From The Spokesman-Review:
BILLINGS – Since wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park in 1995, Kristin Barker jokingly estimated there have been “12.75 bajillion studies” conducted to answer: How a recovering population of predators would affect their prey populations as well as other aspects of the ecosystem?
“So after several decades of good, concerted study, what have we learned?” she asked a crowd gathered at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming, on Thursday.
Barker is the research coordinator for the Beyond Yellowstone Program, a new group supporting local conservation efforts with best available science. Her presentation was based on her most recent research into wolf avoidance of humans using collared wolves and cow elk in the Jackson Hole area.
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Wolf protection in Europe has become deeply political – Spain’s experience tells us why
From The Conversation:
Wolves are staging a comeback in many areas of Europe after centuries of persecution. Over the past decade alone, they have expanded their range on the continent by more than 25%.
This resurgence was brought into sharp focus in September 2023 following a controversial statement by Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission. She said: “The concentration of wolf packs in some European regions has become a real danger for livestock and potentially also for humans. I urge local and national authorities to take action where necessary.”
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Could these be wolf pups in northern Maine?
From Bangor Daily News:
There has long been debate about whether Maine has any resident wolves. People have reported a few sightings over the last few decades, but the state remains skeptical.
The Maine Wolf Coalition has submitted photographic evidence of individual animals that could be wolves, but biologists consistently say there are no breeding wolf populations in the state.
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Researcher paints broad picture of wolf-prey interactions with Jackson Hole study
From The Spokesman-Review:
BILLINGS – Since wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park in 1995, Kristin Barker jokingly estimated there have been “12.75 bajillion studies” conducted to answer: How a recovering population of predators would affect their prey populations as well as other aspects of the ecosystem?
“So after several decades of good, concerted study, what have we learned?” she asked a crowd gathered at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming, on Thursday.
Barker is the research coordinator for the Beyond Yellowstone Program, a new group supporting local conservation efforts with best available science. Her presentation was based on her most recent research into wolf avoidance of humans using collared wolves and cow elk in the Jackson Hole area.
Click here for the full story.
Nature Notes: Random wolf facts
From Elko Daily:
Lamar Valley is the northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park (YNP). It is the best spot in the world to observe gray wolves, largely due to its open nature. When Cindy and I visited there recently, lines of wolf watchers decorated hillsides with their spotting scopes, watching wolves across the valley. Paths are worn into the hillside to favorite watching spots. The roadsides are beat down by all the cars parked there. People walk hundreds of yards from parking spots to viewing areas.
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Nature Nuggets: Wolves in Colorado
From Trail Gazette:
Before European settlement, gray wolves thrived across the Lower 48 states and were at one time considered the most widely distributed land mammal in the world.
But by the 1960s, gray wolves were essentially eradicated from their historical range. Only a small population remained in the deep woods of northern Michigan and Minnesota at that time. Colorado’s wolf population was believed to be eliminated by about 1940, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW).
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Germany readies to make shooting wolves easier
From Euractiv:
Wolves and their impact on livestock farming have been the centre of debates in Brussels in recent months, especially after European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen launched an informal consultation on wolf populations across Europe in early September, with a view to reviewing their high protection status.
But in Germany, too, the “wolf question” has been a centre of attention, with conservationists arguing that the large carnivores should be protected as a species, while farmers warn that this poses a danger to livestock herds and, therefore, their businesses.
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Historic sighting: Near-extinct gray wolf spotted in California after a century
From The Week:
In a remarkable display of nature’s resilience, the enchanting landscapes of Giant Sequoia National Monument in southern California have witnessed an awe-inspiring event. After more than a century of absence, a majestic gray wolf has made a triumphant return to this haven of ancient giants and breathtaking vistas, the LA Times reported. This extraordinary sighting not only showcases the enduring spirit of these near-extinct creatures but also serves as a profound reminder of the delicate balance between humans and the natural world. The awe-inspiring moment was captured by Michelle Harris, who described the magnificent creature crossing a fire road and unleashing a resonant howl. Subsequent analysis confirmed it to be a female gray wolf, leading the newly-named Tulare Pack, including four offspring, descendants of the iconic California wolf, OR-7.
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Wildlife researcher on quest for answers
From Powell Tribune:
Coming to Cody to give a speech on the relationship between wolves and elk isn’t done so without first recognizing the subject will be debated with highly-charged emotions from both sides. Kristin Barker, research coordinator for the Beyond Yellowstone Program, knew she was going to face a full house of well-informed spectators.
“It might seem a little ballsy of me to give a talk about wolves in Cody, Wyoming. That’s because when people usually think about wolves, they see them in black and white, typically as one extreme or another,” she said.
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Tracking Wolves: How California is Attempting to Learn About New Wolfpack
From 23 ABC Bakersfield:
SEQUOIA NATIONAL MONUMENT, Calif. — I took my dogs with me up to near, it wasn’t at the Trail of One Hundred Giants but it was in the area.”
That’s John Ornosky, a Wofford Heights resident recounting his experience in mid-September.
“Not far into the hike at all, I came upon the signs.”
The sign Ornosky is referencing states that there are traps in the area that could potentially snare dogs. Those traps, meant for a new wolfpack that has been discovered in the southern part of Tulare County in the Sequoia National Forest.
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Oregon agrees to transfer 10 wolves to Colorado after other Western states decline
From Oregon Capital Chronicle:
Oregon has agreed to transfer wolves to Colorado after other states declined to participate in that state’s new program.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will allow Colorado’s Parks and Wildlife Department to trap and transfer up to 10 gray wolves from northeastern Oregon to Colorado. Oregon officials agreed to the plan after their counterparts in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming declined to help Colorado over concerns that a growing wolf population could migrate to their states.
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