Wolf News - June 2018

U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE PROPOSAL WOULD ALLOW KILLING OF ENDANGERED RED WOLVES

June 28th, North Carolina: Only about 35 of the wild red wolves remain in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge near Manteo, North Carolina, or in the vicinity. Critics of the proposal say the move may lead the species to extinction.

A JUDGE RIPPED THE FEDERAL AGENCY'S JUSTIFICATION FOR KILLING THOUSANDS OF WILD ANIMALS

June 25th, Idaho: Coyotes, wolves, grizzly bears, beavers, blackbirds, mountain lions, foxes and a wide range of others identified as nuisance animals are slain on behalf of ranchers, farmers, homeowners and airport operators — actions that are routinely challenged by environmentalists. Wildlife Services justification for killing thousands of animals in Idaho was faulted by a U.S. District Court on Monday.

WOLVES IN OREGON: THE INSIDE STORY

June 23rd, Oregon: In a community, and a state, that could face water shortages in the not-so-distant future, wolves provide a vital piece of the puzzle of making ecosystems more water-efficient. Eastern Oregon remains a test case for how an entrenched ranching community can adapt and learn to live with wolves, one that has implications for the rest of the state.

13 UNLUCKY ANIMALS THAT ARE KILLED FOR FUN

June 23rd: Wildlife killing contests are legal throughout most of the United States, and sometimes held on public lands. In some places, state wildlife agencies even support wildlife killing contests under the guise of managing species, although this contradicts the latest science.

ADVOCATES GO AFTER RANCHER'S FOREST PERMIT AFTER WOLF'S DEATH

June 23rd, New Mexico: A Catron County man admitted to intentionally trapping mp1385 on his Gila National Forest grazing allotment and killed him in February 2015 with a shovel. Craig Thiessen, a 46-year-old rancher pleaded guilty in federal court in May 2018 to knowingly taking threatened wildlife.

GENETICS RESEARCH VERIFIES PURITY OF THE MEXICAN WOLF

June 21st: A recent study, shows no hybridization with domestic dogs within the Mexican wolf population. "This again confirms the genetic purity of the Mexican wolf," said Sarah Rinkevich, a UA alumna and endangered-species biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The study was the first to analyze the Mexican wolf utilizing genome enabling, which allows researchers to use genomic data from one species, such as domestic dogs, to study a similar species, such as Mexican wolves.

COYOTE KILLING CONTEST UNDER FIRE BY ANIMAL RIGHTS AGENCIES

June 19th, Georgia: The Coyote Challenge, sponsored by Georgia’s state Department of Natural Resources, encourages the killing of coyotes between March and August. Last year Georgia residents killed 195 coyotes. “We are beyond killing animals for prizes and fun,” said Camilla Fox, executive director of Project Coyote, “This should be part of our history books."

A PACK OF WOLVES IS ABOUT TO SAVE THIS NATIONAL PARK

June 18th, Michigan: Earlier this month, the National Park Service announced its final decision to reintroduce 20 to 30 wolves to Isle Royale, off of Lake Superior, over the next three to five years. The plan to reintroduce wolves has widespread appeal because of its potential to restore the balance between wolves, moose, and trees.

CAROLINA'S NATIVE WOLF SPECIES ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION

June 17th, North Carolina: Once abundant throughout the Low country, the red wolf, the world’s rarest wolf can now only be found in eastern North Carolina. Shortly after the population peaked at over 150 wolves in the mid-2000s, two landowners in North Carolina launched an anti-wolf campaign.

BLACK BEAR CUB MORTALLY INJURED BY ILLEGAL WOLF TRAP

June 16th, Alaska: A group of hikers found a cub severely injured near the Ready Bouillon Creek in late May after it stepped into a trap which was illegally left out on Douglas Island. The snare was left out despite the fact that wolf trapping season for the area had closed on April 30. The cub's injuries were so severe that it needed to be euthanized.

FIRST KNOWN GRAY WOLF VISITS NEVADA COUNTY

June 11th, California: A collared gray wolf has visited California, according to California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Officials believe that she is an offspring of OR-7, a wolf that is a native of Oregon but made history in December 2011 for being the first gray wolf to cross into California in decades.

COYOTE IN THE CROSSHAIRS

June 10th, Utah: A wildlife activist sheds light on these inhumane contests and reasons to shut them down.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE OK'S FINAL ISLE ROYALE WOLF PLAN

June 8th, Michigan: The National Park Service has announced that 20 to 30 wolves will be relocated to Isle Royale from the mainland over the next three to five years in an effort to preserve the dynamic of wildlife on the island.

About six to 10 wolves could be brought to the island in the first year...

GROUPS APPEAL RULING ON KILLING WOLVES

June 6th, Idaho: Idaho Wildlife Services has killed more than 100 wolves near the Idaho-Montana state line since 2011. A coalition of environmental groups has asked the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a January ruling by a federal judge in Idaho that said a small federal agency doesn't need to complete a new environmental study before killing more wolves in the state. " "Not only is killing wolves cruel, but science shows it doesn't work and has all sorts of unintended effects........"

WOLVES RETURN TO PROFANITY PEAK PACK AREA

June 4th, Washington: There now appears to be wolf pack activity in the same area where the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife killed seven members of the Profanity Peak Pack in 2016, due to complaints by ranchers.

11-YEAR-OLD RAISES $30,000 FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES WITH ARTWORK

June 3rd, South Dakota: Bria Neff, age 11, currently has a "Faces of the Endangered" Art Exhibit at the Washington Pavillion to educate people about endangered species and especially, wolves. Bria has now raised 30 thousand dollars for different organizations supporting wolves and other species.

FISH & WILDLIFE'S CREDIBILITY AT STAKE

June 3rd, Vermont: Even though a bill recently passed in Vermont banning Coyote killing contests, the bill was not supported by the governor nor the F&W commissioner appointed by the governor. Vermont Fish & Wildlife is allowing emotion (hatred towards coyotes) to dictat wildlife “management” policies. Wildlife advocates have asked Vermont Fish & Wildlife to address the deep hatred that more than a few in that state have towards coyotes

CHRIS BACHMAN: SCIENTIST SILENCED FOR TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT WOLVES

Dr. Robert Wielgus, the director of the Large Carnivore Conservation Laboratory at Washington State University, and his students’ research found that wolves and livestock can coexist. Had his peer-reviewed science been observed, unnecessary cattle deaths and slaughter of the Profanity Peak Pack could have been avoided. Instead, he was silenced.