Breaking! WDFW to restart wolf removal after finding dead, injured calves

 
WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE  
NEWS RELEASE
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091

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August 19, 2016
Contact: Donny Martorello, (360) 902-2521
WDFW Wildlife Program, (360) 902-2515 



WDFW to restart wolf removal
after finding dead, injured calves  

OLYMPIA – State wildlife biologists have received authorization to remove a wolf pack in Ferry County after investigating two calf carcasses and an injured calf in a grazing area today.

The injured calf was classified as the subject of a confirmed wolf attack and the dead calves as subjects of probable wolf attacks. Since mid-July, WDFW has confirmed that wolves have killed or injured six cattle and probably five others, based on staff investigations.


Jim Unsworth, director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), authorized field staff to remove the remaining members of the Profanity Peak wolf pack to prevent additional attacks on cattle in the rangelands between Republic and Kettle Falls.

State wildlife officials shot two pack members Aug. 5, but announced an end to wolf-removal efforts after two weeks passed without finding any more evidence of wolf predation on cattle.

"At that time, we said we would restart this operation if there was another wolf attack, and now we have three," said Donny Martorello, WDFW wolf policy lead. "The department is committed to wolf recovery, but we also have a shared responsibility to protect livestock from repeated depredation by wolves."

Martorello noted that removing the entire Profanity Peak pack may prove challenging, given the rugged, timbered landscape in the area.

The Profanity Peak wolf pack is one of 19 known wolf packs in Washington state. Earlier this summer, WDFW determined that the pack had at least 11 members, including six adults and five pups.

Since 2008, the state's confirmed wolf population has grown from two wolves in one pack to at least 90 wolves and 19 packs by early 2016.

For more information on the conflict with the Profanity Peak pack, see the previous news release at http://wdfw.wa.gov/news/aug1816a/.

Periodic updates to WDFW's Wolf Advisory Group are posted at http://wdfw.wa.gov/about/advisory/wag/.

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Washington stops wolf killings, will resume if new attacks

by Associated Press

Thursday, August 18th 2016

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - After fatally shooting two wolves, state wildlife officials have ended operations to remove other members of the pack in northeastern Washington.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife said Thursday it will resume killing wolves if there are new attacks on livestock.

State officials in helicopters shot and killed two adult female wolves on Aug. 5 after confirming several livestock attacks by the wolves this year.

During the two-week operation, officials tracked wolves in Ferry County by air and on the ground using GPS signals. The wolves eventually retreated into thick forest of the Kettle River Range.
The department's Donny Martorello says there have been no new livestock attacks since the agency authorized the wolf killings on Aug. 3.

This is the third time the state has killed wolves since the apex predators began recolonizing Washington on their own a decade ago.


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AZGFD Mexican Wolf Update July 2016

 

MEXICAN WOLF UPDATE       July 1-31, 2016 Arizona Game and Fish Department

Mexican Wolf Reintroduction Project Monthly Update - July 1-31, 2016 The following is a summary of Mexican Wolf Reintroduction Project (Project) activities in the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area (MWEPA) in Arizona, including the Fort Apache Indian Reservation (FAIR), San Carlos Apache Reservation (SCAR), and New Mexico.  Additional Project information can be obtained by calling (928) 339-4329 or toll free at (888) 459-9653, or by visiting the Arizona Game and Fish Department website at www.azgfd.gov/wolf   or by visiting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website at www.fws.gov/southwest/es/mexicanwolf   .  Past updates may be viewed on either website, or interested parties may sign up to receive this update electronically by signing up here   .  This update is a public document and information in it can be used for any purpose.  The Project is a multi-agency cooperative effort among the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD), USDA Forest Service (USFS), USDA-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services (USDA-APHIS WS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the White Mountain Apache Tribe (WMAT). To view semi-monthly wolf telemetry flight location information please visit www.fws.gov/southwest/es/mexicanwolf/RWL.cfm   . Please report any wolf sightings or suspected livestock depredations to:  the Alpine wolf office (928) 339-4329, Pinetop wolf office (928-532-2391) or toll free at (888) 459-9653.  To report incidents of take or harassment of wolves, please call the AGFD 24-hour dispatch (Operation Game Thief) at (800) 352-0700. Overall Mexican Wolf Recovery Program Monthly Update On July 28, personnel from WMAT and USFWS presented to WMAT Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Tribal Council in Whiteriver, AZ. Numbering System:  Mexican wolves are given an identification number recorded in an official studbook that tracks their history.  Capital letters (M = Male, F = Female) preceding the number indicate adult animals 24 months or older.  Lower case letters (m = male, f = female) indicate wolves younger than 24 months or pups.  The capital letter “A” preceding the letter and number indicate breeding wolves. Definitions:  A “wolf pack” is defined as two or more wolves that maintain an established territory.  In the event that one of the two alpha (dominant) wolves dies, the remaining alpha wolf, regardless of pack size, retains the pack status.  The packs referenced in this update contain at least one wolf with a radio telemetry collar attached to it.  The Interagency Field Team (IFT) recognizes that wolves without radio telemetry collars may also form packs.  If the IFT confirms that wolves are associating with each other and are resident within the same home range, they will be referenced as a pack. CURRENT POPULATION STATUS Population monitoring requires year round effort documenting births, deaths, survival, total numbers, and distribution all culminating in the end of the year population counts.  Currently, there are 19 packs and 4 single wolves, which include 44 wolves with functioning radio collars that are used by the IFT to collect this data. IN ARIZONA: Bear Wallow Pack (collared M1338 and F1335) In July, the Bear Wallow Pack was located within their traditional territory in the east central portion of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest (ASNF).  During this month, the Bear Wallow pack ceased to show denning behavior. Bluestem Pack (collared M1382, F1443, f1488, f1489) In July, the Bluestem Pack continued to use their traditional territory in the east central portion of the ASNF.  Wolves F1443, f1488 and f1489 were consistently located together near the Bluestem den.  Three pups have been confirmed for Bluestem pack this year.  M1382 continued to travel throughout Arizona and New Mexico on its own for the first part of the month; however, it was found with the rest of the Bluestem pack during the latter part of the month. Buckalou Pack (collared F1405) In July, F1405 continued to travel between Arizona and New Mexico in both the Gila and Apache National Forests.  M1404 was found dead in New Mexico; the incident is under investigation.  Elk Horn Pack (collared AF1294 and AM1342) In July, the Elk Horn Pack was located within their traditional territory in the north eastern portion of the ASNF.  The IFT continued to document denning behavior by this pack this month. The Elk Horn Pack has periodically used a food cache set up by the IFT to supplement the pack due to the two pups cross-fostered into the pack’s litter in April.  A minimum of one pup was documented from the Elk Horn Pack in July.    Hawks Nest Pack (collared AM1038, M1383, and m1453) In July, the Hawks Nest Pack was located within their traditional territory in the north central portion of the ASNF.        Hoodoo Pack (collared AM1290, AF1333 and m1441) In July, the Hoodoo Pack remained in the north central portion of the ASNF.  The IFT continued to document denning behavior by the Hoodoo Pack this month.  The Hoodoo Pack has continued to utilize the food cache put in place for them to prevent potential depredation issues in the area.  The Hoodoo Pack had a minimum pup count of two in July. Marble Pack (collared AM1330)  In July, AM1330 made wide dispersal movements across the ASNF and the FAIR and has been documented as travelling alone.  The Marble Pack consists of one collared wolf.                        Maverick Pack (collared AM1183 and AF1291) In July, the Maverick Pack was located within their traditional territory both on the FAIR and ASNF.  The Maverick Pack localized and continued to show signs of denning. Panther Creek Pack (F1339 and M1394) In July, the Panther Creek Pack has been located in the east central portion of the ASNF.  The Panther Creek Pack continued to show denning behavior and utilize the food cache that the IFT has maintained for them.      Single M1398 During July, M1398 was located in Arizona within the southeast portion of the ASNF. ON THE FAIR: Diamond Pack (collared M1249, F1437, m1447, and m1454) In July, the Diamond Pack was located in the eastern portion of the FAIR and the north central portion of the ASNF.  m1454 made wide dispersal movements in the north central portion of the ASNF and north of the ASNF on private and state trust land.  It is not yet known if the pack denned. Tsay-o-Ah Pack (collared AM1343, AF1283, f1445) In July, Tsay-o-Ah was located in the eastern portion of the FAIR.  f1445 traveled into ASNF occasionally.  f1445 was documented traveling with M1347. Single M1347 During July, M1347 was located on the eastern portion of the FAIR and the east central portion of the ASNF.  M1347 was documented traveling with f1445. IN NEW MEXICO: Dark Canyon Pack (collared AM992, and f1444) During July, the IFT located this pack within its traditional territory in the west central portion of the Gila National Forest (GNF).  In late July, AM992 began making movements outside of its traditional territory. Iron Creek Pack (collared AM1240 and AF1278) During July, the Iron Creek Pack continued to utilize their territory in the northern portion of the Gila Wilderness and the southern portion of the GNF. A diversionary food cache is being maintained for the Iron Creek Pack to mitigate potential wolf-livestock conflicts.  In July, a wildland fire burned near the pack’s rendezvous site.  Following the fire, the pack moved back toward the food cache.  The IFT documented a minimum of 3 pups following the move and continues to monitor the pack for any negative impacts due to the fire. Luna Pack (collared AF1115, AM1158, and F1487) During July, the Luna Pack remained in their traditional territory in the north central portion of the GNF. The IFT is maintaining a diversionary and supplemental food cache in efforts to reduce potential for further livestock depredations. Mangas Pack (collared M1296, F1439) During July, the Mangas Pack was located within their territory in north western portions of the GNF in New Mexico.  Prieto Pack (collared M1386, AF1251, AM1387, m1455, and f1456) During July, the Prieto Pack was located within their traditional territory in the north central portion of the GNF.  The diversionary food cache was removed in July.       San Mateo Pack (collared M1345 and F1399) During July, the IFT documented M1345 and F1399 traveling together within their territory in the north central portion of the GNF and has continued to show denning behavior.  A diversionary food cache is being maintained for the San Mateo Pack to reduce potential wolf-livestock conflicts. SBP Pack (AM1284 and AF1392) In July the SBP Pack continued to use their traditional territory in the north central portion of the GNF.      Willow Springs Pack (collared F1397) In July, the IFT documented the Willow Springs Pack within their traditional territory in the north central portion of the GNF.         Single M1293 During July, M1293 was located within the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico. Single AM1155 During July, AM1155 was documented traveling in NM on the outskirts of its former territory. MORTALITIES In July, m1404 of the Buckalou Pack was located dead in New Mexico.  This incident is under investigation. In July, AF1115 of the Luna Pack was located dead in New Mexico.  The incident is under investigation. INCIDENTS During July there were ten livestock depredation reports involving wolves and no nuisance reports. On July 2, Wildlife Services investigated an injured calf in Catron County, New Mexico.  The investigation determined the calf was injured by a wolf.   On July 5, Wildlife Services investigated a dead calf in Apache County, Arizona.  The investigation determined the calf was a confirmed wolf kill.    On July 6, Wildlife Services investigated an injured calf that later died from its injuries in Apache County, Arizona.  The investigation determined the calf was not injured by wolves. On July 11, Wildlife Services investigated a dead calf in Apache County, Arizona.  The investigation determined the calf was a confirmed wolf kill. On July 15, Wildlife Services investigated two dead calves in Apache County, Arizona.  The investigation determined both calves were not killed by wolves. On July 16, Wildlife Services investigated an injured calf in Catron County, New Mexico.  The investigation determined the calf was injured by a wolf.   On July 19, Wildlife Services investigated an injured horse in Catron County, New Mexico.  The investigation determined the horse was injured by a wolf.  The horse was euthanized days later. On July 20, Wildlife Services investigated a dead cow and calf in Catron County, New Mexico.  The investigation determined the calf was a confirmed wolf kill and the cow was a probable wolf kill. On July 23, Wildlife Services investigated a dead calf in Apache County, Arizona.  The investigation determined the calf was not killed by wolves. On July 26, Wildlife Services investigated an injured calf in Catron County, New Mexico.  The investigation determined the calf was injured by a wolf. COMMUNICATION AND COORDINATION On July 21 and 22, the IFT completed annual chemical immobilization training. On July 23 through July 25, the IFT completed bi-annual helicopter training. On July 29, a member of the IFT gave a presentation to a group at the Big Lake campground in Arizona.        PROJECT PERSONNEL In July, Jeff Dolphin resigned from the AGFD.  Jeff had worked with the IFT for 9 years, most recently as the Mexican Wolf Project Field Supervisor for the AGFD.  Thank you Jeff for your dedication and commitment to the Mexican Wolf Recovery Project.  REWARDS OFFERED The USFWS is offering a reward of up to $10,000; the AGFD Operation Game Thief is offering a reward of up to $1,000; and the NMDGF is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the conviction of the individual(s) responsible for the shooting deaths of Mexican wolves.  A variety of non-governmental organizations and private individuals have pledged an additional $46,000 for a total reward amount of up to $58,000, depending on the information provided. Individuals with information they believe may be helpful are urged to call one of the following agencies: USFWS special agents in Mesa, Arizona, at (480) 967-7900, in Alpine, Arizona, at (928) 339-4232, or in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at (505) 346-7828; the WMAT at (928) 338-1023 or (928) 338-4385; AGFD Operation Game Thief at (800) 352-0700; or NMDGF Operation Game Thief at (800) 432-4263.  Killing a Mexican wolf is a violation of the Federal Endangered Species Act and can result in criminal penalties of up to $50,000, and/or not more than one year in jail, and/or a civil penalty of up to $25,000.

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New study in Finland suggests total # of wolf population

tiistai 16. elokuuta 2016

By Niina Perkkiö  

Interesting but not practical.

A new study made in Stockholm university and published in Nature suggests that Finland should have at least 800 and Sweden 1200 wolves to keep the whole Fennoscandian wolf population genetically viable in long term. Fennoscandian population includes subpopulations of Scandinavia, Finland, Russian Karelia and Kola peninsula.

Study does not seem to trust Russia's populations to be any help since Russia is not bound by any international laws of conservation thus requiring Finland and Sweden/Norway to have 2000 wolves or 500 breeding individuals between them. Unfortunately such amounts are not practical in any way. Both Finland and Sweden are having trouble with their less than 50 packs per country, amounts of 100 packs/pairs in Finland and 150 in Sweden are something that can not be realized, simply due demographics. Both Finland and Sweden are thoroughly inhabited outside the reindeer herding areas, leaving only fragmented areas for packs to live.

The fragmentation of areas.

 

From the blog "Wolves of Finland" 

 

 

Renko, Etelä-Häme region in Finland: new litter of wolves video

• Renko wolf family game captures the camera's memory.
• 
  Renko wolf family game captures the camera's memory.
   
• Renko wolf family game captures the camera's memory.

Renko game management association game camera recorded video of a litter of wolves, which has now been published in the Hämeenlinna City News nettivuilla.
 
City News reported Renko's territory wolf family in last Saturday's edition .
 
The emergence of a litter of wolves is extremely rare in the Hämeenlinna region. Evidently puppies have not been born for several decades, although rumors of pups have occurred.
 
Renko game management association representatives do not want to share any more details of the wolf family's residential area in order to  keep the litter calm.


 
Local conservationists have questioned vigorously the game management association's wolf observations. The published video indicates the existence of a litter of wolves.

 

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Finland: results of the 2nd test hunt

sunnuntai 7. elokuuta 2016

By Niina Perkkiö  

From the blog: Wolves in Finland

The results of the second test hunt have arrived, meaning that we now know killed individuals ages and their status in the pack in addition to their sex.

The results go like this:

Out of 43 individuals, 9 were alphas, 15 other adults, 17 juveniles and two <1 year old.

-The sex ratio of alphas was 8 females and 1 male.
-The other adults had a reverse sex ratio, 14 males and one female.
-Out of the 17 juveniles 9 were males and 8 were females.
-The pups were one female and one male.

Below is a map of the hunting results including locations and dates.

Map

Red wolves trying to survive extinction, N.C. Zoo helping

Posted Aug 6, 2016
By Bill Hand  

In all the world there are only 45 or so red wolves alive in the wilderness.
All of them live in North Carolina.

Another 190 live in 40 captive breeding programs across the nation – including the N.C. Zoo, which keeps a pack for breeding purposes.

That’s it. You can’t get much more endangered than that. But according to some, the very agency that developed the program to save them has turned its back and is letting the wolves survive as best they can on their own.

The wolves, small cousins of the grey wolf that lives out west, live within a couple hours’ drive of New Bern, with about a dozen packs occupying 1.7 million acres across five counties: Hyde, Tyrrell, Washington, Beaufort and Dare. The area makes up the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge around the Mattamuskeet and Pongo lakes. But don’t be in a hurry to go find them: red wolves are reclusive and elusive.

And their numbers seem to be dropping fast.

You’ll have better luck taking the slightly longer trip to the North Carolina Zoo, where an older pair are kept on display for visitors.

Like other canids, red wolves once had a wide range with a habitat covering the entire East Coast and westward as far as Texas. As a testament to their former status, they are also referred to as the Florida or Mississippi Valley wolf.

Hunting and habitat loss whittled their numbers until, in 1973, the last known wild red wolves were captured in Texas and Louisiana to be the first of a breeding program to save the species. By 1980 they were declared extinct in the wild.

Various zoos and other organizations developed and bred the animals and in 1987 the first were turned loose in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.

Zookeeper Jessi Culbertson stated that the N.C. Zoo is an active partner in the breeding and fostering program, having a dozen red wolves of which most are kept out of sight from visitors.

For a time, Fish and Wildlife used wolf pups from the program, fostering them into other wolf families as a means of keeping the breed pure, and to help keep up the numbers, as red wolves tend to disappear by attrition, through illegal hunting, traffic kills, or disease.

The FWS stopped its fostering program in 2015, but prior to that the zoo provided several cubs. In fostering, an existing brood is found and a young pup is placed with them. The mother wolf usually has no problem with adopting and raising it as her own.

The zoo currently has one pup, born this past May, though it has not been displayed and will not likely be released to the wild.

She noted that the wild population is “critically endangered.” While she believes the animals can be kept from extinction, she doesn’t see their numbers rebounding in the future.

The wolves face a number of obstacles to survive.

The USF&WS keeps a website on its recovery program at www.fws.gov/redwolf/, on which it has a running tally of the wolf population and known yearly mortality rate.

The numbers it lists show a large decline from an estimated population of 90 – 110 wolves in 2013 (there were upwards of 187 in the ‘80s) to just 45 known wolves in 2016 (estimated population is between 45 and 60). Of those, at least 13 were shot and one poisoned, often mistaken for the non-native coyotes that have moved into the area.

In 2015, nine were found too late to determine a cause of death. Others have died from vehicle strikes (three), and another seven to what the site describes as “management-” and “non-management-related actions.”

Several groups believe that Fish & Wildlife is largely responsible for the decline and at least two organizations – the Center for Biological Diversity and the Animal Welfare Institute – have filed suits against the FWS for alleged negligence in protecting the species and for not following the laws as set down by the Endangered Species Act.

“The red wolf population has dropped by 50 percent over the past few years,” Brett Hartl of the Center for Biological Diversity said. “Most of that is willful abandonment of the program.”

He said that N.C. state officials have “pressured the feds to curtail it,” although he could not list specific examples. “There’s circumstantial evidence, but no smoking gun,” he said.

Much of the problem is a result of the stoppage of fostering, he said. Another danger to the wolves was when, in 2015, North Carolina legalized hunting coyotes at night.

While the wolf averages about 35 pounds heavier than the coyotes and has a redder coat, it is still easily confused with a coyote, especially at night.

“If they were standing side by side,” Culbertson noted, “I could tell them apart, but just to see one by itself, I wouldn’t be sure.”

Some wolves are also shot intentionally.

“It’s the Big Bad Wolf syndrome,” Culbertson said. “They have an unearned, bad reputation.”
Especially red wolves.

Tara Zuardo, a lawyer with the Animal Welfare Institute in Washington, DC, noted that studies show that, contrary to many people’s visions of wolves destroying livestock, they actually are helpful to them.

“Unlike grey wolves, they don’t kill livestock, they don’t kill pets, and they avoid humans,” she said. She noted that their diet of pests such as deer, nutria and raccoons actually helps agricultural businesses.

She stated that coyotes can be a problem, but “the saddest reality of it is, if (red wolves are) allowed to recover, they are the best defense against coyotes coming in.”

Many farmers realize this, she said, and encourage the program.

Zuardo spoke of her organization’s lawsuits against FWS, noting that the battle has had some victories but also a lot of defeats and delays.

Among the victories was convincing the state to put a moratorium on coyote hunting in the red wolf’s territory.

But in other areas the agency is dragging her feet, she said. It has cut the number of workers in red wolf management so that it is harder to keep track of why the wolves are dying. With the lack of workers “you have a lot of ‘I don’t know,’” she said. “By the time the bodies are found it’s too late to tell what killed them.”

FWS has also dropped rewards for the prosecution of poachers and has stopped its fostering program, leaving the wolves to do or die on their own.

Further endangering the population, she said, is the cross breeding with larger coyotes.

At one time coyotes were captured, neutered, and re-released, she said, controlling the population and keeping it from further breeding.

“They cut everything,” she said. “The only thing we know that they continue to do is GPS monitoring of these wolves so that, when they go on someone’s property they can go out and remove them.”

That is also ultimately harmful, she said, as the act of removing one wolf leaves its mate by itself, forcing it to mate with whatever is handy – namely, coyotes.

She said the NWS has told her the red wolf recovery program is basically on hold while a feasibility study is done to determine whether the program should be maintained, increased, or ended. “They keep saying six months,” she said of the study, “but then then six months go by and they say they need more time.”

She said she has no evidence as to why the program is neglected, other than budgeting concerns. She guesses that the traditional fear of wolves and the fear of loss of game is wearing the organization down. “Wildlife is invested in deer hunting and, from their perspective, it’s ‘Why do we have an animal on the land that is killing some of the deer?’ The state wants landowners to be able to shoot coyotes without getting a permit first, and endangered species also limit land use.”

A wildlife agent at the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge said he could not comment due to the lawsuits.

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Brown bears try to muscle their way on to wolf pack's territory - but end up getting taught a lesson

• Wildlife photographer Chris Jones from Staffordshire snapped the incredible photos in the Boreal, Taiga in Finland
• Brown bears' lunch stolen by pack of wolves as they rounded the sleuth up and drove them out of their territory
• British snapper spent 14 hours a night in a hide just metres away from the animals to capture the whole encounter
• The estimated 1,500 bears living in Finland are treated with reverence, wolves do not enjoy the same treatment

By Gareth Davies For Mailonline

Published: 05:48 EST, 8 August 2016

A crafty pack of wolves outsmarted a sleuth of brown bears by swooping in to grab their lunch. 

The wolves chased the bears out of the area in Taiga, Finland - also known as the Boreal or Snow Forest - after the bears attempted a raid on carrion left in their territory.

Wildlife photographer Craig Jones spent fourteen hours a night in a hide just metres away from the animals to capture the whole encounter on camera.

The alpha male wolf dodges a brown bears defensive swipe in July 2016, in Kuikka, Finland

Three wolves chase a brown bear out of their territory in July 2016, in Kuikka, Finland as they outsmarted a sleuth of brown bears by swooping in to grab their lunch

A wolf and a bear look peaceful in the midst of their territorial battle where wolves chased the bears out of the area in Taiga, Finland - also known as the Boreal or Snow Forest - after the bears attempted a raid on carrion left in their territory

Wildlife photographer Craig Jones spent fourteen hours a night in a hide just metres away from the animals to capture the whole encounter on camera

Craig said: 'What I observed was that the wolves would come as a pack of four and they would stand and watch, one would fade into the background, almost following the bears like a ghost.

'They watched and studied them. Then they followed the bears, rounded them up and diverted them away so they could get hold of the food.'

The wolves rounded on the bears and drove them away from the food, but their encounter was not entirely peaceful and one bear took a hefty swing at a wolf trying to nip at his heels.

Staffordshire-based Craig added: 'It felt absolutely amazing to witness these events, these bears attacking the wolves had not been witnessed like this for some time.

'We were very lucky on our last night with all those attacks. I was told the wolves were quite hungry and they wanted the bears out of the way.

'The alpha male and female run after the bears and split them up to get them away from the food.

'Where the carrion is put is primarily in the wolves territory, so it is the bears coming into the territory.

'They will tolerate them sometimes, but as the photos show, not all the time.'

Photographer Craig Jones said: 'What I observed was that the wolves would come as a pack of four and they would stand and watch, one would fade into the background, almost following the bears like a ghost,' as a wolf flanks a brown bear in Kuikka, Finland

'They watched and studied them. Then they followed the bears, rounded them up and diverted them away so they could get hold of the food,' said the Staffordshire-based snapper

The wolves rounded on the bears and drove them away from the food, but their encounter was not entirely peaceful and one bear took a hefty swing at a wolf trying to nip at his heels 

Craig was also lucky enough to witness some internal fighting amongst the brown bears, with two brown bears taking swings at one another in a dispute

'It felt absolutely amazing to witness these events, these bears attacking the wolves had not been witnessed like this for some time,' said Craig Jones

The photographer added: 'The alpha male and female run after the bears and split them up to get them away from the food. 'Where the carrion is put is primarily in the wolves territory, so it is the bears coming into the territory. 'They will tolerate them sometimes, but as the photos show, not all the time.'

Craig was also lucky enough to witness some internal fighting amongst the brown bears, with two brown bears taking swings at one another in a dispute.

The territory lies in a demilitarised zone between Russia and Finland where bears and wolves roam free safe from hunters as the zone requires a permit to access it.

Jones ventured to Finland with his clients, who he takes on photo tours while passing on his lessons in photography, to capture the animals in their natural environment.

Spending five nights locked in the hide with nothing but a couple of mattresses and a compost bin for a toilet, Craig captured the animals during their most active hours in the twenty-four light of Finnish summer.

The territory lies in a demilitarised zone between Russia and Finland where bears and wolves roam free safe from hunters as the zone requires a permit to access it

Jones ventured to Finland with his clients, who he takes on photo tours while passing on his lessons in photography, to capture the animals in their natural environment

Spending five nights locked in the hide with nothing but a couple of mattresses and a compost bin for a toilet, Craig captured the animals during their most active hours in the twenty-four light of Finnish summer

Although the estimated 1,500 bears living in Finland are treated with reverence, wolves do not enjoy the same treatment

Although the estimated 1,500 bears living in Finland are treated with reverence, wolves do not enjoy the same treatment.

The wildlife photographer said: 'Unlike the fox and bear, the wolf has always been feared and hated in Finland, and the wolf has been the symbol of destruction and desolation.

'To the extent that the very name of wolf in Finnish language, 'sushi', means also 'a useless thing' and the by-name hukka means perdition and annihilation.

'While the bear has been the sacred animal in Finland, wolves have always been hunted and killed mercilessly.

'The wolf has been represented as implacable and malicious predator, killing more than it manages to eat.'

The wildlife photographer said: 'Unlike the fox and bear, the wolf has always been feared and hated in Finland, and the wolf has been the symbol of destruction and desolation.'

While the bear has been the sacred animal in Finland, wolves have always been hunted and killed mercilessly

The name of wolf in Finnish language, 'sushi', means also 'a useless thing' and the by-name hukka means perdition and annihilation

In an effort to dispel rumours that wolves are stealing livestock, Finnish photographer Lassi Rautiainen is working with scientists and the Finnish government to tag wolves in order to study their movements

A brown bear pads through the undergrowth as the wolves divert the bears away from their territory in Kuikka, Finland

In an effort to dispel rumours that wolves are stealing livestock, Finnish photographer Lassi Rautiainen is working with scientists and the Finnish government to tag wolves in order to study their movements.

Craig said: 'He is trying to keep them alive rather than submitting to all the silly folk tales about wolves.'

To find out more about Craig Jones' work and photo tours visit: https://www.craigjoneswildlifephotography.co.uk 

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2 Arctic Wolf Pups Meet the Pack at International Wolf Center in Ely

By KSTP 

re to Copy Link

 
 

 

By KSTP   
08.08.2016

After weeks of socializing and training, the two wolf pups delivered to the International Wolf Center in Ely were finally introduced to the Ambassador Pack on Sunday.

We were given exclusive access as the two rare, Arctic wolf pup brothers were brought from a zoo in Canada to the center.

Executive Director Rob Schultz said the pack was aware of the wolf pups when they first arrived and that their official meeting was full of excitement.

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Red wolves’ background gives them fighting chance

A red wolf pup is examined by Kristen Livingston, lead keeper for carnivores, at the Knoxville Zoo on Tuesday, May 10, 2016, following its birth on April 30. The zoo is celebrating the birth of its first red wolf pup in 23 years. Red wolves are critically endangered, with less than 300 individuals left in the world. (ADAM LAU/NEWS SENTINEL)

	Bob Hodge
	Columnist

Posted: Aug. 06, 2016

On Jan. 30, 1991 there was a lot of fanfare surrounding the reintroduction of red wolves into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Two mated pairs of red wolves — one pair from Florida, the other a shotgun marriage of a wolf from Mississippi to one from Connecticut — were released and red wolves were back in East Tennessee for the first time since 1905.

In 1998, the reintroduction project was called a failure. In all, 37 red wolves were released into the park and 33 pups were born in the wild. When the plug was pulled on the red wolves in the Smokies, a biologist said at the time "We're getting almost no survival out of these animals."

That's why it was big news when a red wolf pup was born at Zoo Knoxville on the last day of April.
What's this got to do with anything almost 20 years later? What's important about red wolves when you have the Summer Olympics in Brazil, Trump and Clinton running for the White House, football practice going on at UT and squirrel season just 20 days away?

Even though people and wildlife that were here yesterday and gone today don't always mix, I've got a soft spot for critters making a comeback … even those that don't end up on the grill.

And if a recent discovery was right, there may be a novel way for red wolves, one of the most endangered species in North America, to make a comeback.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has spent millions of dollars and worked through hundreds of controversies trying to get the red wolves a foothold in their native range, more often than not running into the same sort of issues that doomed reintroduction into the Smokies.

The only wild population left lives in five counties in eastern North Carolina and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has asked the USFWS to pull the plug on the effort. For now the program is suspended.

It turns out all those millions of dollars and hundreds of controversies were over an animal that may be nothing more than the offspring of gray wolves and coyotes that got amorous with one another.
According to research published last month in "Science Advances" combine Canis lupus (gray wolf) with Canis latrans (coyote) in the right percentages and you get Canis rufus (red wolf).

The article, which can be found on the web under the title "Whole-genome sequence analysis shows that two endemic species of North American wolf are admixtures of the coyote and gray wolf" says that a red wolf is about 75 percent coyote with some gray wolf thrown in. The lesser known eastern wolf, which is not listed as an endangered species but could be, is, according to the report, about 25 percent to 50 percent coyote and the rest is gray wolf.

The report says one of the reasons red wolves have a hard time in the wild is the omnipresence of coyotes. It said the reintroduction effort in North Carolina "is doomed to genetic swamping by coyotes without extensive management of the hybrids."

Back in the '90s when the red wolf project was going strong in Cades Cove we took a drive up there with hopes of seeing one.

Cades Cove was where I saw my first wild turkey decades before I ever dreamed of hunting one. It was where you could see deer that looked like the ones on the covers of the hunting magazines. It was where I once had a bear brush up against my leg while I was riding a bike around the loop.
It was a long shot, but we went up there to find a wolf and got lucky. Out in one of the fields, a red wolf was down in an almost bird dog-like crouch sneaking up on something.

So I saw a red wolf long before I saw a bald eagle in Tennessee or dreamed that one day there would be elk living wild just a few minutes up the road.

Some are reacting to the report as if it's an insult to the red wolf to say it's only a wolf-yote hybrid. It actually seems like pretty good news to me: As long as there's coyotes and gray wolves around you always can bring the red wolf back.

Bob Hodge is a freelance contributor.


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