Wolves have made an impressive comeback in Europe in recent decades, but their presence has ignited a fierce debate and threatens to widen rural vs urban divides.
Usually, the return of a famous creature once driven to the brink of extinction would be a universal cause for celebration.
Particularly when it comes about, in part, through a conservation campaign backed by EU policy.
But this has not been the case for the return of the wolf in Europe.
Click here for the full story.
Lawmakers howling, advocacy groups cheering after Colorado governor vetoes legislation requiring federal support for wolf reintroduction
From The Colorado Sun:
The final plan for wolf reintroduction on the Western Slope approved earlier this month by Colorado Parks and Wildlife commissioners called the federal government’s approval of an experimental population of wolves in the state “a critical component to the success” of the plan. The plan is required by the passage of Proposition 114, approved by voters in November 2020, which directs CPW to restore wolves in Colorado.
Click here for the full story.
Are there wolves in Maine? It depends on what you call a wolf.
From wgme.com:
A fourth possible wolf was documented in northern Maine woods on camera by a local organization in recent weeks, but there is disagreement between the state and citizen scientists about whether wolf populations truly exist in Maine.
Click here for the full story.
When wolves move in, they push smaller carnivores closer to human development – with deadly consequences
From The Conversation:
Large carnivores like wolves are returning to areas they used to occupy, leading scientists to wonder whether they may once again fulfill important ecological roles. But wolves’ return to the landscape can affect other nearby animals in complex ways.
Our research, published in the journal Science, shows that an increase in predators can lead smaller carnivores, like coyotes and bobcats, to seek refuge near people – but humans then kill them at even higher rates than large predators do.
Click here for the full story.
Wyoming gray wolf population remains stable at objective
From Wyoming Game and Fish department:
CHEYENNE – Wyoming’s gray wolf population continues to meet all management goals, according to the 2022 Wyoming Gray Wolf Monitoring and Management annual report by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and partnering agencies.
The newly-published document details gray wolf populations and conflict trends that indicate stable and predictable management of the species. Wyoming is maintaining wolf numbers at healthy levels, and 2022 marked the 21st consecutive year wolf numbers in Wyoming have exceeded the criteria outlined for recovery of the species.
Click here for the full story.
Legislature’s 2023 wolf reintroduction bills
From The Denver Gazette:
When Colorado voters approved a proposition to legalize marijuana, the legislature was tasked with penning the fine print to successfully enact the will of the voters. The governor at the time, John Hickenlooper, signed bills to regulate the drug including limits on blood levels when driving, limits on out-of-state resident purchases, taxation, licensing fees, inventory tracking, security requirements, waste disposal, packaging, and even advertising. Even years later, there seems to be no shortage of marijuana bills introduced with the legislature engaging with stakeholders, hearing public comment, and passing bills that are the will of their constituents.
Wolf bills are no different. While the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission was tasked with the final approval of the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan, legislators had to step in with bills to ensure the proverbial wheels don’t fall off the operation.
Click here for the full story.
‘Critically endangered’ wolves are born at NC Zoo. Watch tiny pups get their check-up
From The News & Observer:
A group of “critically endangered” wolves were born at the North Carolina Zoo — and video shows the tiny creatures getting their check-up.
One of the newborns — about the length of a human hand — can be seen getting its mouth examined just a day after coming into the world.
Click here for the full story.
5 red wolf pups born in the wild in coastal North Carolina, second year in a row
From 13 News Now:
NORTH CAROLINA, USA — Five red wolf pups were born in the coastal region of North Carolina in April, the second year in a row that the endangered species was born in the wild, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) said.
The little pups were born during the second week of April within the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, according to the Red Wolf Recovery Program, an FWS program based in Manteo.
Click here for the full story.
Idaho Fish and Game approves plan to reduce wolf population from 1,300 to 500
From Boise State Public Radio:
The Idaho Fish and Game Department unanimously approved a plan that would cull Idaho’s wolf population by almost two-thirds.
In January, Fish and Game introduced a plan laying out population goals for the state and asked for public feedback. The department received more than 2500 comments from across the country, most opposing the plan. Of those, feedback from Idahoans was more split, but still leaning against.
Click here for the full story.
‘The wolf does not belong here’: Why has a conservation success become a heated debate in Europe?
From Euronews.com:
Wolves have made an impressive comeback in Europe in recent decades, but their presence has ignited a fierce debate and threatens to widen rural vs urban divides.
Usually, the return of a famous creature once driven to the brink of extinction would be a universal cause for celebration.
Particularly when it comes about, in part, through a conservation campaign backed by EU policy.
But this has not been the case for the return of the wolf in Europe.
Click here for the full story.
Wolf heads left at Spanish town hall in anger at hunting ban
From The Times:
Wolf heads left at Spanish town hall in anger at hunting ban
Click here for full story.
(membership to the Times required to view article.)