From DutchNews.nl:
A quarter of the officially registered wolves in the Netherlands have disappeared, and experts believe they may have been killed by poachers, according to a report by the Volkskrant on Wednesday.
Out of the 91 wolves whose DNA was recorded between 2015 and 2023 through excrement, carcasses, and other traces, 23 are confirmed dead, the paper said. Two of these wolves were shot by poachers, 15 were hit by vehicles in the Netherlands, and one was run over in Germany and Belgium respectively.
However, 22 wolves have disappeared without a trace, with no further DNA samples detected, in the Netherlands or elsewhere, European wolf experts told the newspaper.
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House dumps one wolf bill, advances one to expand wolf hunting
From MontanaRightNow.com:
One bill aiming to create an unlimited wolf hunting quota met its end on the House floor Thursday.
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Like Wolves, Wyoming’s Stray Cats Aren’t Protected From Torture
From CowboyStateDaily:
Wyoming’s stray cats could end up benefiting from a push to protect wolves from torture, and some advocate for controlling feral cats’ numbers through spaying or neutering rather than shooting them. Feral cats have the same classification of “predatory animals” as wolves in much of the state.
Outrage over the alleged torture of wolf last year near Daniel, Wyoming, inspired efforts to give predatory animals more protection. That includes a bill that would require predatory animals to be killed quickly, rather than being subjected to prolonged suffering.
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Government wants preservation plan for Portugal’s wolves that works
From PortugalResident.com:
The government has given the ICNF (Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests) three months to present a proposal for the 2025-2035 Pack Programme, for the preservation of the Iberian wolf population in Portugal.
A dispatch published today in state gazette Diário da República states that the development of the programme “must be based on the evaluation and updating of the Action Plan for the Conservation of the Wolf in Portugal”, from 2017, which has not had “the expected success”.
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Montana House votes down bill aimed at significantly reducing wolf population
From KTVH.com:
HELENA — On Thursday, Montana lawmakers debated legislation that would allow unlimited wolf hunting across the state until the population was reduced to a threshold of 650 animals statewide. The measure ultimately failed on a bipartisan vote.
House Bill 222, sponsored by Rep. Lukas Schubert, R-Kalispell, would have required the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission to create an open wolf hunting season. The season would have continued until the statewide wolf population was reduced to below 650 wolves. An amended provision allowed FWP to pause the hunting of wolves in May and June when the animals are denning and giving birth to young.
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Mushers and dogs braved a horrific Alaska winter to deliver lifesaving serum 100 years ago
From 2News.com:
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Gold Rush town of Nome faced a bleak winter. It was hundreds of miles from anywhere, cut off by the frozen sea and unrelenting blizzards, and under siege from a contagious disease known as the “strangling angel” for the way it suffocated children.
Now, 100 years later, Nome is remembering its saviors — the sled dogs and mushers who raced for more than five days through hypothermia, frostbite, gale-force winds and blinding whiteouts to deliver life-saving serum and free the community from the grip of diphtheria.
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Colorado lawmakers advance bill to block names of ranchers who file for compensation for wolf attacks
From The Aspen Times:
Wolf bills would allow year-round hunting: Unlimited takes
From BozemanDailyChronicle.com:
Two bills advancing through Montana’s Legislature aim to dramatically expand wolf hunting in response to growing concerns from ranchers and hunters about the state’s wolf population, currently estimated at 1,100 animals.
House Bills 176 and 222 both passed the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee (FWP), with local support from Stillwater County’s agricultural community.
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Titan’s Farewell: Bramble Park Zoo to Honor Its Last Wolf with New Habitat Plans
From MyKXLG.com:
{KXLG – Watertown, SD} The Bramble Park Zoo is mourning the loss of Titan, the last wolf in their care and a cherished ambassador for his species. Titan passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of 12, significantly surpassing the average wild wolf lifespan of 6 to 8 years—perhaps a testament to the exceptional care he received at the zoo.
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Debate rages over size of Colorado’s new wolves
From The Daily Sentinel:
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) transported 15 wolves from British Columbia, Canada, to Eagle and Pitkin counties, where they were released in mid-January. An additional five wolves who had been living in Colorado were re-released.
A quarter of the Netherlands’ known wolves have vanished
From DutchNews.nl:
A quarter of the officially registered wolves in the Netherlands have disappeared, and experts believe they may have been killed by poachers, according to a report by the Volkskrant on Wednesday.
Out of the 91 wolves whose DNA was recorded between 2015 and 2023 through excrement, carcasses, and other traces, 23 are confirmed dead, the paper said. Two of these wolves were shot by poachers, 15 were hit by vehicles in the Netherlands, and one was run over in Germany and Belgium respectively.
However, 22 wolves have disappeared without a trace, with no further DNA samples detected, in the Netherlands or elsewhere, European wolf experts told the newspaper.
Click here for the full story.