Newest pups will be part of programs starting around June 3
Contact information:
Chad Richardson, Communications Director, International Wolf Center
Email: chad@wolf.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – The International Wolf Center is adding two pups to its Exhibit Pack in 2022. The pups arrived at the Center on Tuesday, May 10.
The 2022 pups will be visible to the public starting on approximately Friday, June 3.
The Center believes in wolf education, and one method for accomplishing the Center’s mission of advancing survival of wolf populations in the wild is through the use of ambassador wolves.
“These ambassador wolves allow us to teach thousands of people a year about the real behavior of wolves,” said Lori Schmidt, the Center’s wolf curator. “The Exhibit Pack is also a key part of the online programs we offer to schools across the world. These ambassadors are a key part of our aim to teach the world about wolves.”
The Center planned to add pups in 2020, but the Covid-19 pandemic forced the Center to delay those plans for one year. In 2021, the Center planned to add two pups, but was able to obtain just one pup. Adding pups this year was important for the health of the pack, and to allow our yearling wolf Rieka to experience some pup behavior she lacked as a singleton, Schmidt said.
“So often people portray wolves for their predatory behavior and don’t appreciate the intricate pack life and social organization that keeps them together as a social unit,” she said. “As curator, it is my job to maintain a socially cohesive unit of wolves in the exhibit, and we recognize that to do this, new life must be added to the exhibit.”
The International Wolf Center is a non-breeding exhibit, so when pups are added, we coordinate with another professional animal organization. The source is dependent upon reproductive plans within their facility and availability and the Center always acquires captive-born pups.
The 2022 pups were acquired from a USDA regulated facility in Minnesota. They will join three wolves in the Exhibit Pack, including Axel (6), Grayson (6) and Rieka (who turns 1 on May 23).
How do you see the pups?
One way for visitors to see the pups is through an outdoor viewing area adjacent to the wolf yard, where pups will be spending time conditioning to the human component of a public exhibit. These programs are dependent on the weather. They last 15-minutes each and are held throughout the day.
“We will do our best to accommodate everyone, but safety of our guests, our staff and the wolves is paramount,” said the Interpretive Center Director, Krista Woerheide.
Another way to see the 2022 wolf pups is with a one-hour behind the scenes tour. These tours are only available for members of the International Wolf Center. Information about membership is available at wolf.org.
What will their names be?
The International Wolf Center will conduct a pup naming contest beginning in early June and announce the names at a special virtual fundraising event on June 14.
Advance tickets are available for purchase
Everyone who wants to guarantee themselves a chance to see the pups should get an advance admission ticket. To get your tickets, click the Book Now button on the lower right-hand side of the page at wolf.org. For members of the Center, entrance tickets are free. It is recommended that members also book their tickets in advance.
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. For more information about the International Wolf Center, visit wolf.org.
Belgium: 18 sheeps from single group killed in a wolf attack in Walloon
From Press Editorials:
Around 18 sheep from a single group fell victim to a wolf attack in Tenneville. The incident took place in the municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Luxembourg,
As per the reports, 12 of them were found dead, and six others had to be euthanised, as well as two others were wounded.
Click here for the full story.
New legislation would permanently remove the gray wolf from the Endangered Species list
From RFDTV.com:
The GOP is bringing “Trust the Science Act” to the table, the science centering around the gray wolf.
They want to reissue a 2020 court ruling to get the animal removed from the Endangered Species List permanently.
Click here for the full story.
New pups for a new season at International Wolf Center
From The Timberjay in Ely, Minnesota:
ELY – The International Wolf Center is adding two pups to its Exhibit Pack this year. The pups have arrived at the Wolf Center and will be visible to the public starting in early June.
“These ambassador wolves allow us to teach thousands of people a year about the real behavior of wolves,” said Lori Schmidt, the Center’s wolf curator. “The Exhibit Pack is also a key part of the online programs we offer to schools across the world. These ambassadors are a key part of our aim to teach the world about wolves.”
Click here for the full story.
The Mysterious Beast That Once Terrorized France
From Lethbridgenewsnow.com:
In a remote French village, where snow, wind, and thunderstorms frequently made life in the sparsely populated area difficult, villagers had more to fear than the elements. Lurking in the shadows was The Beast, a monster that stalked women and children at the edge of town.
Tales and fear of the monster spread far and wide. A wolf-like creature plagued the people living in the region, and its descriptions grew more and more gruesome with each telling. Sure, it might sound like a tale to frighten children, or even the plot of “Little Red Riding Hood,” but fiction doesn’t explain the very real deaths of as many as a hundred people!
Click here for the full story.
Rare Red Wolf Shot in North Carolina Was Left Alive, Drowned in Mud
From Newsweek:
A rare red wolf was found shot in the spine and left alive to drown in the mud in North Carolina.
A necropsy of the animal, which was found in Tyrrell County, showed that its lungs were full of mud, indicating it had been severely injured by the shot but was initially still alive. It had eventually died as it lay in the muddy farm field, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in a statement.
Click here for the full story.
International Wolf Center to add two pups in 2022
Newest pups will be part of programs starting around June 3
Contact information:
Chad Richardson, Communications Director, International Wolf Center
Email: chad@wolf.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – The International Wolf Center is adding two pups to its Exhibit Pack in 2022. The pups arrived at the Center on Tuesday, May 10.
The 2022 pups will be visible to the public starting on approximately Friday, June 3.
The Center believes in wolf education, and one method for accomplishing the Center’s mission of advancing survival of wolf populations in the wild is through the use of ambassador wolves.
“These ambassador wolves allow us to teach thousands of people a year about the real behavior of wolves,” said Lori Schmidt, the Center’s wolf curator. “The Exhibit Pack is also a key part of the online programs we offer to schools across the world. These ambassadors are a key part of our aim to teach the world about wolves.”
The Center planned to add pups in 2020, but the Covid-19 pandemic forced the Center to delay those plans for one year. In 2021, the Center planned to add two pups, but was able to obtain just one pup. Adding pups this year was important for the health of the pack, and to allow our yearling wolf Rieka to experience some pup behavior she lacked as a singleton, Schmidt said.
“So often people portray wolves for their predatory behavior and don’t appreciate the intricate pack life and social organization that keeps them together as a social unit,” she said. “As curator, it is my job to maintain a socially cohesive unit of wolves in the exhibit, and we recognize that to do this, new life must be added to the exhibit.”
The International Wolf Center is a non-breeding exhibit, so when pups are added, we coordinate with another professional animal organization. The source is dependent upon reproductive plans within their facility and availability and the Center always acquires captive-born pups.
The 2022 pups were acquired from a USDA regulated facility in Minnesota. They will join three wolves in the Exhibit Pack, including Axel (6), Grayson (6) and Rieka (who turns 1 on May 23).
How do you see the pups?
One way for visitors to see the pups is through an outdoor viewing area adjacent to the wolf yard, where pups will be spending time conditioning to the human component of a public exhibit. These programs are dependent on the weather. They last 15-minutes each and are held throughout the day.
“We will do our best to accommodate everyone, but safety of our guests, our staff and the wolves is paramount,” said the Interpretive Center Director, Krista Woerheide.
Another way to see the 2022 wolf pups is with a one-hour behind the scenes tour. These tours are only available for members of the International Wolf Center. Information about membership is available at wolf.org.
What will their names be?
The International Wolf Center will conduct a pup naming contest beginning in early June and announce the names at a special virtual fundraising event on June 14.
Advance tickets are available for purchase
Everyone who wants to guarantee themselves a chance to see the pups should get an advance admission ticket. To get your tickets, click the Book Now button on the lower right-hand side of the page at wolf.org. For members of the Center, entrance tickets are free. It is recommended that members also book their tickets in advance.
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. For more information about the International Wolf Center, visit wolf.org.
Oregon ranchers turn to bigger dogs to protect livestock from wolves
From OPB.org in Oregon:
For the last few weeks, rancher Kim Kerns has been living in a 1970s trailer, up on a high meadow, with 550 sheep as they fatten up on spring grass.
Her family has used livestock protection dogs up here since the 1980s when she first got a Maremma guard dog from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Click here for the full story.
Italy’s wolf population numbers over 3,300
From ansa.it in Italy:
(ANSA) – ROME, MAY 17 – Italy’s once-threatened wolf population is thriving and has grown to an estimated 3,300 animals, according to a study coordinated by the ISPRA environmental agency.
The report said around 950 of the wolves live in Alpine areas while 2,400 are spread out along the rest of the Italian peninsula.
Click here for the full story.
Wyoming Wolf, Cubs Keep Killing Colorado Rancher’s Cows
From Cowboy State Daily in Wyoming:
For nearly six months, Don Gittleson of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, has had a wolf problem. Which came to him all the way from Wyoming
Gittleson is one of a handful of ranchers who has seen firsthand the destruction wolves can cause to the agriculture industry if left unchecked. He has been fighting to keep a former Wyoming wolf and her pack from killing off his livestock.
Click here for the full story.
Feds halt Mexican gray wolf kills in Arizona, New Mexico in bid for genetic diversity
From Courthouse News Service:
(CN) — To foster the Mexican gray wolves’ long term success in the Southwest, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife announced it will lift a 325-animal cap on the population according to a draft of the proposed rule published Friday.
Lobbying by livestock producers drove the federal government to exterminate the Mexican gray wolf during the early half of the 20th century. Following the passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973, the last wild Mexican gray wolves were captured and raised in captivity until the U.S. government decided to reintroduce the animals in 1998.
Click here for the full story.