From AtlasObsura.com:
The wolves trot out of the morning fog and settle around a bison herd that had overnighted in the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park. There are a couple hundred bison and only four wolves, but the herd immediately becomes agitated—they begin to move around, and the wolves follow.
A human family of four, we watch them from a hill across the valley, sometimes through the scopes that our guide, Audra Conklin Taylor, has brought along, sometimes just squinting in the morning sun. “The adult bison are too big for them so they’re after the calves,” she explains.
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Colorado range riders preventing wolf conflict are fully staffed and ready
From KDVR.com:
Colorado’s team of “range riders” – a group trained to prevent wolf conflict – is now fully staffed and ready. Following the controversial reintroduction of wolves in Colorado, some ranchers have raised concerns about wolf depredations. After offering compensation for the lost cattle due to wolf depredations, Colorado Parks and Wildlife now has another solution.
EU’s legislative body accepts weakening of wolf protection
From News.Mongabay.com:
The European Parliament has voted in favor of the European Commission’s proposal to weaken wolf protection, citing increased conflicts with people and livestock in some regions. The draft law, which requires approval by the EU Council, will make it easier to hunt wolves.
While hunting and landowners’ associations applauded the decision, environmental groups expressed dismay.
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‘Wolves don’t take a day off’: Kremmling [Colorado] ranchers said wolf reintroduction outpaced preparedness
From KVDR.com:
As Colorado’s wolf reintroduction program expands, ranchers said they’re still waiting for critical protections to catch up. Tim Ritschard, president of the Middle Park Stockgrowers Association and a fifth-generation rancher in Kremmling, said his operation has already felt the effects.
“We had a wolf go through in February — right behind my house,” Ritschard told FOX31. While state officials said they’ve now fully staffed the “range rider” program meant to deter wolf attacks and assist with herd monitoring, Ritschard said it’s too little, too late.
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Colorado’s Wolf Depredation Fund Could Change After 2025
From Westword.com:
Colorado is eighteen months into the state’s wolf restoration project, and the teeth are still coming out.
So far, the state has paid over $370,000 in claims to ranchers who have been impacted by the presence of wolves near their operations. Although wolf advocates and detractors both agree that Colorado should compensate people for wolf-related losses, ranchers believe the funds are not enough to cover the full breadth of the impact of the carnivores in this state.
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Collaboration Over Crisis: Wallowa County [Oregon] Navigates Wolf Depredations Without Emergency Declaration
From ElkhornMediaGroup.com:
In the face of persistent wolf depredations, Wallowa County officials considered declaring a state of emergency—but ultimately chose a different path. Thanks to strong collaboration between local, state, and federal partners, critical resources remained in place without the need for emergency measures.
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New Cascade PBS documentary ‘Wolf Land’ to premiere at SIFF [Washington]
From CascadePBS.org:
The forests of northeastern Washington have been a place where wolves and ranchers have been at odds over livestock for decades. When wolves attack cattle, it threatens farmers’ livelihoods and puts the endangered animals at risk of being killed.
The Cascade PBS documentary Wolf Land follows “wolf-protecting cowboy” Daniel Curry and fourth-generation rancher Jerry Francis for two years as the unlikely pair team up to show how non-lethal methods can humanely protect both.
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Ranchers request relief from Mexican wolf in Cochise County [Arizona]
From KOLD.com:
A program to reintroduce Mexican wolves to the wild started almost 30 years ago and has been successful for the endangered species. But some of the wolves are creating problems for ranchers who want changes to its status.
Ranchers in southeast Arizona will tell you they’re dealing with the success of the Mexican wolf program’s increasing numbers and say it’s time for a change and have brought it up with Cochise County Supervisors. “Every cow that I lose hurts my bottom line. Immensely,” said Cochise County rancher Mike Wear, who owns the 18 square-mile Wear Ranch south of Willcox.
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Four potential dens could mean up to 24 more wolves in Colorado
From DenverGazette.com:
Last year, it was announced that Colorado had its first official wolf pack since the December 2023 reintroduction – dubbed the Copper Creek pack and the result of a pair of adult wolves successfully birthing five pups. This spring, it’s looking like there’s a possibility that many more wolves may be naturally reproducing around the Centennial State, as well.
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Latest Tactic To Keep Wolves Away From Livestock: Dive-Bomb Them With Drones
From CowboySateDaily:
Dive-bombing wolves with drones has scared wolves away from cattle in Oregon, and a wolf conservation advocate says she wants to try the same thing in Wyoming and Colorado. “At first, if you’re just flying over, the wolf is curious. Like, ‘Is that a bird? What’s a bird doing up there?’” Kim Bean told Cowboy State Daily.
“The minute that loudspeaker goes off, it’s amazing how quickly that animal spins and goes,” added Bean, the founder and president of Wolf and Wildlife Advocates.
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Wolves Have a Bad Reputation. One Yellowstone Naturalist Is Trying to Fix It.
From AtlasObsura.com:
The wolves trot out of the morning fog and settle around a bison herd that had overnighted in the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park. There are a couple hundred bison and only four wolves, but the herd immediately becomes agitated—they begin to move around, and the wolves follow.
A human family of four, we watch them from a hill across the valley, sometimes through the scopes that our guide, Audra Conklin Taylor, has brought along, sometimes just squinting in the morning sun. “The adult bison are too big for them so they’re after the calves,” she explains.
Click here for the full story.