Gene transcripts from ancient wolf analyzed after 14,000 years in permafrost

From Eurekalert.com:

RNA — the short-lived transcripts of genes — from the “Tumat puppy”, a wolf of the Pleistocene era has been isolated, and its sequence analyzed in a new study by Oliver Smith of the University of Copenhagen and colleagues publishing on July 30 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology. The results establish the possibility of examining a range of RNA transcripts from ancient organisms, a possibility previously thought to be extremely unlikely because of the short lifespan of RNA.

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Wolf trapper certification class coming to Billings, Montana

From KULR8.com:

A wolf trapper certification class scheduled for Billings aims to educate those willing to learn, how to properly trap and conserve in the state of Montana. 

The class will be a comprehensive education session taught by FWP staff and experienced wolf trappers.

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Suitable habitats of Indian Grey Wolves in eastern India lie outside protected areas, says study

From ResearchMatters.in:

In February 2019, people from three villages in the Jhargram district of West Bengal feared a wolf that had attacked eight people. Local newspapers reported that in a neighbouring village, three men sitting around a fire were attacked by a wolf, and one of them later died at a hospital. The increasing incidents of wolf attacks in the region was a cause of concern for those working in the fields. Finally, a wolf trying to hunt a sheep in the village was captured by the locals and handed over to the authorities. Often, villagers retaliate by poisoning wolves or killing them when they find their livestock missing. However, data shows that more wolves are attacked and killed by humans than humans are by wolves. During the British rule, wolves were declared as vermin, and about 200,000 wolves were reportedly killed in India.

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Meet the first ever wolf-friendly town in Hungary

From Daily News Hungary:

In the past few years, lots of large carnivores settled down near the Hungarian town of Füzér, which has around 430 inhabitants. By now, there is probably a bigger pack of wolves and lynxes, which is why the local authorities decided to help the animals with a field of land on the border of the village designated specifically to them.

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Range war over wolves continues in Arizona

From the White Mountain Independent:

APACHE COUNTY — The range war between wolves and humans continues in Arizona and New Mexico, according to the latest report from Arizona Game and Fish.

From January to June, eight wolves died or were killed, out of a documented 2018 population of 131; two of the deaths occurred in Arizona.

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For second year in a row, Canada’s fragile Bow Valley wolf pack adds pups

From the Edmonton Sun:

For the second time in as many years, the fragile Bow Valley wolf pack has birthed a litter of pups.

While unknown how many have been born, Parks Canada wildlife ecologist Jesse Whittington estimated them to be around three months old.

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Gray Wolf Revival: Michigan A.G. Nessel Pushes Back Against Removal from Endangered List

From 9and10news.com:

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is pushing back against a federal plan to drop gray wolves from the endangered species list.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says gray wolf populations have recovered in the lower 48 states, so the agency wants to hand off the responsibility of managing the species to states.

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Controversial Wisconsin billboard addresses wolf depredation compensation

From WMTV in Madison, Wisconsin:

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) — A new billboard on a heavily traveled Madison road takes up a contentious issue: wolves that kill hunting dogs or pets, and the compensation that goes along with it.

The billboard sits near the corner of East Washington Avenue and Stoughton Road, headed northeast toward I-90. It reads, “Wisconsin pays hunters who let wolves kill their dogs.”

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New survey methods will help produce the first estimate of Idaho’s total wolf numbers since 2015

From the Idaho County Free Press:

How many wolves are on the landscape in Idaho? That’s an often-asked question that Idaho Fish and Game is aiming to answer using game cameras during a new statewide population monitoring program. 

In recent months, Fish and Game staff have deployed over 800 game cameras in a high-density grid throughout the state, which will take millions of pictures. When Fish and Game staff collect the cameras at the end of September, researchers will download and analyze the photos and apply statistical modeling to estimate the population. 

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Gray wolves remain protected in Arizona, N.M.

From The Copper Era in Safford, Arizona:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — While remaining safe within Arizona, the gray wolf faces the threat of delistment elsewhere in the country by the Department of Interior.

The commenting period for removing the wolf from the Endangered Species Act ended July 15, with officials touting the success of conservation efforts in restoring populations throughout the country.

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