Moffat County continues push against wolves, no plans to join Rio Blanco in ’sanctuary’ stance

From The Craig Daily Press in Colorado:

Following a call to join Rio Blanco’s Wolf Reintroduction Sanctuary stance, Moffat County commissioners stated that while they remain steadfast in the opposition of wolves, they will not be joining in on Rio Blanco’s resolution, instead focusing their efforts on requesting a local governmental role in the planning process.

Rio Blanco’s resolution stated the county would allow for the natural migration and repopulation of Gray Wolves, but would not allow for artificially introduced wolves, further stating that “designated lands” for artificial reintroduction must not include Rio Blanco County or any other county in the state that adopts the Sanctuary County Resolution.

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Shift in diet allowed gray wolves to survive ice-age extinction

From Eurekalert.org:

April 12, 2021 – Gray wolves are among the largest predators to have survived the extinction at the end of the last ice age around11,700 years ago. Today, they can be found roaming Yukon’s boreal forest and tundra, with caribou and moose as their main sources of food.

A new study led by the Canadian Museum of Nature shows that wolves may have survived by adapting their diet over thousands of years—from a primary reliance on horses during the Pleistocene, to caribou and moose today. The results are published in the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.

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WDFW head sees need for quicker call on wolf removal

From the Capital Press:

Washington Fish and Wildlife Director Kelly Susewind said Wednesday the department will try to decide more quickly whether to kill wolves once packs have met thresholds for lethal control.

As in the past, Fish and Wildlife will remove wolves as a last resort, Susewind told the department’s Wolf Advisory Group. Delays making the decision, however, “limit the value” of lethal control, he said.

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The Return of the Polish Wolf

From TOL.org:

Nearly eradicated decades ago, the wolf is today an emblem of successful human-predator coexistence in Poland.

The wolf automatically arouses fear. No other animal evokes so many emotions. At the same time, as ultimate predators, wolves are an indispensable part of the Polish ecosystem.

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Gray wolf detected in SLO County (California). It may be first Central Coast sighting in nearly 200 years

From The Tribune in San Luis Obispo, California:

In a historic journey, a lone gray wolf from Oregon has traveled into San Luis Obispo County in search of a new mate or new pack, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

It’s likely the first time in nearly 200 years that a gray wolf, which is an endangered species protected under state law, has been known to be in the Central Coast region.

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Biden administration mum so far on returning gray wolves to endangered species list

From MichiganAdvance.com:

A controversial decision in the last months of the Trump administration to remove gray wolves from the endangered species list led to a massive overhunt in Wisconsin this year that Ojibwe tribal representatives said disrespected their wishes.

But there’s no indication yet that the Biden administration will attempt to roll back that move, despite an order the day President Joe Biden took office that departments across the government  review decisions from the previous four years that were “damaging to the environment, unsupported by the best available science, or otherwise not in the national interest.” The order specifically cited the gray wolf delisting as one to reconsider.

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Wolves and livestock: Can they live in harmony in Germany?

From dw.com:

Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner chose a sheep farm in rural Brandenburg, a 90-minute drive from Berlin’s government district, to announce the launch of Germany’s new federal center for livestock and wolves.

“Just as the wolf is entitled to protection, so are our livestock,” Klöckner said. “We need them to maintain and preserve our cultural landscape.” The return of the wolf, she said, should not “lead to the existence of livestock being threatened in some regions of Germany.”

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East Meets West: Little Red Riding Hood Versus Japan’s Okuri-Inu

From ancient-origins.net:

Throughout history the dark of the night has always brought fear. The quiet forests, roads or paths were a place where imagination would run wild as to what goes bump in the night. In the West, Little Red Riding Hood was the story created to warn travelers about what could be prowling in these desolate and unprotected places. In Japan, the wood walker’s wolf companion came in the form of the Okuri-Inu.

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Wisconsin: With The Wolf Delisted, Farmers And Landowners Are Taking Steps To Remove Problem Wolves

From Wisconsin Public Radio:

Now that most gray wolves are delisted, some Wisconsin landowners and farmers are seeking to resolve conflicts by killing wolves on their property.

The Trump administration removed the wolf from the endangered species list in early January after announcing its intention to delist the animal last fall. When federal protections existed, federal and state wildlife managers were limited to using nonlethal measures to manage problem wolves that preyed on livestock or pets.

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British Columbia: South Islanders calling for pause on wolf hunting as pack sightings drop

From the Cowichan Valley Citizen in British Columbia:

Some Vancouver Island officials are calling for a moratorium on wolf hunting after claims an entire wolf pack was killed in the Sooke area by a trophy hunter.

There’s no confirmation by wildlife officials the pack was killed. Still, naturalist Gary Schroyen, who’s monitored and photographed the pack for several years, hasn’t seen the wolves for several weeks, Sam Webb, president of Wild Wise Sooke, said.

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