International Wolf is our quarterly magazine where we share all aspects of the wolf story, from ranchers’ concerns to the spiritual thrill of meeting a wolf in the wild. Many of the world’s leading wolf biologists share their writing talents with us for in-depth articles.
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Magazines arrive in mid-February, mid-May, mid-August, and mid-November.
Wolf attacks in India’s Uttar Pradesh have sparked controversy, with 10 deaths and 30 injuries reported in 2024. The attacks stem from habitat loss, poverty and livestock guarding, leaving wolves few options for prey. Conservation efforts for endangered Indian wolves are overshadowed by sensationalized media coverage. Addressing poverty and cohabitation is essential to resolve human-wolf conflicts.
Do Wolves Really Change Rivers? Pt. 2
By Jack Rabe
Recent research in Yellowstone National Park challenges the notion that wolves alone drive trophic cascades. Elk adapt behaviorally to predators like wolves and cougars but thrive amid reduced human hunting and lower elk densities. Factors like climate, human actions, and other species also shape ecosystems, underscoring nature’s complexity. Wolves aren’t singular catalysts but integral to a multifaceted ecological balance.
Do wolves really change rivers? Part I
By Jack Rabe
The complicated story of Yellowstone National Park’s trophic cascades is the topic of ongoing research in the park. Recent work shows that recovery of aspen and willow communities in Yellowstone since wolf reintroduction has not been as strong or widespread as claimed in a widely circulated video. Still, there has been some recovery, suggesting a trophic cascade has unfolded.
Unexplained Patterns of Grey Wolf Natal Dispersal
By Kevin Harter
Wolves continue to do what wolves have done for millennia – the young disperse each year to find suitable habitat, mates and new territories. Dispersal, or the process of a wolf leaving home, is a topic biologists are still learning about, including International Wolf Center founder Dr. L. David Mech.
Translocating Problem Wolves
By Debra Mitts – Smith
Wolf translocation, aimed at being a nonlethal method to reduce livestock predation, faces criticism due to limited success and risks. Studies reveal relocated wolves often return to conflict areas, prey on livestock elsewhere or face lower survival rates. Critics of Colorado’s recent wolf translocation argue for preventive measures like better habitat management to balance human-wolf coexistence.
Departments
From the Executive Director
Inspiration Strikes at Great Lakes Symposium
by Grant Spickelmier
W hile attending the Great Lakes Wolf Symposium in Ashland, Wisconsin, I was approached by a nice couple. I knew they were nice because one of them was wearing an International Wolf Center hoodie. 🙂
The gentleman looked familiar—which made more sense after he told me he had attended the International Wolf Symposium in 2022. His name was Todd Cartner, and he and his wife Ann relayed an incredible story about the impact that attending the Symposium had on the trajectory of Todd’s life. It was so inspiring that I asked if he would be willing to let me share his story more broadly. Here’s Todd’s story in his own words:
“My passion for wildlife began in childhood, influenced by my grandparents and Wolf Howl family vacations in Algonquin, Ontario. While I pursued an engineering career, I stayed connected to environmental causes.
Tracking the Pack
The rise of a dominant male
By Giselle M . Narváez Rivera
Fall brought with it changing leaves, dropping temperatures and a newfound sense of confidence in ambassador wolf Grayson, the Exhibit Pack’s 8-year-old male. After the passing of his littermate, Axel, Grayson showed signs of increasing confidence. Now, he appears to have fully stepped into the role of dominant male within the pack.
Wolves of World
By Denise Hughett
PORTUGAL
In Portugal, shepherds and wolves have coexisted peacefully for centuries. Some factors that contribute are the use of guard dogs, fencing and the physical tending of flocks by shepherds. One shepherd commented that he is glad for the presence of wolves because they keep the population of prey animals in check, which would otherwise decimate his grain and chestnut plantations.
ETHIOPIA
Scientists from Oxford University recently published a paper in Ecology that suggests that Ethiopian wolves (Canis simensis) contribute to pollination. Over years of fieldwork, the science team has observed wolves foraging for the sweet nectar of the red hot poker flower (Kniphofia foliosa). As they go from plant to plant, the wolves’ muzzles become covered in pollen. One wolf visited 30 plants in a single foray. However, more research is needed to confirm that pollination is indeed taking place.
GERMANY
A study led by the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research and recently published in Wildlife Biology indicates that survival of wolves in Germany is the highest in the world. This high survival rate has fueled the rapid expansion of wolf populations in Germany since their return 20 years ago. This expansion was also aided by legal protections and the wolves’ reproductive rate.
EUROPEAN UNION (EU)
Recently, the European Union voted to reduce the level of protection afforded to wolves within the countries that comprise the union. However, some countries disagree, including Spain, which decided that the wolf will retain its previous level of protection.
ENGLAND
Animal bones found in 1987 are being analyzed to determine if they could be those of the last wolf in England prior to the animals’ extirpation in the 14th century. The bones have been kept at an English Heritage Center in Yorkshire.
Personal Encounter
Wolf 907F: Yellowstone’s unyielding pack leader
By Laurie Lyman
Yellowstone National Park is a place where stories unfold across breathtaking landscapes, often told by the creatures that inhabit it. Among them, one wolf stood out for her resilience and leadership: 907F. As the oldest known wolf in Yellowstone at 11 years of age, she captivated park visitors, scientists, and enthusiasts worldwide, becoming a legend in her own right.
In the spring of 2024, 907F defied the odds once more by giving birth to her 10th litter. Her remarkable journey made her the most recognizable wolf in the park since the famed 06 female, 832F. Her story was one of survival, wisdom, and an unwavering commitment to her pack, the Junction Butte pack.
A Look Beyond
Farmers turn to ‘predator-proof’ fences to deter wolves in northern Wisconsin
By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio
For at least the last decade, Dustin Soyring and his family have struggled with wolves on their farm in the northern Wisconsin town of Maple.
Soyring and his father, Jim, own about 1,300 acres in Douglas County and rent another 800 acres for the farm where they care for about 400 beef cows and calves. Soyring said run-ins with wolves were especially tough when cows had their calves in the spring.
