Colorado’s new wolves are alive and well, but state officials face transparency concerns about releases

From Canon City Daily Record:

The 10 wolves set loose in Colorado last month as part of a historic state-led reintroduction are doing well, but the humans charged with orchestrating the multi-year effort addressed concerns this week about a lack of transparency about the releases.

The state’s top wildlife official apologized to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission for providing little information about the timing and location of the releases in mid-December. He said an after-action review is underway.

 

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CPW director: Review of initial wolf releases planned

The Daily Sentinel:

The director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife says the agency plans to conduct “an after action review” of its initial operation to release gray wolves in Colorado and indicated that one area it plans to work on is advanced notification for future releases.

 

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Never Ending Wolf Wars

From Flathead Beacon:

Earlier this week a friend shared a story from 2011 suggesting how some environmental groups miscalculated their legal approach to wolf reintroduction, and that in turn, they’d maybe harmed the long-term viability of the program.

The story was written by Montana outdoor writing dean Hal Herring. Reading it was like being startled awake by a terrifying nightmare only to realize your bad dream was real. The fighting, it seemed, never ceased.

 

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After an 80-year absence, gray wolves have returned to Colorado − here’s how the reintroduction of this apex predator will affect prey and plants

From The Conversation:

Gray wolves were reintroduced to Colorado in December 2023, the latest attempt in a decadeslong effort to build up wolf populations in the Rocky Mountain states. SciLine interviewed Joanna Lambert, professor of wildlife ecology and director of the American Canid Project at the University of Colorado Boulder, who discussed how and why gray wolf populations declined in the U.S. and the value of reintroducing them to ecosystems in the West.

 

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A lawsuit says wolf traps are endangering grizzly bears

From Boise State Public Radio:

Conservation groups are trying to stop wolf trapping in Idaho, saying the practice threatens endangered grizzly bears.

Thirteen groups filed a lawsuit saying traps and snares for wolves could also kill grizzlies and they asked a federal judge last week to stop the practice when bears are not hibernating.

 

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Wildlife Researcher Captures Confrontation Between Two Wolf Packs in Yellowstone

From Outdoors:

Wolf packs are an essential part of the species of gray wolves. The animal’s population has steadily increased over recent years with efforts to protect the endangered species. One place that has seen conservation efforts pay off is Yellowstone National Park. More than 100 wolves now call the park home.

WOLF PREDATION ON BEAVERS CAN ALTERS ECOSYSTEMS

From the Wildlife Society:

When wolves prey on beavers in and around Voyageurs National Park, cascading effects ripple throughout the whole ecosystem.

Researchers have been documenting wolves going after the aquatic rodents, but they didn’t know much about some of the dynamics—factors that could have implications for the environment, since beavers are ecosystem engineers.

“We’ve been really trying to understand beaver interactions on a more broad scale,” said Thomas Gable, project lead of the Voyageurs Wolf Project. “And then, how do those interactions influence larger ecological processes?”

 

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Washington state bill would allow targeted wolf response on livestock losses

From Ag Daily:

Washington lawmakers have introduced a new bill allowing ranchers to shoot the first wolf that comes back to feed on killed livestock.

Senate Bill 5939 is co-sponsored by Republican state Sen. Keith Wagoner and Democratic state Sen. Kevin Van De Wege. The legislation allows for a three-year pilot initiative wherein individuals associated with the livestock, such as the owner, immediate family members, or specified employees, can monitor a site where a wolf has attacked the livestock.

 

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Wolves through the ages: A journey of coexistence, conflict, and conservation

From East Mojo:

Wolves, with their widespread distribution from North America to Eurasia, are ecologically vital as keystone species, playing a critical role in maintaining the health and balance of ecosystems by regulating prey populations. Their influence extends to increasing biodiversity and reshaping landscapes, thus fostering more robust and diverse natural environments.

 

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Wolves don’t need wilderness,’ says Wolf Switzerland director

From Swiss Info:

The preventive culling of wolves has sparked considerable discussion in Switzerland in recent weeks. Swiss public television SRF asked the managing director of the Wolf Switzerland Group, David Gerke what he thought about the issue.

 

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