Wolves have made an impressive comeback in Europe in recent decades, but their presence has angered some farmers and led to a hostile backlash.
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.
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A Mexican Wolf Pup’s Journey into the Wild
From National Geographic:
For centuries, Mexican gray wolves roamed the Southwest. But as cattle ranches spread, wolves became enemy number one, and by the 1970s the subspecies was nearly extinct. But after the Endangered Species Act was passed, the U.S. embarked on an ambitious plan to save the iconic predators. We’ll meet the Texas trapper who switched from killing wolves to catching them to breed. And we’ll follow a team of biologists into the Gila Wilderness to introduce captive-born wolf pups into the wild.
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ODFW: Metolius wolves kill steer in Deschutes County; 1st wolf depredation
From Central Oregon Daily News:
Deschutes County has its first confirmed case of wolf depredation since the wolves’ return.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) confirmed Friday that the Metolius group, consisting of two known wolves, killed a steer on private land in the Lower Bridge area. The investigation into the killing was dated Wednesday.
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Rural vs urban divide: Why has the protection of wolves become so politicised in Europe?
From euronews.com:
Wolves have made an impressive comeback in Europe in recent decades, but their presence has angered some farmers and led to a hostile backlash.
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.
In a first, citizens and scientists join hands to detect wolf-dog hybridization
From The Times of India:
Nagpur: A citizens science initiative by nature enthusiasts from Pune has facilitated researchers from National Centre for for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru, to detect the first-ever wolf-dog hybridization.
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Department of Fish and Wildlife asking to keep protect status for gray wolves species
From KPQ.com:
The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is asking to keep the gray wolf species’ protected status after successfully increasing the wolf population.
According to WDFW, the state’s gray wolf population has grown nearly 28% each year since 2008, and hasn’t published a status report on the wolves since listing them as endangered back in 1980.
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Rocky Mountain Farmers Union disappointed in Polis veto of wolf bill
From The Fence Post:
“We are disappointed that Gov. Jared Polis has vetoed SB23-256 — Management of Gray Wolves Reintroduction. This bipartisan bill was crafted to ensure that the state’s investment of $1 million to expedite the 10(j) determination doesn’t go to waste,” said Chad Franke, president of Rocky Mountain Farmers Union. “While we are disappointed in the governor for vetoing this bill, we would still like to share our deepest gratitude to the legislators from the Western Slope, particularly Reps. Meghan Lukens, Reps. Matt Soper, Senator Dylan Roberts, and Sen. Perry Will, that fought so hard to get this bill within inches of the finish line,” Franke continued.
This bill would not have halted the reintroduction of wolves in Colorado. It simply would have required that the 10(j) ruling by U.S. Fish and Wildlife be in place prior to the reintroduction. The state has demonstrated the importance of the 10(j) rule in testimony and by allocating $1 million last year to fast track the environmental impact study that’s required for the 10(j) ruling. If they move forward with the reintroduction prior to the 10(j) rule, they will have wasted the funds appropriated to fast track the analysis and the countless hours spent on the Wolf Management Plan. Without this rule, the management of wolves in Colorado falls on U.S. Fish and Wildlife due to their current endangered status under the Endangered Species Act. “If wolves are reintroduced prior to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife determination, the Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife will lose the tools it needs to manage the population of reintroduced wolves and the damage they will bring with them,” Franke continued.
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Colorado Finally Has a Plan to Reintroduce Wolves
From Sierra:
More than two years after voters in Colorado passed a resolution to bring wolves back to the area, the state’s wildlife commission finally has a plan in place to have paws on the ground by year’s end. The commission approved its final plan earlier this month to the delight of many wolf advocates, who, like most stakeholders, admit the plan is imperfect but better than most. The forthcoming Colorado reintroductions mark one of the most significant steps in wolf rewilding since wolves were returned to Yellowstone National Park more than 25 years ago.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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