Is The Fight Against Chronic Wasting Disease Another Argument For Wolf Reintroduction?

From Colorado Public Radio:

Last year, Eric Washburn shot and killed a mule buck in Northern Colorado. Its thick coat and massive rack of antlers convinced him of the animal’s health, so he had the meat processed and chucked it into his freezer.

A few weeks later, a mandatory Colorado Parks and Wildlife test revealed the animal had chronic wasting disease. The deadly neurological condition was first discovered in Fort Collins, in 1967. It’s similar to mad cow disease, but affects deer, elk and moose.

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A Surprising Idea About the Risks of Extinction

From The Atlantic:

Isle Royale is 200 square miles of land in the watery expanse of Lake Superior. One cold winter 70 years ago, wolves came over an ice bridge and settled into a largely isolated island existence. Unfortunately, island life has not been good for them.

By 2016, the number of wolves on Isle Royale declined from a peak of 50 to just two, a male and a female. As a result of inbreeding, they were half-siblings as well as father and daughter. They had a pup together that lived less than a year. Even before that, scientists were finding wolves on Isle Royale with crooked spines and extra ribs.

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Rewilding: As farmland and villages are abandoned, forests, wolves and bears are returning to Europe

From phys.org:

Rewilding is often thought of as a fantastical vision of the future. One day we might share the landscape with wolves and bears, but in the present day, it seems unlikely. For many people in Europe though, that’s exactly what they’ve been doing for at least the past decade.

Rewilding means bringing back the species and habitats which have disappeared from a region. Initially, conservationists imagined creating vast nature reserves which could be connected by “wildlife corridors” of , so that carnivores such as lynx could be reintroduced and thrive in a landscape that’s been heavily altered by humans.

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Norwegian Farmer shoots wolf, police investigate

From newsinenglish.no:

A police investigation is underway in Hedmark, the southeastern Norwegian county where farmers feel most threatened by wolves, after a local sheep rancher shot a wolf three times with a rifle early Tuesday morning. He claims he found the wolf in an area where his sheep were grazing, but police haven’t found any injured or dead sheep.

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(Warning: Graphic photo included in post.)

‘Don’t fear, but respect the wolf,’ says Rocky Mountain Wildlife Foundation

From Gazette.com:

Like many people, Rosemary Scott grew up believing the wolf is a bloodthirsty man-eater that kills on sight.

Having been raised in the country where farmers sought to eradicate the wolf for destroying crops added to the controversy. Attending educational seminars and interacting with live wolves convinced the area resident she was wrong about these creatures whom she now calls, “The most misunderstood animal in the world.”

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Wisconsin DNR: Addressing the ‘wolf’ in the room

From WisFarmer.com:

Wisconsin DNR reports that the wolf population has grown from 14 wolves in 1985 to more than 900 in 2018. This remarkable comeback is due in part to education, legal protection and habitat protection efforts through the DNR. This is an exceptional success story of many stakeholders working together on a collaborative effort.

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Wolves are making a comeback. Here’s where to see them

From National Geographic:

You might say that National Geographic Explorer Doug Smith is obsessed with wolves. After all, he’s spent his entire career studying them. A wildlife biologist, he leads the Wolf Restoration project in Yellowstone National Park, trekking on foot, riding horseback, and leaping from helicopters to research and protect these native canines.

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Fence fundraiser latest attempt to stop Rogue Pack

From the Ashland Tidings in Oregon:

Good fences make good neighbors, as the saying goes, but for a local cattle rancher, a fence may be the last hope.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to build a tall, strong fence around the property of cattle rancher Ted Birdseye in the latest attempt to keep OR-7 and his Rogue Pack of gray wolves from devouring any more of his cattle — and also to protect the wolves.

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Idaho GOP considers ‘wolf hunter sanctuary state’ proposal

From The Lewiston Tribune:

Idaho GOP officials will consider a proposal to designate Idaho a “wolf hunter sanctuary state” during their summer meeting in Boise today.

The two-day convention, which began Friday, gives party members from across the state an opportunity to mingle and meet with elected officials. It’s also a chance to take positions on various topics of interest and tweak party procedures.

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National Parks Study Wolf Deaths As Agency Plans Delisting Endangered Species

From Montana Public Radio:

Federal wildlife managers are gearing up to remove gray wolves from the Endangered Species List. But some environmentalists say the species isn’t ready and that the government is basing its decision on outdated science. A group of biologists in four western national parks are looking at the impacts of wolf deaths on their packs and how this could affect the greater population.

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