Wolves in Germany Are Making a Comeback, And The Military Is Weirdly Helping

From ScienceAlert.com:

Humanity has always had an uneasy relationship with wolves. They loom large in our ancient mythologies as fearsome beasts; over the millennia, that fear has led to devastation of wolf populations across Europe, including 19th century Germany.

In the 1960s, numbers of wolves (Canis lupus) in Europe hit an all-time low, veering perilously close to the brink of extinction. But in recent years they’ve been gradually coming back to Germany; now, new research has found they are assisted by an unlikely ally – the German military.

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Female wolf settles in the Netherlands and may have a mate

From DutchNews.nl:

A female wolf which has been roaming the northern part of the Veluwe national park in Gelderland can now be considered to be the first wolf to be officially settled there and off-spring may be on the way, wolf monitoring organisation Wolven in Nederland claims. A wolf is considered settled when it stays in a certain area for longer than six months. DNA in the wolf droppings, show that this is the case for Veluwe wolf GW998F, the organisation said, while droppings from a male wolf and tracks in the snow from both animals suggest that the female has found a mate.

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Bill to keep Idaho wolf control board headed to governor

From MagicValley.com:

BOISE — Legislation to keep operating a state board that pays a federal agency to kill wolves that attack livestock and elk is on its way to Gov. Brad Little after a House vote Monday.

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An Ancient Rural Culture Deals With Wolves Halfway Around The World

From the Mountain Journal:

Two animals, dark against windblown snow, picked their way from the shelter of a band of trees and out onto the plain. Tumursukh Jal, the director of the Ulaan Taiga Strictly Protected Areas Administration and one of Mongolia’s foremost conservationists, hit the brakes of the Land Rover and reached for his binoculars.
“Wolves!” he said.

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Mongolia: An Ancient Rural Culture Deals With Wolves Halfway Around The World

From MountainJournal.org:

Two animals, dark against windblown snow, picked their way from the shelter of a band of trees and out onto the plain. Tumursukh Jal, the director of the Ulaan Taiga Strictly Protected Areas Administration and one of Mongolia’s foremost conservationists, hit the brakes of the Land Rover and reached for his binoculars. 
“Wolves!” he said. 

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Ferry County, Washington, ranchers fed up with wolf attacks, demand state action

From KREM.com:

FERRY COUNTY, Wash. — The number of wolf attacks on cattle in Eastern Washington has doubled in the past two years as the wolf population continues to climb.

There are about 120 known wolves in the state of Washington. Of the 22 known wolf packs, 19 are east of the Cascades. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officials said the wolf population is still growing, under protections from state and federal law.

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Europe’s Wolves Are Back, Igniting Old Fears and New Tensions

From the Courthouse News Service:

CASTELBUONO, Sicily (CN) – Across Europe, the long-forgotten wolf is making a comeback after decades of protection from hunting. But as the wolf packs grow so do the angry pleas from farmers, shepherds and fearful communities.

Reports of wolf attacks on flocks of sheep and other livestock are common in Italy, France and Germany. With the attacks come growing demands by many officials to strike back and exterminate the predators – as was done for centuries.

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Bill to keep Idaho wolf control board operating clears House panel

From the Idaho Statesman and the Associated Press:

BOISE, IDAHO – Legislation to keep operating an Idaho board that pays a federal agency to kill wolves that attack livestock and elk moved to the full House on Wednesday.

The House Resources and Conservation Committee voted to move ahead with legislation to repeal a section of Idaho law that would end the five-year-run of the Idaho Wolf Depredation Control Board.

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Mexican wolves caught in traps in New Mexico

From The Sacramento Bee and the Associated Press:

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. 

The death of a Mexican gray wolf and injuries to another prompted environmentalists on Tuesday to call on New Mexico lawmakers to ban trapping on public land.

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Montana wolf payout bill called unethical

From the Spokesman Review:

A pair of bills to encourage more people to kill wolves drew spirited debate at the Montana Legislature’s Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee Jan. 31.

Committee Chairman Rep. Bob Brown, R-Thompson Falls, said the measures would restore balance to struggling elk and deer populations in his region. Opponents called the changes unnecessary and unethical.

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