CWWC April 2014 newsletter

conservation · education · preservation

APRIL 2014

IS IT LOVE? Princess, our 11 year old “Lone Wolf” who hasn’t allowed another wolf to play with her in years, is completely taken by handsome Keyni.

The hope is that these two continue to have a great friendship. Not only is this great for Keyni, so he has another wolf to play with, other than Kekoa and Sakara, but it is also great for Princess to have a friend who can keep up with her!

Alex and I had so much fun on Sunday, March 9th and we are so grateful for the work you guys do and the opportunity to walk Keyni! We hope all goes well for you and the animals!

- Rachel W.

719.687.9742 PO Box 713 · Divide, CO 80814 www. wolfeducation.org

Kwahdi Says “How You Doin?”

Micah looking so handsome

This is a much-needed expose on what wolves are being subjected to in the worst of the worst wolf killing state of Idaho.

Four brave souls went undercover to shine a light on this horrific “contest”. Predator derbies go on all over the country, often including bobcats and foxes as well. When wolves were delisted, they became a target for these “killing contests”. California is considering a ban on predator derbies.

HOW TO KILL A WOLF

AN UNDERCOVER REPORT FROM THE IDAHO COYOTE AND WOLF DERBY

By Christopher Ketcham - www.vice.com The best way to fatally wound a wolf without killing it instantly is to shoot it in the gut, preferably with armorpiercing ammunition. Unlike soft lead-tipped bullets, which mushroom inside the body cavity and kill quickly, heavy-jacketed AP ammo pierces the target and blows out the other side.

This has two advantages: The first is that, especially with a gut shot, the animal will suffer. It will bleed out slowly, run a mile or so in terrified panic, and collapse. Then it will die.

The second advantage is that, if you’re hunting illegally (out of season, at night with a spotlight, or on land where you shouldn’t), there is little forensic evidence for game wardens to gather.

No bullet will be found in the cadaver.

Most importantly, the animal will have traveled some distance from where it was shot, so that tracing the site of the shooting is almost impossible.

I gleaned these helpful tips from a nice old man at a saloon in Salmon, Idaho, which last December was the site of the first annual Coyote and Wolf Derby. I had come to this rural

town—population 3,000—to enter as a contestant in the derby. Over the course of two days in late December, several hundred hunters would compete to kill as many wolves and coyotes as possible. There were two $1,000 prizes to be had, one for the most coyotes slain and the other for the largest single wolf carcass. Children were encouraged to enter, with special awards for youths aged 10–11 and 12–14 listed on the promotional flyer. The derby’s organizer, a nonprofit sporting group called Idaho for Wildlife, advertised that the event was to be historic: the first wolf-killing contest held in the US since 1974.

Hunting for food is one thing, and in some cases hunting helps to keep overabundant species like deer in ecological check. But the reason we have too many deer in the US in the first place is simple: the steady decline of big predators like the mountain lion and—you guessed it—the wolf.

The fact is that we need wolves in ecosystems. So why a killing contest to rid the land of them?

After digging into the wolf-hate literature featured on Idaho for Wildlife’s website, I wondered whether the residents of Salmon were looking to kill wolves out of spite. They hated these creatures, and I wanted to understand why.

Besides killing wolves, one of the group’s core missions, according to its website, is to “fight against all legal and legislative attempts by the animal rights and anti-gun organizations who are attempting to take away our rights and freedoms under the Constitution of the United States of America.” The website also suggested that media coverage of the event was not welcome. The only way I’d be able to properly report on the derby, I figured, was to go undercover as a competing hunter. So I showed up in Salmon a few days before the event, paid the $20 sign-up fee, and officially became part of the slaughter.

The derby called for hunters to work in two-person teams. In the weeks leading up to the competition I recruited prowolf activists Brian Ertz and his sister Natalie Ertz, native Idahoans who have worked for local conservation groups.

Rounding out our teams was Brian’s friend Bryan Walker, a gnarled former Marine and an Idaho lawyer who has studied shamanism and claims to have an ability to speak with animals.

The nice old man in the bar, whose name was Cal Black, bought the four of us a round of drinks when we told him we were in town for the derby. Cal had grown up on a ranch near town, and his thoughts on wolves reflected those

of most other locals we met. Salmon is livestock country—the landscape is riddled with cows and sheep— and ranchers blame wolves for huge numbers of livestock deaths. Therefore wolves needed to be dispatched with extreme prejudice. The derby was a natural extension of this sentiment.

“Gut-shoot every goddamn last one of them wolves,” Cal told us. He wished a similar fate on “tree huggers,” who, in Cal’s view, mostly live in New York City.

“You know what I’d like to see? Take the wolves and plant ’em in Central Park, ’cause they impose it on us to have these goddamn wolves! Bullshit! It’s said a wolf won’t attack you. Well, goddamn, these tree huggers don’t know what.

I want wolves to eat them goddamn tree huggers. Maybe they’ll learn something!”

We all raised a glass to the tree huggers’ getting their due. I fought the urge to tell Cal that I live in New York part-time, and that in college Natalie trained as an arborist and had actually hugged trees for a living. Her brother, who is 31 and studying to be a lawyer in Boise, Idaho, had warned me about the risks of going undercover when I broached the idea over the phone. As a representative for the nonprofit Western Watersheds Project, which has lobbied for wolf protections, he’d attended numerous public meetings about “wolf management” in communities like Salmon. ... more at vice.com and search ‘how to kill a wolf ’

Read the rest at www.vice.com/read/how-to-kill-a-wolf-0000259-v21n3

CONSERVATIONCORNER

PALM

OIL worldwildlife.org

Of approximately 11 million hectares of oil palm plantations globally, about 6 million hectares are found in Indonesia (in 2006) and counting. But in many places, these plantations are taking over rainforests, the natural habitat of endangered species such as orangutans.

Habitat conversion from natural forests to oil palm plantations has been shown to have a devastating impact on tropical forests, along with plants and animals that depend on them.

For example, there are nearly 80 mammal species in Malaysia’s primary forests, just over 30 in disturbed forests, and only 11 or 12 in oil palm plantations. A similar loss in diversity occurs for insects, birds, reptiles, and most important of all, for soil microorganisms.

Scientists estimate that fewer than 60,000 orangutans remain in the wild on Borneo and Sumatra.

The palm oil industry, which is causing clear-cutting of forests, forest fires, and also facilitates greater access for hunters and traders, is one of the most important factors for the dramatic reduction of orangutan populations.

What is the connection between orangutans and oil palm?

Orangutans live in areas that are favoured for establishing oil palm plantations: fertile lowland soils close to rivers.

The orangutans’ forest home is being converted into oil palm plantations at a massive scale.

This conversion is being driven by growing global demand for palm oil, which is pushing up prices and hence encouraging the development of more plantations.

The development of oil palm plantations causes the fragmentation of forests, which

reduces the natural habitat of orangutans. There are about 25,000 km of oil palm plantations in Borneo, and the area is ever increasing.

Where forests are being converted for oil palm plantations, poaching of orangutans for the illegal pet trade is more prevalent.

This corresponds with reports from WWF and TRAFFIC that show an increase in the trade in baby orangutans over the past decade.

Forest fires are set deliberately to clear land for plantations. Not only do fires destroy vast areas of orangutan habitat, but thousands of these slow-moving apes are thought to have burned to death, unable to escape the flames.

In some areas of Borneo and Sumatra, orangutans are shot as pests by plantation owners or farmers.

Read more at worldwildlife.org

Manufacturers Committed to Sustainable Palm Oil * This list is not inclusive

For more companies visit www.rspo.org • Archer Daniels Midland Company • Avon Products, Inc. • Colgate-Palmolive Co. • ConAgra Foods • H.J. Heinz Company • Henkel • Interbake Foods • Johnson & Johnson • Justin’s Nut Butter • Kellogg Co. • Kraft Foods Inc. • Lindt & Sprüngli • L’OCCITANE • L’Oréal • Mars • McDonald’s • Nestlé • P&G (Procter & Gamble) • PepsiCo Inc. • S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.

• Seventh Generation • Stratas Foods • The Body Shop • The Hershey Company • The Sun Products Corporation • Twincraft Soap • Unilever • United Biscuits • US Food Group (wholesale) • Ventura Foods, LLC (wholesale) • Walmart (private label products) • WhiteWave Foods Company Courtesy Philadelphia Zoo

The start of our new deluxe guest restrooms

Packed and Ready to Go! Dr. Kristin & Darlene are on the way to Costa Rica to spay and neuter 100 dogs & cats for FREE to help with the pet population problem. They are also going to be giving away food & medications to needy villages for animal care.

On April 25 and 26, Darlene will be hosting a spay and neuter clinic in a small village in Costa Rica along with 2 veterinarians. The surgeries will be performed by Dr. Cordoba from Quepos, Costa Rica and Dr. Kristin Doust from Colorado. The procedures will be helpful for the health of pets and to control overpopulation. With every spay and castration, the dog or cat will receive a vaccination for common disease and rabies with Dr. Kristin along with medicine for parasites.

Donations are being collected to help with to cost involved in the surgeries and medications.

As always, your generosity is greatly appreciated.

I may not have won Mayor, but I’m still better looking than the guy who did!

Kenya walked over the rainbow bridge after 21 wonderful years top left: March 12th 路 Keyni spending his first birthday on a walk with Daryl, Taylor & Kyle.

ABOVE: Keyni celebrated his first birthday with a yummy cupcake made just for him!

Just like any kid, all he wanted was to lick the frosting.

LEFT: March Madness with Michelle and Keyni

NEW BOARD MEMBERS

719.687.9742 PO Box 713 路 Divide, CO 80814 www. wolfeducation.org

CWWC would like to proudly announce Dianne Vanderpool as our new Treasurer and Ruby Ridpath as our Secretary to the board.

Both women have been involved with CWWC for several years and it is with great pleasure to have them as a key part of the behind the scenes figureheads.

I remember getting him as a little barn kitty, raising him and then teaching him how to live with wolves. I would put him next to the wolf enclosure where the wolves were snapping at the fence wanting to kill him. He was terrified and that is what I wanted. I did that for 1 week in front of every enclosure so he would know that wolf enclosures were a bad thing for a cat. He out lived many wolves, dogs and relatives. He caught more than his share of mice and left their heads under my pillow. He was the perfect Halloween cat and he loved people and probably was petted as the visitor center a few million times.

We will all miss him, however if you are an animal person and especially when you raise one from a baby, that image will always be in your heart and you will never forget the memories of that special life.

Have fun in your new journey my baby cat.

Mama loves you.

Your Cause is Lost Without Population Control

Something is Rotten in Denmark Humane Society of the United States

Despite how keenly aware Homo sapiens are of the potential overpopulation of other species, they don’t seem to think the same laws of nature apply to them. If any other large mammal added a staggering 200,000 to their population each day, humans would be in a panic to control their numbers—by any means possible.

But while humans are surging well past 7 billion, they act like the laws of carrying capacity and finite resources don’t apply to them. I wouldn’t want to be around when nature brings the hammer down and finds humans in contempt. It ain’t gonna be pretty…

By sheer coincidence, I just read the following passage from Rudyard Kipling’s 1893 classic, The Jungle Book. Clearly the monkeys (the Bandar-log) represent humans in Kipling’s story as they “danced about and sang their foolish songs,” ignorant of the consequences of their actions and describing themselves thusly, “We are great. We are free. We are wonderful. We are the most wonderful people in all the jungle! We all say so, and so it must be true.”

Sound familiar, humans?

As Paul Ehrlich, author of The Population Bomb, pointed out, “Whatever your cause, it will be a lost cause without population control.”

That sentiment was echoed by an outspoken Facebook friend, Stephanie Theisen, “EVERYTHING that is wrong today stems from human OVERPOPULATION. This is a subject that MUST be faced. Immediate child bearing restrictions have to be implemented, like decades ago. The Earth is full of destructive, greedy, narcissistic humans, we are not miracles, we are a virulent cancer.”

Take a look at two contrasting institutional responses to challenging circumstances with animals, which together give a clear measure of diametrically opposed value systems – one merciful, and the other ruthless.

HSUS staff greeted at our headquarters outside of Washington more than 55 dogs and an assortment of other creatures that our Animal Rescue Team rescued a month ago from a Jefferson County, Arkansas puppy mill. The dogs were living in filth and squalor, and they had a wide range of problems, including one dog who had lost the use of his lower jaw. We’ve been working hard over the last month to improve the health of these dogs, and yesterday, we handed them over to several of our Emergency Placement Partners after a 700mile journey in one of our big rigs, for more tender care and then adoption in the weeks ahead.

Then take a look at Act II at the notorious Copenhagen Denmark Zoo. Act I, involving the killing of a perfectly healthy 18-month giraffe named Marius, provoked widespread global outrage and condemnation not too long ago. The zoo said that it already had sufficient genetic diversity given the captive population of giraffes within European zoos and so officials there decided Marius was expendable - and should be killed. They did kill him and fed him to the lions.

It was not as if they loved the lions so much that they had to feed the big cats fresh meat. Two days ago, this same zoo announced it had killed four lions, including two cubs. Again, officials said they already had enough genetic diversity among captive lions, so these lions were expendable, too. What’s more, they were bringing in a new male lion and worried he’d kill the cubs.

“If the Zoo had not made the change in the pride now then we would have risked that the old male would mate with these two females - his own offspring - and thereby give rise to inbreeding,” said a statement from Copenhagen Zoo officials.

Apparently, the memos on the option of sterilizing the big cat, or the other cats in the pride, never made it to them.

When you think of animals as individual beings, with their own lives, you rescue them from crisis and then find a way to give them a good quality of life, as we did with the Arkansas animals. If you treat animals like a bunch of ambulatory exhibits or repositories of DNA, then you have the outcome that played out in Denmark. Sadly this outcome is all too routine in many of the zoos of Europe.

The World Associations of Zoos and Aquariums and other professionals in this field must condemn these unacceptable actions in the zoo community and remind officials like those at the Copenhagen Zoo that individual animals matter.

from exposing the big game website

Ireland Teens Develop Sheep Collar Monitor to Combat Attacks A sheep collar with a built-in pulse monitor that sends a very high frequency (VHF) signal to a global system for mobile communications (GSM) receiver that than sends a text to a farmer when his or her sheep are under attack is under development by three Meath-based teenagers. Edel Campbell, Zoe Maguire and Ricardas Cepanauskas, all 13 years of age, won this year’s Meath County (Ireland) Enterprise Board Competition with this business idea and now the teenagers are running a FundIt campaign to develop a prototype of the innovation.

“When sheep are under attack, the pulse rate of the sheep elevates above the normal 60-90 beats per minute for a sustained period. This triggers a VHF signal to be emitted from the collar and picked up by a receiver located in a secure area of the field. This receiver will also have a GSM, which will text the farmer informing him that his sheep are under attack,” the teen business leaders outlined. “The pulse sensor will record the pulse every 15 seconds, so when the sheep are in danger the farmer will get a text on his phone. If the farmer doesn’t respond with a blank text within two minutes, the message will be sent again.” According to the teenagers, the advantages of this invention are that it saves the lives of sheep and also dogs as they would have to be put down by the farmer if it attacked sheep. The collars also save the farmers from expensive veterinarian bills for treating injured sheep, they said. “It will also protect the farmers. It will give him or her peace of mind and it will also send him or her a message when sheep are lambing allowing the farmer to get a better night’s sleep.”

The businesswomen hope to have the product on shelves by the end of 2014. Their FundIt campaign is available here http://fundit.ie/project/sheep-watch.

h

AY

t 18

MAY 9 · 10 · 11 Full Moon Tour

M

Meet and greet Keyni - our ambassador wolf before the tour. Tour starts immediately after and lasts approximately 1 hour.

One Saturday night a month!

Full Moon Feeding TouR

This tour combines our FEEDING TOUR with our FULL MOON TOUR. The Friday before and Sunday after our Full Moon Tours.

MAY 18TH · 10AM TO 5PM

MayFire 18th · 10am to 5pm Prevention Fund Raiser for• Colorado and Wildlife Center • Live Music artist Wolf booths • Beer/WINE Garden BIRDS OF PREY • door And more!

••Live Music • Artist Booths prizes• •Wolfpack Howls

• Door Prizes

• Beer/Wine Garden

• Birds of Prey

Artist Booths Available: $50

Tickets:For http://wolfstock2014.bpt.me · $30 · $15 KIDS (12 & under) details contact: ColoradoWolfLover@gmail.com www.wolfeducation.org · 719.687.9742 Tickets: http://wolfstock2014.bpt.me · $30 · $15 KIDS (12 & under) www.wolfeducation.org · 719.687.9742

ADULTS: $25 (13 years+) CHILDREN: $15 (8-12 years) No kids under 8 Wear warm clothes and good boots

Bring a camera and a flashlight

Check wolfeducation.org for dates and check-in times

NEW ALPHA PHOTO SESSION $150 for the first two guests, $50 for each additional guest, up to four people. (must be 18 or older)

Get up close and personal with our wolves or foxes. Not only will you be able to interact with our wolves, but a staff photographer will also capture this ‘once in a lifetime’ experience. Each group will receive up to 15 photos on a CD to take home.*

Standard Tour

*We do our very best to capture the perfect photos with our animals, however, some days may be better than others, as each animal has an individual personality.

You will receive up to 15 photos. Some will be natural and it’s possible to get a posed shot, but there are no guarantees. Your time in with the animals can vary, depending on how cooperative they are.

ADULTS $15 · CHILDREN $8

10 am, noon and 2 pm Tuesday-Sunday

One-hour educational tour of the sanctuary.

All tours have limited space and have our no-cancellation policy.

Reschedules are allowed May-October only!

FEEDING Tour

YOUTH FOX PHOTOS

WALK ON THE WILD SIDE

ADULTS $20 · CHILDREN $10

$100 for up to 4 children

$75 PER PERSON

(must be 8 or older)

Reservations for Thursdays or Sundays

Your child will have their picture taken with our red fox!

What could be better than a guided nature walk in the beautiful Rocky Mountains with a wolf?

Every day except Thursday (and Monday) One-hour educational tour while your guide feeds the wolves! Learn about hunting, howling & hierarchy.

Communicate with the pack in a group howl!

Dealing with

Pulling Problems

Back when I taught puppy classes, the obedience club had a protocol for training dogs to heel alongside their owners. The club’s ultimate goal was to eventually train dogs for competition. I agreed with my employers that having a dog walk along side you on a loose leash is delightful, even if not for competition. Unfortunately, many of my puppy owners found their higher energy dogs got distracted outside of the classroom and would pull on the leash.

I’m still in favor of teaching dogs to heel the way we did in the puppy class. To achieve that, you’d say “heel’ then hold a dog biscuit in front of the dog to keep the dog in the right place while you walked, which is beside you, not in front or behind. Every so often the treat was awarded and eventually you’d wean the dog off of the treat. Although you can teach the dog to heel in a highly distracted area using a similar technique, coupled with stopping if the dog pulls, it takes persistence. Most of my students found it too frustrating, challenging and time consuming.

719.687.9742 PO Box 713 · Divide, CO 80814 www. wolfeducation.org

To help those students with their pulling issues, I had them employ a device to curb pulling. Although the old remedy was to grab a choke collar, that is the worst choice. Most dogs will still pull while gasping for breath, ignoring that choking feeling. What’s worst is a choke collar can do irreparable damage to a dog’s throat.

A couple of devices that most people find successful

with are the head halters and chest harnesses. The two most popular head halters are the Halti and the Gentle Leader. There is a subtle difference in how they work and I’ve used both successfully. The drawback is that dogs may fight the device at first, but if you keep walking and encouraging the dog forward, the dog will get over his resistance.

Harness come in many varieties including attach at top, tighten if the dog pulls, and attach at the chest. Dogs don’t fight harnesses. I find the most success with the harness that attach at the chest. One of the first of these style harnesses was the Gentle Walker. More and more brands are coming out with a similar design, and with a search on the internet you can find many options.

There are other devices which help dogs who pull, but the above ones are ones I know to be humane and to work well. So if you are tired of sore muscles, have too much tread missing from your shoes from bracing to slow your dog, don’t stop walking the dog. Instead, try a device. Be sure to have the device fitted correctly. Most knowable pet suppliers will know how to fit your dog.

Peggy Swager is a behaviorist and dog trainer. Her video “Separation Anxiety a Weekend Technique,” received a DWAA award nomination, and her book “How to Start a Homebased Dog Training Business” received an award.

More training information is available at her website www.peggyswager.com.

ADOPT SLV Animal Welfare Society 719.587.woof (9663) www.slvaws.org Private Shelter Monetary Donations Needed

TCRAS the no-kill shelter in Divide, CO 719.686.7707 tcrascolorado.com

working together to find loving forever homes

Hi there. My name is Connor and I am a very special guy! You could call me a “perpetual puppy” as I have a disorder called Cerebellar hypoplasia (non-human); I was born without my cerebellum being mature. I am quite endearing, you will fall in love if you just sit and watch me for a little bit. This disorder does not affect my lifespan, just my maturity level. I need a home that is filled with patience, structure and a good routine for me to follow and I will thrive. I will do very well in a home with another dog to help me along my way and to show me the ropes! My favorite time of day is when I get to play with my friend Max, we have a great time!

Come visit me, even if to just get to know me and my sweetness just a little bit better. - TCRAS Hi there- I am looking for a new person to share my purrs with. I am outgoing and very cuddly. I have velvety soft hair and love to be pet! I get along well with other cats and my best friend was a dog! I love to play and entertain, so I am hoping my special someone will find me soon! I do have some special needs so give the office gals a call or swing by and they will fill you in. XOXO Peapod. - TCRAS

LOVELY FEMALE NEEDS HOME!!

LOCATION: SOUTH DAKOTA Five year old Nakitta is desperate for a new home! Her owner has become unable to keep her and wants a better life for this girl. She is spayed and up to date on all shots. Nakitta has been living with a small dog and cats and loves children.

She is shy but curious on meeting new people and a little headstrong. She would do best with a knowledgeable owner and perhaps another canine companion. She has been an inside/outside dog and does like to dig. This pretty girl wants lots of love and activity!

For more information contact Adrienne at: adriennebolt@aol.com

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. www.viequeshumanesociety.org

CWWC will pay you $200 towards the shipping to a qualified home from the Vieques Humane Society

Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center

TO: _______________________________________________________________________________ FROM: ____________________________________________________________________________ FOR THE AMOUNT OF: _________________________________________________________________ AUTHORIZED BY: ______________________ EXPIRES: _____________________________________ Excludes holidays and special events · Please mention you have a gift certificate when making reservations Year round tours by reservation only: Tues - Sun 10am · 12pm · 2pm + 4pm in the Spring and Summer

GIFT CERTIFICATE

Dedicated to educating the public about wolves, wolf dogs, foxes, and coyotes. Although these elusive animals are not often seen in the wild, through our guided tours you will have the opportunity to view them in the most natural setting possible. You will have the chance to view some of some of the endangered species that live at the Center.

719.687.9742 · www.wolfeducation.org P.O. Box 713 · Divide, CO 80814

Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center Gift Certificates Make the Perfect Gift for Every Animal Lover...

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.

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

“An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language.” www.bornfreeusa.org

~ 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

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.

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