From ozy.com:
On Nov. 20, residents of Gya village in northern India’s Ladakh region woke up to a devastating loss — 16 yaks on one of their high-altitude pasture lands, nearly 16,000 feet above sea level, had been killed. They belonged to Phuntsog Tserinng Choksar, a yakzi (yak herder). “It could have been either a snow leopard or a pack of wolves that attacked the yaks,” says Karma Sonam, a local wildlife conservationist.
For the seminomadic pastoral communities that span Ladakh and the Tibetan Trans-Himalaya region in China, yaks are a source of livelihood and symbols of wealth. Yet these pastoralists share this rugged, mountainous terrain with snow leopards and Himalayan wolves that routinely target their livestock, setting up what for centuries has been a classic man-versus-animal conflict.
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Wolf management bills move through Montana Senate
From NBCMontana.com:
KALISPELL, Mont. — Wildlife officials say there are approximately 900 to 1,100 wolves roaming in Montana. The state Senate recently passed two bills that would change how wolves are managed.
Senate Bill 314, introduced by State Sen. Bob Brown (R-Thompson Falls), aims to change laws related to hunting wolves.
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Can red wolves come back from the brink of extinction again?
From The Guardian:
There are perhaps no more than 10 red wolves left in the wild, and they are all in just one place: North Carolina.
It is an astonishing statistic for a species once hailed as undergoing the most successful reintroduction programme in the US, providing the blueprint for Yellowstone national park’s much-lauded grey wolf rewilding project.
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India: Where shepherds save wolves thanks to Buddhism
From ozy.com:
On Nov. 20, residents of Gya village in northern India’s Ladakh region woke up to a devastating loss — 16 yaks on one of their high-altitude pasture lands, nearly 16,000 feet above sea level, had been killed. They belonged to Phuntsog Tserinng Choksar, a yakzi (yak herder). “It could have been either a snow leopard or a pack of wolves that attacked the yaks,” says Karma Sonam, a local wildlife conservationist.
For the seminomadic pastoral communities that span Ladakh and the Tibetan Trans-Himalaya region in China, yaks are a source of livelihood and symbols of wealth. Yet these pastoralists share this rugged, mountainous terrain with snow leopards and Himalayan wolves that routinely target their livestock, setting up what for centuries has been a classic man-versus-animal conflict.
Click here for the full story.
As Colorado moves to reintroduce wolves, some states look to step up wolf kills
From the Associated Press:
BILLINGS, Mont. — Payments for dead wolves. Unlimited hunting of the animals. Shooting wolves from the air.
Wolf hunting policies in some states are taking an aggressive turn, as Republican lawmakers and conservative hunting groups push to curb their numbers and propose tactics shunned by many wildlife managers.
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Michigan Senate adopts resolution urging DNR to hold 2021 wolf hunt
From MLive.com in Michigan:
LANSING, MI — The Michigan Senate has adopted a non-binding resolution urging state wildlife officials to organize a hunting and trapping season for Upper Peninsula gray wolves this year now that the animals are no longer protected under the Endangered Species Act.
Senate Resolution 15 passed Tuesday, March 9 along a party-line vote, with all 20 seated Republicans supporting the resolution. It advanced last month from the natural resources committee chaired by Sen. Ed McBroom, who represents the western U.P. in Lansing and sponsored the resolution with co-chair Jon Bumstead, R-Newaygo.
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Norway: Wolves’ fate up to the Supreme Court
From NewsinEnglish.no in Norway:
Norway’s Supreme Court started hearing the state’s appeal of a rare victory for those trying to save the country’s allegedly protected wolf population from the rifles of those who feel threatened by them. Some say the court decision may change Norway’s predator policies forever, or usher in more laws against them.
Ranchers, forest owners and some rural residents fear that zones set aside to protect wolves will be turned into nature preserves. The organization dedicated to protect wildlife, WWF, fears for the future of endangered species.
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Wisconsin Hunters Kill Over 200 Wolves in Less Than 3 Days
From The New York Times:
Hunters in Wisconsin killed more than 200 wolves last week, far exceeding the state’s limit as they scrambled to take advantage of Trump-era wildlife rules that they worry may be tightened by the Biden administration.
At least 216 wolves were killed in less than 60 hours, exceeding the state quota of 119 and prompting Wisconsin to end what was meant to be a one-week hunt four days early, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
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Radio collared wolf that left Isle Royale by way of ice bridge makes incredible journey
From the CBC:
In January 2019, the Polar Vortex arrived across much of the northern United States and Canada and Lake Superior began icing over between Isle Royale, on the Michigan side of Lake Superior and the Ontario coast.
A rare ice bridge formed and for a recently re-located wolf made her escape off Isle Royale.
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Colorado state commission planning wolf reintroduction putting stakeholder feedback ahead of speed
From the Summit Daily:
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — The commission tasked by voters to develop a plan to reintroduce gray wolves in Colorado by the end of 2023 reportedly will take its time to gather feedback from a wide variety of stakeholders.
The prodding pace has garnered pushback from supporters of reintroduction who say such a long process could make the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission miss the deadline set by voters in November for wolves to be released.
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Bills to curb wolf numbers advance in Montana Legislature
From the Associated Press:
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Hunters and trappers who kill wolves in Montana could be reimbursed for their expenses by private groups under a proposal advanced by state lawmakers Monday that critics said is akin to the bounties that nearly exterminated the predators last century.
The Republican-controlled Senate voted to allow the payments amid pressure from livestock and hunting groups that say Montana has too many wolves.
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