of the gray wolf

� Area related to this panel’s stories

Note: The Rocky Mountain wolf is one type, orsubspecies, of gray wolf.

“The bulldozer and not theatomic bomb may turn out to be the most destructive

invention of the 20th century.” —Phillip Shabecoff,

New York Times Magazine, June 4, 1978

Wild lands transformedWolves have a secure home in federallyprotected parks and wilderness areas. Unless wecurb rampant development and save room forwolves outside protected public lands, we rele-gate them to ever-smaller pockets of habitat.

WOLVES IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS Highlights from the exhibit panel

Illus

tratio

ns b

y Ke

n A

vido

r

Bob

Land

isPa

ula

K. B

esw

ick

Page 19: WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC, page 4An arctic wolf on Ellesmere Island, summer 2006. Photo by Nancy Gibson. Read about the wolves of Ellesmere Island on page 4. Departments Sherry Jokinen

J. L

. Cos

sa

18 W i n t e r 2 0 0 6 w w w . w o l f . o r g

naturally functioning ecosystemcame to be recognized. The wolf was legally protected in Italy in 1971,and listed as an endangered andstrictly protected species in Europeafter the Bern Convention in 1979and the Habitat Directive in 1992.Today, ecological conditions andconservation efforts in WesternEurope are improving, and both wildungulate and wolf populations areincreasing. Wolves began naturallyrecolonizing the southwestern Alps

at the beginning of the 1990s. Geneticanalysis conducted on wolf scat and tissuesamples collected in the recently recolo-nized areas in the Alps proved that wolvesarrived through dispersal from popula-tions in central Italy.

When these semi-isolated packsappeared progressively farther from sourcewolf populations, questions arose regardingwolf origin, numbers, distribution and the impact that these wolves could have onthe domestic and wild animals in the Alps.Because of these questions, in France the Minister of Environment, the Parc duMercantour and the ONCFS started amonitoring program in 1992–93, sub-sequently funded by two Life-Natureprojects (1997–99 and 2000–02). At thesame time in Italy the Piemonte Region and the European Community funded the

Wolves were widespread inI t a l y, F r a n c e a n dSwitzerland until the early

1900s, when they were graduallyextirpated in the Alps region. The lastwolves were killed in the south-western Alps during the 1920s and1930s, but wolves survived along the Apennines range of central Italy.In the decades that followed, theimportance of the wolf as part of a

W O LV E S I N W E S T E R N E U R O P E

Transboundary Monitoring of a Recolonizing Wolf Population in the Western Alps of Italy, France and Switzerlandb y F r a n c e s c a M a r u c c o

Wolves began naturally recolonizing thesouthwestern Alps at the beginning of 1990s.

Page 20: WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC, page 4An arctic wolf on Ellesmere Island, summer 2006. Photo by Nancy Gibson. Read about the wolves of Ellesmere Island on page 4. Departments Sherry Jokinen

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 6 19

“Progetto Lupo Piemonte” from 1999to 2001, and from 2002 to 2005 theProgetto Lupo in the Italian Alps was exclusively funded by thePiemonte Region.

This exceptional extended periodof funding allowed the study of thewolf recolonization process and thebeginning and strengthening of astrict collaboration between theFrench, Italian and Swiss monitoringgroups. The transboundary collabo-ration grew through the years from a sporadic and formal series of meet-ings to an actual and practical coordi-nated program of monitoring andexchange of data. Today this coordi-nated working group is called the“Wolf Alpine Group.”

The large-scale wolf monitoring isbased on a combination of noninvasivemethods, using both the more con-ventional techniques such as snow-tracking and wolf-howling surveys,and the data from newly emergingDNA-based techniques. This com-bination of noninvasive techniquesprovided an optimal tool to monitorwolf pack dynamics and territoriesover large areas where radio tracking is not feasible or too expensive. Aradio-marking program is conductedonly on the Italian side of the Alps, ata finer scale, to answer specific ques-tions on predator-prey relationships.

The natural expansion of wolvesin the Alps is a great challenge forconservation biologists and wildlifemanagers of both countries becausewe try to achieve the goal of having a viable population while minimizingthe conflict that the species mightgenerate. Such complex, large manage-ment issues require an understandingof the spatial and temporal dynamicsof the wolf population, and at thesame time a huge effort to solve live-stock depredation conflicts throughthe implementation of prevention

With improved ecologicalconditions and conservationefforts in Western Europe,populations of both wild ungulates, like the ibex shown here, and the wolf are increasing.

P. A

rsan

A U S T R I A

I t a l y

S P A I N

G E R M A N Y

F r a n c e

A N D O R R A

B E L G I U M

L U X .

Switzerland

Parc du Mercantour

Piem

onte

Page 21: WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC, page 4An arctic wolf on Ellesmere Island, summer 2006. Photo by Nancy Gibson. Read about the wolves of Ellesmere Island on page 4. Departments Sherry Jokinen

20 W i n t e r 2 0 0 6 w w w . w o l f . o r g

methods. Therefore, these trans-boundary research and monitoringprograms will provide quantitativeunderstanding of the genetic, demo-graphic and territorial aspects of thisAlpine wolf population, and will be fundamental to building an effec-tive management strategy that willconsider the Alps wolf population as a unique population. �

Francesca Marucco is the coordinator ofthe Piemonte Wolf Project in the Alps, Italy. She is also a Ph.D. candidate at theUniversity of Montana, Department ofEcosystem and Conservation Sciences. Herdissertation research investigates the effectsof habitat loss and fragmentation on thewolf recolonization in the Western Alps.

For more information:

Plan d’action sur le loup 2004–2008 (text in French only) (2004–08 WolfManagement Plan): http://www.loup.ecologie.gouv.fr/virtual/14/documents/pdf/Plan%20loup%202004-2008.pdf

Site officiel du loup et des GrandsPrédateurs en France (official Web sitededicated to the wolf and other bigpredators in France): http://www.loup.ecologie.gouv.fr/frontblocksLoup

Il Lupo nelle Alpi (The Wolf in the Alps)(text in Italian only): http://www.luponellialpi.it

Gilb

ert R

ossi

P. P

ierin

i

Alpine wolvesshare their moun-tainous habitatwith chamois(left) andmarmots.

Gilb

ert R

ossi

Page 22: WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC, page 4An arctic wolf on Ellesmere Island, summer 2006. Photo by Nancy Gibson. Read about the wolves of Ellesmere Island on page 4. Departments Sherry Jokinen

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 6 21

Fourth night on the trail, 30 minutes before sunset. Alone.

I’m dozing in my tent at my camp-site in the southwest corner of Isle Royale, a remote spot on a

remote island in Lake Superior, 20miles from Minnesota and Canada,and 70 from Michigan. It is 40degrees, threatening to rain, and the25-mile-per-hour cold north windmakes me wonder if it is really May.

I awaken to a thump, and as I liequietly on the ground, listening to the wind in the balsams and whitespruces near me, I hear it again. Thenearest person is at Siskiwit Bay orWindigo, both 10 trail miles away.Nobody has been here in sevenmonths; it is the early season on theBig Lake. I look out the vestibule ofthe tent and see nothing of note.

The thump is an odd noise,neither the scurry of a mouse nor thepatter of a squirrel. One more thump,I tell myself, and I’m going out totake a look. Something is out there. I put on my camp shoes, thinking I know what will happen next.

Thump.I bolt out of the tent, first seeing

nothing but aspen shrubs and tallgrasses behind my campsite. I thenturn around, facing Feldtmann Lakeand the cold wind. There, 12 feetaway, separated from me only by air, stands a fully grown timber wolf, Canis lupus himself. Its huge shoulders elevate its front end as if it were standing on a platform. Thecreature is absolutely magnificent.I’ve heard that wolves look like dogs.No way. This is pure wolf.

“Oh . . . my . . . God,” I say aloud.The wolf and I stare at each other, itsdark eyes boring holes in me, its earserect. It’s not going anywhere. Twoemotions, thrill and fear, concur-rently explode behind my eyes. I’vegot my wish; indeed, for years, seeinga wolf in the wild has been at the topof “The List” of things tosee or do in my life. But asthe wolf stares at me, I amafraid, which I tell myself is ridiculous, given my pastreading of David Mech,Rolf Peterson and BarryLopez. Additionally, I am alongtime member of theInternational Wolf Center,appropriately having the“Lone Wolf” membershipcategory. I know thatbarring a possible instancein Saskatchewan lastwinter, there has rarelybeen a documented attackby a healthy adult wolf on a healthy adult human inNorth America.

But that’s my intellectspeaking. It’s quite anothermatter to be really close toa predator that clearlyshows no fear, with noother hominids within 10miles, knowing I’m notdealing the cards here.Wolves are supposed to bereclusive; estimates are that 1 in 900hikers on Isle Royale ever see one,and the sightings are usually measuredin seconds or fractional seconds. I’vebeen given one of the greatest gifts of all: the ability to see something

I’ve always wanted to see with total,unambiguous clarity. Nevertheless,the gift comes with some seriousstrings attached.

The wolf trots down the trail andenters my site, moving into the highgrasses behind me. It loops aroundand again is within a dozen feet. “OK,go on now,” I say, with a steady voice,although I certainly don’t feel thatway. The cover has been removed

Thumpb y M i c h a e l S . S m i t h

continued on page 23

Cou

rtesy

of M

icha

el S

. Sm

ith

Michael Smith encountered a wolf while onIsle Royale, a gift with some strings attached.

Page 23: WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC, page 4An arctic wolf on Ellesmere Island, summer 2006. Photo by Nancy Gibson. Read about the wolves of Ellesmere Island on page 4. Departments Sherry Jokinen

“Where are the gray wolves?” you ask. After letting your siblingsquirm for a minute, you give thecorrect answer. “You’re looking atthem. Despite different colors, allwolves that you see here at theCenter are called gray wolves.”

Most people think “gray” refersonly to a wolf’s color. In fact, “graywolf” is actually the species name of an animal that could appear buff,brown, black, white or gray. There aredifferent species, or types, of wolvesjust as there are different types of cars

22 W i n t e r 2 0 0 6 w w w . w o l f . o r g

What would you expect to see when you visit theInternational Wolf Center?

“Wolves,” you say. In an attempt totrick you, your brother (or sister) asks,“What kind of wolves?” And becauseyou’re smarter than they think, youcorrectly answer, “Gray wolves.”

Then, when you visit the Centeryou see a white wolf (Shadow orMalik) resting on a big rock, a grizzle-colored wolf (Maya or Grizzer)chasing minnows in the pond, and a nearly black wolf (MacKenzie) onthe television screen.

(e.g., Ford, Honda, Chevy, Toyota,and others). There are two main wolfspecies in the world:� gray wolf, what biologists call

Canis lupus� red wolf, or Canis rufus

In addition, some scientists thinkthe Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) isa true wolf. Others think it is a jackal.Furthermore, scientists are now begin-ning to believe that the wolf in easternNorth America is not the gray wolf butrather an animal they call the Easternwolf (Canis lycaon).

But that doesn’t explain whyMalik and Shadow are white, whileothers are black, gray and brown. It’sbecause Malik and Shadow are asubspecies of the gray wolf known asthe arctic wolf (Canis lupus arctos).

Cars have different models (Fordhas the Explorer, Escape and Focus,

for example), and eachspecies of wolf

Gray Wolves That Are Black and EvenWhite . . . What’s Up with That?b y S t e v e L o k k e r

Despite different colors, all wolvesat the Center are gray wolves.

Ther

esa

Will

iam

s

Page 24: WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC, page 4An arctic wolf on Ellesmere Island, summer 2006. Photo by Nancy Gibson. Read about the wolves of Ellesmere Island on page 4. Departments Sherry Jokinen

has different models, or subspecies,which are like races of wolves indifferent areas. Most arctic wolves livenorth of the Arctic Circle, a barrenwilderness covered with snow and ice for most of the year. The uniquecharacteristics of arctic wolves helpthem survive in one of Earth’s mostunfriendly environments:� Being white, like snow and ice,

helps arctic wolves blend in withtheir surroundings when theystalk and hunt their prey.

� They are large because the preythey hunt (caribou and musk ox)are large.

� Rounded ears protect them fromthe dangers of the bitter coldweather such as frostbite.Now you know more about

wolves. When you have more knowl-edge than your brother, sister . . . oreven your parents, you can helpcorrect some of the wrong impres-sions that people have of wolves. Andpeople who have correct impressionsmake informed decisions about howthey feel toward wolves. �

Steve Lokker is a freelance writer wholives in Madison, Wisconsin. He has been active as a volunteer for theInternational Wolf Center and the Dane County (WI) Humane Society.

from my pack, but my food, in aplastic bag hanging from a nearbyspruce, is untouched.

The wolf drops its head, moving it back and forth, neither a sign ofsubmission nor aggression but prob-ably more curiosity. It is definitelysticking around, and its interest inmy gear is most disquieting, as if I needed any more disquiet rightbefore sunset. “Get out,” I yell, andthe wolf moves back, but only a fewfeet, arching its tail. I can’t believethat I am actually trying to get a wolf to leave my campsite. What’sgoing on here?

For five minutes, the wolf and Iwatch each other. I don’t know whatits thoughts are; I keep telling myselfit won’t attack and that the manymoose on the island, including thebull I was near just two hours ago,are far more a threat to me than a

wolf. Emotionally, however, “Peterand the Wolf” from my childhoodand past irrelevant encounters with“campsite bears” win the day. I’m outof here as soon as I get packed. I’vealready covered 10 miles today. I’m going to do another 10 in thedark, batteries permitting. It’s worthit. I start collecting my gear.

I look up, and the wolf has van-ished, with nary a thump. Maybe itwent to check out the moose I sawearlier in the evening. I’m not at allcertain whether it will return. Nomatter. One way or another, I’m notgoing to be sleeping much tonight.May as well be walking. I’ll have a lot to think about on the trail—andfor a long, long time to come. �

Michael S. Smith lives in Tucson,Arizona. He has canoed in the BoundaryWaters Canoe Area Wilderness for 25years, often hearing but never seeing awolf. He plans to return to Isle Royaleagain next spring.

Lynn

and

Don

na R

oger

s/w

ww

.ber

astu

dy.o

rg

Personal Encountercontinued from page 21

A C T I V I T Y :You can see the wolves at theInternational Wolf Center by

going to the Center’s home pageat www.wolf.org and clicking on“Watch live wolves” in the centerof the page. Can you spot a whitewolf? a gray wolf? a black wolf?

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 6 23

Page 25: WOLVES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC, page 4An arctic wolf on Ellesmere Island, summer 2006. Photo by Nancy Gibson. Read about the wolves of Ellesmere Island on page 4. Departments Sherry Jokinen

This work rests on a set of valuesand a scientific understanding ofwhat makes for healthy natural and human communities. The valuesinclude respect for all species and the land that supports them, alongwith the recognition that wolves areimportant to natural communities in part because they regulate thenumbers of many other species andhow they interact. Healthy wolfpopulations depend on two things:good habitat with a diverse prey base,and freedom from human persecu-tion. These two needs are best met bylarge connected protected areas.

Conservation plans detail thevision for healthy wild lands alongthe Spine of the Continent. The plansare like the picture on the front of a jigsaw puzzle box—a shared set of goals many groups work toward.From the borderlands of the SkyIslands in southern Arizona to thenorthern U.S. Rockies, the WildlandsProject and partners are acting toexpand protected areas, reconnectlandscapes across highways, and re-cover native species like wolves. TheYellowstone to Yukon ConservationInitiative (Y2Y) has identifiedsimilar steps. Y2Y has under-taken or inspiredimportant work suchas the TransCanadaHighway overpasses,which wolves areusing. Through-out the Spine ofthe Continent,wild areas arebeing developed,des t roy inghabitat and

threatening the connectivity of thewhole system. For this reason,conservation groups, including theWildlands Project and Y2Y, havejoined forces to make maintainingconnectivity a top priority.

Such steps are only a beginning.The destruction of several reintro-duced packs of Mexican wolves in the Southwest is proof that wolvesneed much larger wild-land habitatsto minimize contact with livestockand humans. Ultimately the survivalof wolves will depend on more thanrecognizing we have no right todestroy other species. It will dependon the deeper understanding that ourconnection to wolves and wildernessis our connection to what is best inus: our capacity to care for our naturalheritage and to embrace freedom forother creatures as well as ourselves.

David Johns was a co-founder (1991)and first president of the WildlandsProject, and a co-founder (1993) of the Yellowstone to Yukon ConservationInitiative. Kim Vacariu is the SouthwestDirector for the Wildlands Project.Margo McKnight is Executive Director of the Wildlands Project (www.twp.org).

Wolves, Freedom and the Landscapeb y D a v i d J o h n s , K i m V a c a r i u a n d M a r g o M c K n i g h t

Inte

rnat

iona

l Wol

f Cen

ter

Pluie was a 5-year-old, grayfemale wolf researchers firstradio-collared in Kananaskas

Country, Alberta. For more than twoyears, they followed Pluie’s travelfrom K country across the CrowsNest Pass into British Columbia, tothe Flathead Valley, then to GlacierNational Park in Montana, farthersouth into Montana, across the Idahopanhandle into Washington, andthen back to Kananaskas. In somejurisdictions within the 100,000square kilometers of her range Pluiewas legally protected but neverentirely safe. In other jurisdictions it was open season, and in BritishColumbia on December 18, 1995,Pluie, her mate and one pup werelegally shot by a hunter.

Pluie’s story represents the largerstory of wolves and the wildernessneeded to sustain them. How will that story unfold? The past could bethe future: continued persecution ofwolves in the name of protecting live-stock for ranchers and ungulates forhunters. Or we could restrict wolves toisolated outdoor zoos in Yellowstone,Banff or Glacier-Waterton.

But another future is possible—amuch brighter one for both wolvesand people. That story is beingwritten throughout a wildlife corridorthat runs from the Sierra MadreOccidental in Sonora, Mexico, northalong the Rocky Mountains to theYellowstone ecosystem and on to theCanadian Yukon. A broad coalition isworking to protect and restore thehealth of the land, water and wolvesin this 4,000-mile-long internationalpassage, often referred to as the“Spine of the Continent.”

24 W i n t e r 2 0 0 6 w w w . w o l f . o r g