From Perfect Duluth Day:
An old, moss-covered log in Voyageurs National Park was a popular item last fall. The allure of the log caused some bears to temporarily lose their minds and the log paid the price for it. The wolves and some other forest critters were not too far behind the bears.
From Rocky Mountain PBS:
DENVER — Mention wolves in Colorado and you’ll get a wide range of passionate responses.
“Most of the conflict around wolves isn’t necessarily that direct conflict between people and wolves, but rather it’s conflict among people, among stakeholders with very differing opinions about wolves,” said Kevin Crooks, wildlife professor at Colorado State University with a Ph.D. in biology.
In December 2023, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) experts released 10 gray wolves at undisclosed locations onto public land throughout Summit and Grand counties. The release came after voters in 2020 narrowly passed a ballot initiative to officially reintroduce the wolves.
From Fronteras:
The population of wild Mexican wolves grew for the eighth consecutive year in 2023.
Arizona Game and Fish has released its count for 2023, showing a 6% increase over 2022. There are now at least 257 Mexican wolves distributed across Arizona and New Mexico.
It marked the longest continuous streak since recovery efforts began.
From Western Slope Now:
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The wild population of Mexican gray wolves in the southwestern U.S. is still growing, but environmental groups are warning that inbreeding and the resulting genetic crisis within the endangered species will continue to be a threat to long-term survival.
The warning came Tuesday as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and wildlife agencies in Arizona and New Mexico announced the results of an annual survey, saying there were at least 257 wolves roaming parts of the two states. That’s 15 more than the year before and the most reported in the wild since the reintroduction program began more than 25 years ago.
From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:
The wild population of Mexican wolves saw another year of growth in 2023, according to the results of the annual survey. The 2023 population census revealed a minimum of 257 Mexican wolves distributed across Arizona and New Mexico. This increase marks the eighth consecutive year of population growth, the longest continuous streak since recovery efforts began.
From Wyoming Public Media:
A recent decision to reintroduce wolves has created division between rural and urban Coloradoans. But wolves have actually been there a while. A few years ago, a couple migrated down from Wyoming to settle in the mountain valley of North Park, southwest of Laramie. It’s given the ranchers there a headstart on adjusting to a new reality.
As soon as I climbed out of the car, longtime North Parker Gayle Woodsum pointed out a coyote jogging away from her animal rescue ranch.
From The Columbian:
As Ron Sutherland guides his Subaru along the roads of Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, he keeps his eyes peeled.
A pair of binoculars sits in the cupholder, ready just in case he notices a red smudge dotted against the browns and tans of the refuge’s still-working farm fields, everything shaded by a golden sunrise.
From Salon:
Andrea Zaccardi had just moved to Idaho Falls, a city of roughly 70,000 people not far from Yellowstone National Park, when she was startled by the shadowy creature that darted in front of her. This was roughly a decade ago and Zaccardi was up early in the morning to drive to her new job. Suddenly a “black figure” ran in front of her car, “so quick it was just a flash,” she said. Zaccardi stopped the car, looked to her left and saw it: A large, majestic gray wolf, staring at her from the top of a nearby hill.
From BNN:
In a significant stride towards biodiversity conservation, Ukraine is taking steps to establish its first reserve specifically aimed at protecting the breeding grounds of wolves, a species currently facing neglect under the nation’s environmental policies. Despite being a signatory to the Bern Convention, which mandates the protection of various wildlife species, Ukraine has been an outlier in Europe by not extending these protections to wolves. This pioneering effort is led by the Kyiv Ecological and Cultural Center, spotlighting a crucial turning point in the nation’s approach to wildlife conservation.
From Outdoor Life:
Game wardens with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks are investigating a suspected wolf poaching that took place near Yellowstone in late January. The agency is offering a $1,000 cash reward for any information about the incident.
Wildlife officers found the dead wolf northwest of Gardiner near Mol Heron and Cinnabar Creeks on Jan. 27, according to a press release from the agency. With a year-round population of less than 1,000 people, the small town of Gardiner sits just outside the Yellowstone National Park boundary, and it’s where the North Entrance to the park is located.
The International Wolf Center advances the survival of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their relationship to wildlands and the human role in their future.