Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center 03/2016 newsletter

· MARCH 2 01 6 ·

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Why wolves and hyenas are hunting together in the Middle East Striped Hyena. Image via Department of Wildlife Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, India, Dr. Shamshad Alam

tracks. Initially, they thought the hyena came after the wolves (or the other way around), but this was shown not to be the case. In some places, the prints of one of the three wolves was on top of the prints of the hyena. In other places, the hyena print was on top of a wolf print.

Finally, after four years, they managed to spot the wolves with the hyena.

Beniamin Eligulashvili, “Animal behavior is often more flexible than described in textbooks,” a zoologist in Israel, said Vladimir Dinets, an associate professor of psychology at the witnessed the pack, University of Tennessee in Knoxville. “When necessary, animals can recalling that the hyena abandon their usual strategies and learn something completely new traveled with the wolves, and unexpected. It’s a very useful skill for people, too.” as a member of the pack.

By Mihai Andrei · zmescience.com An extremely unusual behavior has been reported by Indian researchers in the middle east: a pack of wolves has been spotted hunting with a hyena, something that has never been reported before.

Different species of predators don’t really get along.

Most of the time, they compete for prey. Sometimes, they fight for it, and other times they even kill each other. Wolves are social creatures, but they almost never accept outside species in their pack – even dogs, they chase away or hunt more often than they accept.

While spotted hyenas are also social creatures, striped hyenas are often solitary. So when researchers found hyena tracks mixed with gray wolf tracks, they knew something strange was up.

They followed the tracks several times, including a clear layer of moist sand imprinted with hyena and wolf

This likely benefits both sizes. The Negev Desert is one of the harshest environments in the range of either of these animals, and both species need all the help they can get. Wolves are better hunters (especially in a pack) than the hyenas. They’re also faster and more agile. However, the hyena has a finer sense of smell and can break larger bones, excavating garbage and ripping open tin cans. In the desert, food is very, very scarce and they need each other to survive.

Interspecies cooperative hunting is rare, but perhaps not as rare as we thought, Dinets argues.

OVERHARVESTING THE BIO-ACTIVE PLANT: Osha Ligusticum porteri (Apiaceae) The relationships between plants and animals are a complex system of interactions and give-and-take.

The balance of either species can perpetually affect the functioning of ecosystems. If an organism is removed, the system will no longer thrive. A particular example is the plant Ligusticum porteri (Apiaceae) in the celery and carrot family. It is also known as Osha, Porter’s Lovage, Bear root, and Chuchupate.

Brittany Smith, Winter Intern Native to Colorado and New Mexico, L. porteri Coulter & Rose has been used traditionally by Native Americans such as the Apache, Hispanic cultures, as well as in Mexico for healing and spiritual properties.

It is used as an analgesic or pain-killer for sore throats, stomach aches, influenza, vasodilation, bronchial aids, and topical treatment for wounds. Osha seems to be a popular for its medicinal qualities. It is routinely cultivated or harvested for its bioactive, anti-bacterial components found typically in its root. Identified by its spray of white or purple flowers in a large umbel or flower head, its parsley-celery scent, and large rhizome (root) has unfortunately led it to be misidentified for Cow’s Parsnip or even Poison Hemlock of the same family: Apiaceae. Considered to be a species at risk by the Organization United Plant Savers (http://www.

wnmu.edu

unitedplantsavers.org/species-at-risk) Osha is currently facing overharvesting in montane and sub-montane woodlands in its habitat range of 9,500 to 11,500 feet in elevation (Timmermann and Kindscher) typically in the Rocky Mountains.

Unfortunately, the cultivation time needed to successfully grow the rhizome to adequate size for harvesting is between 5-10 years (Turi, 2014) making the Osha at risk for reduced population habitat as the removal of the plant by its roots removes its ability to grow in the next season. So here is the issue, yes Ligusticum consisting of approximately 60 species has bioactive components that are used as medicines.

These compounds make it desirable via harvesting for about $36 to $190.50 per pound of dried root depending on company and age of root harvested (Wilderness

bearmedicineherbals.com

Family Naturals and Starwest Botanicals).

The relationship with Ligusticum and human medicinal use has been impacting the populations in the wild and its relationships with other dependent species. Such as Osha’s association with Arbuscular mycorrhizae fungi within its roots, that correlates to resource allocation and potential cultivation success depending on the environmental conditions it is grown in (Kindscher, et al. 2013 and Mooney, et al. 2015).

Thus the ability to manipulate both its medicinal use and its ecological role has been in the crosshairs of research to dictate this “simple” plant as a foundation for utility and vanity. Either way it is necessary to protect Ligusticum and other medicinal plants from overharvesting. Such that there is more of an opportunity to conduct research to specify future discoveries that may help answer some of the questions we did not yet know existed.

Work Cited Collins, Guy, Gagnon, Hélène, St-Gelais, Alexis, and Maxim Turcotte. 2014. “Composition of the essential oil and hydrosol of the roots of Ligusticum porteri.”

American Journal of Essential Oils and Natural Products 1(3):4-10.

Kindscher, K, J. Yang, Q. Long, R. Craft, and H. Loring. 2013. Harvest Sustainability Study of Wild Populations of Osha, Ligusticum porteri. Open-File Report No. 176. Kansas Biological Survey. Lawrence, KS., 20 pp.

Mooney, Emily, Martin, Andrew, and Robert P. Blessin. 2015. “Effects of Light Environment on Recovery from Harvest and Antibacterial Properties of Oshá Ligusticum porteri (Apiaceae).” Economic Botany 69(1):72-82.

Timmermann, Barbara, Kindscher, Kelly. “Ligusticum porteri (Osha).” Native Medicinal Plant Research Program. University of Kansas. http://nativeplants. ku.edu/research/ligusticum-osha Turi, Christina. 2014. “The novel use of metabolomics as a hypothesis generating technique for analysis of medicinal plants” Ligusticum canybi Coult. & Rose and Artemisia tridentata Nutt.” Thesis. University of British Columbia.

Weiser-Alexander, Kathy. “Herbs and Healing Properties: Osha.” Legends of America. 2003. <http://www.legendsofamerica.com/na-herbs7.html>

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Non-Profit NO-KILL Shelter Monetary Donations Always Needed

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I am a compassionate and dedicated practitioner with 16 years of experience providing holistic care for all of the animals in your life in the comfort of their own home. Through the use of gentle and safe holistic therapies, your animals are more relaxed and better able to navigate through life’s challenges.

Some of the ways your animals may benefit include: • Disease prevention and wellness • Improved healing from illness, injury, and surgery • Recovery from physical and emotional trauma • Smoother transition into a new home environment • Relief of stress from separation anxiety and fears • Improved confidence and focus for training or competitions • End-of-life nurturing and support BETH SHEMO – HTAP, RMP 719.650.5071 · spiritwolfenergetics@gmail.com

Sakara giving Katie kisses

San Luis Valley Animal Welfare Society slvaws.org · 719.587.woof (9663)

Feel free to call or email if you have questions about how your animals’ particular needs can be addressed. I look forward to helping your animals live a more balanced and healthy life!

LUCY 7 y 1 m 16 d Female/Spayed Chocolate/White Pointer, German Shorthaired NEWS FLASH - Did you guys see that one of my relatives won Best In Show at Westminster Dog Show. Hi. My name is Lucy. I was relinquished to TCRAS because my people were moving to another country and couldn’t take me with them. I am a petite girl. I get along with other dogs, but not sure about cats. Stop by and meet me...

TCRAS Shi · AGE: 8 y 4 m 15 d · Female · Black/Tan Domestic Shorthair/Mix Hi. My name is Shi. I am looking for a quiet home where I can be your companion.

I may take a little time to adjust, but I am a good girl. If you are looking for a quiet girl, please come and meet me. TCRAS

DON’T FORGET TO GO TO TCRASCOLORADO.COM to vote for Shunka for Mayor!

Teller County Regional Animal Shelter tcrascolorado.com · 719.686.7707 TCRAS · The no-kill shelter in Divide, Colorado

Gardening Tips

BY KATIE GEIST

Spring is the time of reawakening in the garden Winter’s grip doesn’t completely let go in Colorado’s high country until late May, early June.

So this reawakening happens slowly. There are signs of life in the gardens at the Wolf Center.

Some hardy perennials and wild flowers are sprouting green leaves. The biggest joy was seeing purple violas blooming in front of Zaltana and Kwahadi’s enclosure. This made me want to howl with pleasure, something maybe only gardeners would understand.