From The Tribune:
Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that can infect warm blooded animals, including rodents and even us humans. It can cause disease, known as toxoplasmosis, but most infected humans do not have any symptoms.
Mild cases have flu-like symptoms, and more severe symptoms include organ damage and can be especially dangerous for pregnant people. If you’re pregnant, avoid scooping cat litter if possible, and visit the CDC page on toxoplasmosis if you want more information.
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Eastern wolves and grey wolves evolved separately
From earth.com:
In a recently published paper in Molecular Biology and Evolution by Oxford University Press, researchers shed light on the ongoing debate surrounding the evolution of North American wolves. In particular, Eastern wolves and grey wolves.
This is a subject that has long puzzled scientists, conservationists, and taxonomists alike. The study focuses on the mysterious origins and genetic relationships of wolves and coyotes found in southeastern Canada, particularly the enigmatic eastern wolves.
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Effects of parasite on wolf behavior
From The Tribune:
Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that can infect warm blooded animals, including rodents and even us humans. It can cause disease, known as toxoplasmosis, but most infected humans do not have any symptoms.
Mild cases have flu-like symptoms, and more severe symptoms include organ damage and can be especially dangerous for pregnant people. If you’re pregnant, avoid scooping cat litter if possible, and visit the CDC page on toxoplasmosis if you want more information.
Click here for full article.
Ranchers Battle Wolves In Colorado Wilds As Reintroduction Looms
From Barrons.com:
Could donkeys hold the key to wolf reintroduction peace in rural Colorado? Some ranchers protect their livestock in unusual ways after attacks by a pack from neighboring Wyoming and before the wolf’s expected return by the end of the year.
Paschal will work with the Voyageurs Wolf Project
From messagemedia.co:
The Voyageurs Wolf Project website described the project as, “A University of Minnesota research project that was started to address one of the biggest knowledge gaps in wolf ecology—what do wolves do during the summer?”
Lucas Paschal has been named the 2023 winner of the Dr. L. David Mech Fellowship. Paschal is a student at Hamline University in St. Paul and will work with Voyageurs Wolf Project in northern Minnesota upon graduation from college.
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Do Wolves Attack Humans?
From outdoorlife.com:
As wolves expand across western North America, the chances of humans encountering them while working or recreating outdoors increases, too. While there are standard procedures for bear and mountain lion encounters, what to do when you see a wolf is less well known. The first question that might come to mind is whether you’re in danger. Here’s the good news: Experts say that even though it is possible for wolves to attack humans, it’s quite rare.
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WA biologists confirm wolf pack on Mount Spokane during annual wolf survey
From The Seattle Times:
Washington biologists on Friday confirmed the existence of a wolf pack on the western flank of Mount Spokane.
The pack, dubbed the Mt. Spokane pack, was first spotted by hunter Arthur Cooke and has a minimum of four members. Cooke set a trail camera out on Inland Empire Paper land in preparation for hunting season last fall.
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Wolf killing and the consequences of disturbing pack dynamics
From explorebigsky.com:
New research shows killing wolves changes pack dynamics, and those changes matter.
The last few years have been tough for gray wolves. Idaho passed a law to kill up to 90% of the state’s wolves. Montana killed 270 in one season. Wisconsin killed about 220 before the species went back on the Endangered Species List. Some 25 wolves killed in the Yellowstone National Park area in 2022 came from the park itself.
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Smith: Changes are coming to Wisconsin’s wolf plan with calls for sustainable, long-term management
From jsonline.com:
Adam Payne has been secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for less than four months.
But he was probably on the job for less than four hours before he had discussions with staff about two of the leading challenges facing the agency. In the environmental realm, there is PFAS in water. And in wildlife management, there is the pending update to the state’s wolf management plan.
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Wolf population up in Washington, but there’s disagreement about how many is enough
From Spokane Public Radio:
The state says wolves are filling in as expected in Washington, but conservation groups think there should be more.
Washington wildlife officials say the state’s wolf population continues to increase. They say they are seeing the animals move into new recovery zones, something they have planned for some time.
The latest report by the Department of Fish and Wildlife indicates the wolf population in Washington has increased by at least 5%, to 216 wolves in 37 packs, 26 have successful breeding pairs.
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Debunking the Alpha Wolf: Why We Need to Rethink Our Understanding of Wolf Packs
From One Green Planet:
The alpha wolf idea comes from outdated terminology from research on captive wolf packs in the mid-20th century. Wildlife biologists, like L. David Mech, once used terms such as alpha and beta to describe the pecking order in wolf packs. In the 1970s, Mech used the alpha wolf nomenclature in a classic book of wolf biology, The Wolf: Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species. However, as new research has come to light, Mech has pushed back against the term, and The Wolf was taken out of print in 2022.
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