Montana Gov. Gianforte signs bills allowing wolf snaring, extended seasons

From the Helena Independent Record:

Gov. Greg Gianforte on Friday signed bills allowing snares to be used for the trapping of wolves and lengthening Montana’s trapping seasons.

House Bill 224 and House Bill 225, brought by Rep. Paul Fielder, R-Thompson Falls, are two of multiple high-profile bills dealing with wolves and trapping that have seen significant debate this session. SB 224 adds snares to the list of legal traps for wolves; previously only foothold traps were allowed. HB 225 extends wolf trapping seasons by two weeks earlier and two weeks later. Unless adjusted by the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission, the season will start the first Monday after Thanksgiving and run until March 15.

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“A touching, amazing moment”: Wolf sighted in Helsinki and Espoo

From yle.fi in Finland:

Helsinki Police said on Saturday that they had received reports of a possible wolf in Helsinki’s western Pitäjänmäki district, near the Tali golf course, and in the nearby Pajamäki area (see video above).

Officials warned members of the public not to approach the animal, but to report sightings to the emergency phone number, 112.

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Moffat County continues push against wolves, no plans to join Rio Blanco in ’sanctuary’ stance

From The Craig Daily Press in Colorado:

Following a call to join Rio Blanco’s Wolf Reintroduction Sanctuary stance, Moffat County commissioners stated that while they remain steadfast in the opposition of wolves, they will not be joining in on Rio Blanco’s resolution, instead focusing their efforts on requesting a local governmental role in the planning process.

Rio Blanco’s resolution stated the county would allow for the natural migration and repopulation of Gray Wolves, but would not allow for artificially introduced wolves, further stating that “designated lands” for artificial reintroduction must not include Rio Blanco County or any other county in the state that adopts the Sanctuary County Resolution.

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Shift in diet allowed gray wolves to survive ice-age extinction

From Eurekalert.org:

April 12, 2021 – Gray wolves are among the largest predators to have survived the extinction at the end of the last ice age around11,700 years ago. Today, they can be found roaming Yukon’s boreal forest and tundra, with caribou and moose as their main sources of food.

A new study led by the Canadian Museum of Nature shows that wolves may have survived by adapting their diet over thousands of years—from a primary reliance on horses during the Pleistocene, to caribou and moose today. The results are published in the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.

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WDFW head sees need for quicker call on wolf removal

From the Capital Press:

Washington Fish and Wildlife Director Kelly Susewind said Wednesday the department will try to decide more quickly whether to kill wolves once packs have met thresholds for lethal control.

As in the past, Fish and Wildlife will remove wolves as a last resort, Susewind told the department’s Wolf Advisory Group. Delays making the decision, however, “limit the value” of lethal control, he said.

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The Return of the Polish Wolf

From TOL.org:

Nearly eradicated decades ago, the wolf is today an emblem of successful human-predator coexistence in Poland.

The wolf automatically arouses fear. No other animal evokes so many emotions. At the same time, as ultimate predators, wolves are an indispensable part of the Polish ecosystem.

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Gray wolf detected in SLO County (California). It may be first Central Coast sighting in nearly 200 years

From The Tribune in San Luis Obispo, California:

In a historic journey, a lone gray wolf from Oregon has traveled into San Luis Obispo County in search of a new mate or new pack, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

It’s likely the first time in nearly 200 years that a gray wolf, which is an endangered species protected under state law, has been known to be in the Central Coast region.

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