JANUARY 2013 newsletter

conservation 路 education 路 preservation

COLORADO WOLF AND WILDLIFE CENTER JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2013

a picture is worth a 1000 words

Colorado Wolf And Wildlife Center | PO Box 713 | Divide, CO 80814 | 719.687.9742 | www. wolfeducation.org

Christmas 2012 at the Wolf Center

Colorado Wolf And Wildlife Center | PO Box 713 | Divide, CO 80814 | 719.687.9742 | www. wolfeducation.org

Christmas Breakfast with Ambassador Fable Mike proud of his fire

What an awesome Christmas and tour season. Everyone’s been enjoying the cold, snowy weather - especially the wolves.

NEW carport and shelter for outside events

Colorado Wolf And Wildlife Center | PO Box 713 | Divide, CO 80814 | 719.687.9742 | www. wolfeducation.org

In The News A Drop in the Genetic Bucket Eva Sargent, Defenders of Wildlife Southwest Program Director

Mexican gray wolves, according to science and common sense, are the most endangered wolf in the world. We should have a new count in a couple of weeks, but last year there were fewer than 60 wild Mexican wolves in the entire world. They are all offspring of the emergency captive breeding effort that saved the species from extinction – an Endangered Species Act miracle, really. But what’s happened since then, since the first captive-bred Mexican gray wolves put their paws on the wild ground in 1998, is more frustrating.

Because the entire population is derived from only seven wolves (a brush with extinction that no critters should come close to), they didn’t have a great deal of genetic diversity. That is, they didn’t have a large number of different traits carried in their genes. A high amount of genetic diversity is the engine of adaptability – it allows populations to change their biology when conditions change, and that’s key to survival. The captive population has been carefully managed to preserve genetic diversity, but this only goes so far. From the beginning, geneticists knew that in order to overcome their limited genetic heritage, the Mexican gray wolves would need to rapidly ex-

pand their numbers beyond what was possible in captivity. They needed to get out of the zoos that had taken such care to save them and really take off in the wild. By reproducing quickly in the wild, they would express every ounce of genetic diversity they had in their genes. The wolves did their part immediately – pairing up, denning up, eating elk and having puppies.

Unfortunately, humans haven’t held up their part of the deal, and the population has never expanded fast enough to preserve their genetic diversity.

Overzealous management and a lack of political will have kept the numbers low.

Now, nearly 15 years after the first wolves were released, the Mexican gray wolf is facing a genetic emergency that could keep them from ever recovering. Already, it

seems that a lack of genetic diversity is causing lower litter sizes. If the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service doesn’t act soon to release more wolves, this and other effects of a small gene pool could doom the species, no matter how hard we try in the future to recover them.

Many opportunities to improve the genetics of Mexican gray wolves have been squandered.

Instead of supporting stable, reproducing packs, wolves are captured and moved around because they get into trouble, or cross the invisible boundaries of their small recovery area in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico. Until recently, many were sent back to captivity, and some were killed, for eating livestock. These removals were indiscriminate – it didn’t matter if the suspected cattle-eater

Colorado Wolf And Wildlife Center | PO Box 713 | Divide, CO 80814 | 719.687.9742 | www. wolfeducation.org

was a mom with pups, or a genetically valuable dad. With the future of the species relying on so few individuals in the wild, we – joined by several other conservation groups – went to court over this issue, and as part of the settlement, this disastrous removal policy was ended. But its effects linger – there are still too few wolves, and too few with the best genes to keep the species on the road to recovery.

There are other pressures too; despite their protected status, illegal killing is the largest source of dead wolves. But the window is closing on fixing the genetic issue, and one solution is amazingly simple: Release more wolves from captivity, and do it now.

The last time a wolf from captivity was released was in 2008. Since then, there have been roadblocks

and reasons and excuses, but no one has demonstrated the gumption necessary to get the job done.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is responsible for recovering Mexican gray wolves, has waited with an absurd amount of patience for agreement from the states before acting, and all at the wolves’ expense. Opportunities have been lost, and they won’t be regained.

Finally, last week, they decided to release a single male wolf in hopes that he will pair with a female of the Bluestem pack, whose mate was illegally shot and killed last year.

Of course all of us who work on Mexican gray wolf recovery are grateful for this small step in the right direction, and we hope this new male gets right down to business saving the species. But much

more needs to be done, and soon, or it will be too late. The geneticists who have spent years sounding the alarm haven’t stopped. Such a plan would entail selective breeding in captivity, perhaps even using in vitro fertilization, to recreate the genetic makeup of the founding wolves. Still, one of the easiest steps this plan would include is to release more wolves into the wild.

We’ll keep you posted on our progress with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Meanwhile, stay tuned and keep your fingers crossed for an increase in the 2012 count, due in a few weeks. More wolves from the same old breeding pairs won’t solve the genetic issue, but it will improve the outlook for the most endangered wolf on the planet.

- Defenders of Wildlife Blog

Valentines Day

with the Wolves February 9th, 2013 · 5-7pm Join us on a mini tour of our resident animals and take a special tour on Chinook’s nature trail where you will hear the story of “The Lovers”.

Everyone will receive a rose to place on her site followed by a traditional wolf howl to symbolize, “Gone but not forgotten”. $25.00 per adult $12.00 kids 12 and under ··· please be here at least 30 minutes early ··· Meet Fable, our ambassador wolf RSVP REQUIRED

Colorado Wolf And Wildlife Center | PO Box 713 | Divide, CO 80814 | 719.687.9742 | www. wolfeducation.org

Standard Tours

One-hour educational tour of the sanctuary.

10 am, noon and 2 pm Tuesday-Sunday $10 per adult 路 $7 per child

Feeding Tours

Enjoy this one-hour educational tour while your guide feeds the wolves! Learn about hunting, howling and hierarchy and communicate with the pack in a group howl! $20 per adult 路 $10 per child Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday

Photo Tours

Interact with 2 of our wolves for up to 15 minutes while a CWWC photographer captures your interaction! $100 for up to 4 people 路 $50 per additional person MUST BE 18 OR OLDER

Youth FOX Photos

Your child will have their picture taken with our red fox! $75 for up to 4 children (must be 8 or older)

VIP Tours Interact with 4 of our wolves for up to 30 minutes! $150 for up to 2 people 路 $50 per additional person ADD ON a Photo Tour for an additional $50 MUST BE 18 OR OLDER

Walk on the Wild Side

What could be better than a guided nature walk in the beautiful Rocky Mountains with a wolf? $75 per person Reserve for Thursday & Sunday

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED FOR ALL TOURS AND SPECIAL EVENTS 719-687-9742

FULL MOON TOURS

Wear warm clothes and good boots. Bring a camera and flashlight. Cocoa and coffee will be provided. $25 per adult · $15 per child 8-12 · No kids under 8 MARCH 23 · 4:00pm check in 4:30pm meet and greet one of our wolves Tour starts immediately after and lasts approx 1 hour NOTE: Reservations will not be guaranteed until we reach our minimum requirement. Please call to put your name on the list!!

FUTURE FULL MOON TOURS: April 27 · May 25 · June 22 · July 20 · Aug 24 All CWWC tours have limited space and we have a no-cancellation policy from May-October Wolf Weekly Wrap-up Idaho - IDFG approves $50K for Wildlife Services – Wolf supporters voiced strong opposition in Boise to Idaho Fish and Game Commission’s plan to eliminate more wolves in order to boost elk herds for hunters. But the commission voted to approve the measure nonetheless. Wolf expert Suzanne Stone said “By the state’s own count, more than 400 wolves were killed in Idaho in 2012—more than half the 2011 year-end estimate for the total number of wolves living in the state (746).

Yet the commission still approved the transfer of $50,000 from their coyote control program to pay USDA’s Wildlife Services to kill more wolves.”

Meanwhile, the state legislature continues to entertain new bills that make it easier to kill wolves, including one that would allow dead wolves (and other animals) to be used as bait.

“It’s exploiting the wolves’ sense of family bonding… It sounds like what they’re proposing is using members of the pack to bait other family members.

[Wolves] keep very close track of each other. They worry if a member is gone,

and they would go looking for it.” –Suzanne Stone, Idaho Mountain Express Washington - Lopsided wolf meetings show difficult road for wolves in eastern Washington – The house was packed in Spokane for one of three public meetings hosted by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to learn more about the state’s wolf management efforts. Wolf advocates raised serious concerns after the entire Wedge Pack was removed in response to reported livestock losses. Wildlife managers said they will continue to explore nonlethal management options, including range riders and guard dogs, but lethal removal will remain an option. While there was much discussion about how to deal with problem wolves and the challenges facing wolf recovery, there was almost no discussion of the myriad benefits that wolves can bring to the ecosystem and the economy.

From public questions it was clear that anti-wolf rhetoric is alive and well in eastern Washington. Improving social tolerance and understanding of wolves will be critical to wolf recovery in this region.

Montana - FWP re-considers Yellowstone closures – Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has re-opened its public comment period on a proposal to close wolf hunting districts just outside Yellowstone National Park. The state still faces a legal challenge in court from anti-wolf groups who opposed the closures, though a second decision slated for Jan. 29 after the comment period closes could moot the case. The FWP Commission implemented the closures in mid-December to protect wolves that spend most of their time inside the park but occasionally wander beyond its invisible borders. Several Yellowstone wolves had been killed by hunters just outside the park.

You can submit comments to FWP supporting the closures through January 25th.

Oregon - More wolves in Oregon – 2012 turned out to be a relatively good year for wolves in Oregon. Conflicts over livestock were kept to a minimum, thanks to diligent management by the state and cooperation from several ranchers who have adopted nonlethal, preventative measures.

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED FOR ALL TOURS AND SPECIAL EVENTS 719-687-9742

In The News “This day was like many in Montana - a cold winter blue sky day.

We were walking our dog in an area where we have walked for the past 17 years. Our dog was glad to be out in this familiar setting and was out to our side about 30ft sniffing and looking for rodents, when all of a sudden she was bolting in the air frantically screeching, yelping and biting uncontrollably. We ran to help. It took a second to realize what it was, “ My god it’s two traps that were clamped down on her front leg above the paw and her back leg at her paw”. She was fiercely trying to bite them off, blood was flowing.

We were freaked, and tried to calm her.We tried to restrain her from hurting herself more. She finally went into shock and became docile. We were afraid to try and release the traps for fear of hurting her more. My friend started having severe chest pain and I had to take over restraining Solano. We both had our cell phones so we called 911, our vet, and the land owner. We then tried to pull the traps from the ground where they were staked, no luck, such a mixture of archaic tools and telephones!

Our vet arrived and the sheriff was not far behind, our vet was able to release the traps, she was taken

GOT

MEAT?

Woman Suffers Heart Attack while Rescuing her Dog from Wolf Traps North of Yellowstone to our vets office x-rayed and was found to have no broken bones, though she has several broken teeth from trying to bite off the steel traps.

My friend continued to have chest pain and later was taken by ambulance to Bozeman for an emergency angiogram.

Both were lucky, other pets or people might not be so lucky. A wild animal would definitely not be so lucky. The thought of how my dog reacted and was injured in this very short amount of time reminds us of the unthinkable process a wild animal might go through in the 24 to 48 hours before her killer arrives.

Montana regulations are very much all about the trapper and not about the public or the animals that are being trapped, a trap can be set only 150’ from a road, and the trap does not need to be marked in any way for a person to see it, in fact most of the regs are all about the hunt. This treatment of animals is not a hunt at all, it is malicious tor-

ture of our wildlife and can lead to injury of people and their pets.

I suggest that anyone thinking of joining the trapper group, please take two traps into a field stake them down and when they are nicely frozen in, walk out and place both hands into the traps so they will snap into place.

I’m sure no trapper would do this but I hope you get the point. We must stop this trapping now, please write, call your legislators.

So this is the second part to this horrific day, when solano was caught in a wolf trap and DD and myself were struggling for solano’s life as it was, a rush of adrenaline and calcium was heading for DD’s heart, what that means in the medical world is that she was having a heart attack caused by the anxiety of our dogs life being threatened in an instant. We took her to the ER in Livingston, where her enzyme levels indicated that her heart was sustaining damage. She was taken then to Bozeman by ambulance, and into the cath lab, they determined that she had a Stress Cardiomiopathy a “mild heart attack” that is solely produced in a fight of flight situation. She is going to be fine she does not have a diseased heart, her attacker were the wolf traps.”

We are in need of meat (and monetary donations!)

We can take your freezer burned or old meat. We can’t take meat that is spoiled, seasoned, or spiced or fish with bones. 719-687-9742

Colorado Wolf And Wildlife Center | PO Box 713 | Divide, CO 80814 | 719.687.9742 | www. wolfeducation.org

looking for a forever home A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself

TANGO AND CASH

Taffy and TBone

I am Tango and my little buddy is Cash. One day as I was meandering through the neighborhood, I heard the sad cries of another lonely kitten. As I looked further I found my now best friend, all alone, afraid and hungry. It seemed to me that his kitty mommy had left him all alone. This poor guy could not see well enough to find food, or even a safe place to sleep. Being the big boy that I am I took him under my wing. Together Cash and I fended for ourselves for quite some time out there in the world. I helped him find food, water, a safe place to sleep, and helped to keep him out of danger. Together we are a great team. Together is how we would like to stay. You see Cash has a congenital birth defect in his eyes. His second eyelid was fused to his eye making it very difficult for him to see. He actually had hair growing out of his eyeball! Thank goodness I found him, and thankfully some nice person found us and brought us to TCRAS, where we are being taken care of. Cash has had surgery to make his eyes all better. I have to say he still looks a little funny, and he still does not see perfectly, but he is better than before. Cash may need another surgery later in life, but the doctor said for now, his medication may just do the trick. Cash is my right hand man and I am his, we have to go home together. You will often find us cuddled up together or playing real hard together. The nice folks here at TCRAS have offered a two for one price to adopt us. I wonder who that lucky family will be!

Call TCRAS, the no-kill shelter in Divide, at 719-686-7707 for more information or checkout our website to see all the available animals! www.tcrascolorado.com

...sister and brother - pure breed Australian Cattle Dogs (Blue Heelers).

These two are very smart. They learned the dog door after seeing another dog go through it just once. Herding dogs, such as Heelers are the smartest and most trainable group of dogs. These two are very affectionate and love to be with people and sleep on the bed. They get along great with dogs and cats. They love each other and keep each other entertained.

In addition to being super smart they are outstanding athletes. If you are a hiker or backpacker there are no better dogs. They are both quite small around 30 lbs. They are gorgeous dogs with thick soft blue mural fur which they always keep super clean.

Would love to keep them together. www.slvaws.org

Vieques Humane Society - Vieques, Puerto Rico, a small island located off the mainland’s east coast, for many years offered no veterinary or animal rescue services. During the early 1980’s, a handful of concerned immigrants from the states and a few local residents took a serious interest in improving the welfare of the animals. They began by feeding the island’s multitudinous strays and soliciting the help of veterinarians from Puerto Rico to sterilize them. By 1987, the Vieques Humane Society and Animal Rescue, Inc. was officially established as a non-profit organization. Today they still offer the only veterinary services on the island and have developed strong community based programs.

See available dogs at www.viequeshumanesociety.org · CWWC will help you cover adoption fees - 719.687.9742

Colorado Wolf And Wildlife Center | PO Box 713 | Divide, CO 80814 | 719.687.9742 | www. wolfeducation.org

The World of Wolves iPad app featuring The Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center is NOW AVAILABLE on iTunes.

Also on iTunes, download the free CWWC app for your iPhone or iPad

FREE fact-filled app about wolves

working together to make a difference “We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.” ~ Immanual Kant

Natural Resources Defense Council www.nrdc.org

www.aza.org www.projectcoyote.org

become a fan of CWWC

“An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language.” ~ Martin Buber

Mexican Grey Wolves www.mexicanwolves.org

www.defendersofwildlife.org

For current wolf articles and to be a voice through knowledge

Wild Earth Guardians

www.wildearthguardians.org

To get Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center on your phone!

Scan this code

Newsletter Designed By Melissa Macis Freelance Graphic Designer smallspaceorganizer@gmail.com Information presented on this newsletter is considered public information (unless otherwise noted) and may be distributed or copied. Use of appropriate byline/photo/ image credit is requested. Some of the documents in this newsletter may contain live feed references (or pointers) to information created and maintained by other organizations. Please note that CWWC does not control and cannot guarantee the relevance, timeliness, or accuracy of these outside materials.

Colorado Wolf And Wildlife Center | PO Box 713 | Divide, CO 80814 | 719.687.9742 | www. wolfeducation.org