From the Mail Tribune:
Biologists with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife say it’s unlikely OR-103 — a lone wolf that has killed three cattle in the Doak Mountain area near Klamath Falls in recent months — was seriously injured earlier this year when caught in a coyote leg-hold trap.
Arran Robertson, communications manager for Oregon Wild, an environmental organization, has questioned the use of traps with wolves. In an email, Robertson said OR-103 “was substantially injured in a coyote leghold trap, and that’s when he was fitted with a radio collar.”
Click here for the full story.
Canine Distemper Virus Outbreaks Are Less Likely To Kill Black Wolves Across North America
From Nature World News:
According to new research, black wolves seem to be more likely to withstand canine distemper virus outbreaks (CDV).
To improve the fitness of their offspring, Yellowstone Natural Park wolves prefer to mate with animals of the opposite color in areas where CDV outbreaks occur.
Click here for the full story.
Southern Oregon wolf not thought to be hampered by injury
From the Mail Tribune:
Biologists with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife say it’s unlikely OR-103 — a lone wolf that has killed three cattle in the Doak Mountain area near Klamath Falls in recent months — was seriously injured earlier this year when caught in a coyote leg-hold trap.
Arran Robertson, communications manager for Oregon Wild, an environmental organization, has questioned the use of traps with wolves. In an email, Robertson said OR-103 “was substantially injured in a coyote leghold trap, and that’s when he was fitted with a radio collar.”
Click here for the full story.
Registration open for Happy Hour Howl in St. Paul on Nov. 16
Can Wolves Help Hunt Disease?
From SierraClub.org:
The return of wolves across the American West has raised howls from ranchers worried about their livestock, and hunters worried that wolves will make deer and elk more scarce during hunting season. Wolf boosters counter those arguments with data on how wolves improve the health of ecosystems by preventing overgrazing and overpopulation. But some scientists studying one of the worst scourges to afflict deer in North America—chronic wasting disease (CWD)—think wolves could have another benefit. It’s possible that the predators could help to chase down the disease and reduce its impact.
Click here for the full story.
Wildlife officials confirm 6 wolf poisonings in northeastern Washington
From opb.org:
Wildlife officials on Monday confirmed the deaths of six wolves in northeastern Washington were due to poison.
“This unfortunate incident involving the death of six wolves is being investigated and being taken extremely seriously due to the nature of the crime, the extent of the animals that were poached,” said Becky Elder, Washington State Fish and Wildlife Police communications consultant.
Click here for the full story.
Colorado might have a new wolf pack that killed 18 calves, state officials say
From The Denver Post:
Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials are investigating the death of 18 cow calves killed near Meeker as a possible wolf attack, which could mean that new wolves have migrated into the state.
Currently the only confirmed wolf pack in Colorado lives in North Park near Walden, though officials lost track of those eight wolves this summer. Another pack lived in Moffat County but also went missing with at least one expert suspecting they were killed.
Click here for the full story.
Wolf pup mistakenly killed; Washington state weighs whether to kill more wolves after cattle attacks
From The Oregonian:
Wolves from two packs in northeast Washington state have attacked more cattle, prompting the Department of Fish and Wildlife to consider whether to again try culling the Smackout pack after a botched attempt last month.
Fish and Wildlife officials confirmed Thursday that the Smackout pack wounded a calf in a private Stevens County pasture, the Capital Press reported. Officials said the pack also injured a calf Monday and probably attacked another on Sept. 26.
Click here for the full story.
Expert’s report on wolf reintroduction seeks to help Colorado avoid pitfalls, offers facts
From the Coloradoan:
Colorado can avoid costly mistakes made by Western states that previously reintroduced wolves if it sticks to fact, not fiction.
That’s according to renowned wolf biologist Diane Boyd. The Montana-based retired wolf expert outlined lessons learned based on 40 years of extensive research from across the country to help Colorado wildlife leaders plan and manage wolf reintroduction in her recently released report titled “Lessons Learned to Inform Colorado Wolf Reintroduction and Management.”
Click here for the full story.
Wisconsin: Four trailing hounds died over the weekend from wolf attacks
From WJFW.com in Wisconsin:
(WJFW) – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the USDA Wildlife Services have confirmed that wolves have killed four trailing hounds over the weekend and injured five others.
In a press release, wolves killed one Plott trailing hound and injured a different Plott trailing hound in the Town of Wolf River on Saturday.
Click here for the full story.
Rediscovered Red Wolf Genes May Help Conserve the Species
From Scientific American:
The red wolf once roamed a huge swath of the eastern United States. The historic range of these rust-colored canines stretched from Long Island across to Missouri and down to the Texas-Mexico border. But by 1972 the population was reduced to only roaming a small area along the Gulf coast due to habitat loss and hunting.
To conserve the species, 14 individuals were captured as part of a breeding program. In 1980 their wild relatives were declared extinct—the captured wolves were all that was left.
Click here for the full story.