Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center July 2014 newsletter

conservation 路 education 路 preservation

Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center JULY 2014

Glen and Mollie with Nevada

Our new, beautiful, functional, convenient, water saving, best looking porta jon in Colorado or maybe the world!

New bathroom in progress Casey adding pretty touches Steps leading into the bathroom Darlene working hard as usual Looking good!

Stop the Wildlife Executions Executive Director Center for Biological Diversity www.biologicaldiversity.org

The “Wildlife Services” -- a rogue arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture -- killed 2 million native animals last year. That’s 5,500 deaths a day, 228 an hour, or four every minute. The animal death toll increased 30 percent in 2013.

This out-of-control program needs a massive overhaul, and we’re taking it on. The Center for Biological Diversity has launched bold legal action to stop this brutal and secretive taxpayer-funded slaughter, but it will be a long, drawn-out fight. Please help us by giving to our Predator Defense Fund today.

Digging deeper, the news gets worse. Though it reported killing 2 million animals -- including wolves, river otters, foxes and bears -- it’s not reporting the numbers that were maimed and injured by its gruesome neck snares, steel-jawed traps and poisoned bait. So the wildlife casualties are even more staggering than the official reports.

On its website, Wildlife Services admits to killing protected animals -- grizzly bears, bald eagles, golden eagles, swift foxes, wolverines and Mexican wolves, to name but a few.

How many more of these were never reported?

Despite the staggering kill list, Center attorney Amy Atwood told the Houston Chronicle, “it’s really impossible to know what exactly they did, why, where... All we have are these

lump sum figures.”

This invisible, unaccountable killing regime has operated for more than a century. Glimpses of Wildlife Services’ darkest side come from anonymous whistleblowers who’ve told reporters that agents bury and hide evidence, especially when they accidentally slaughter endangered species or pets.

Even more disturbing is Wildlife Services’ arsenal of one-time banned poisons like sodium cyanide and Compound 1080. Victims of these horrific chemicals can’t be counted: almost 90 percent of poisoned wildlife are never found. But their tainted bodies become food for condors, badgers and bobcats -- so there are countless secondary deaths, not to mention the tainting of our food and water supply.

Our attorneys, scientists and organizers are working every legal angle to make sure this killing arm of the USDA is forced to become more accountable, more transparent, compliant with environmental laws and science-based. And it must do more to minimize the deaths of nontarget animals.

Please join our fight to stop this tragic waste of life. Your gift to our Predator Defense Fund will save endangered species, native wildlife and even pets from mass, indiscriminate killing. Help us bring this barbaric agency into the 21st century.

Humans and Wolves:

Co-existence for healthier ecosystems

By Corinne Santoro

Ever since I started volunteering at the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center in Divide, Colorado, I have been passionate about wolves. They are beautiful and intelligent creatures, each with a unique personality. In my time at the Center, I came to form special relationships with a few of them and also learned a lot about the status of wolves in America.

With some wolf sub-species still near extinction it is important for us as people to learn how our actions impact their survival.

National Geographic journalist Douglas Chadwick describes the situation of wolves in America in his article, Wolf Wars. A number of expected natural factors, including disease and natural carrying capacity, impact the wolf population. However, human actions have the biggest impact on the wolf population in the United States. Wolves are hunted for sport, to artificially inflate big game population, and to protect livestock.

In addition, wolves’ natural habitats are decreasing as well. Wolves need a lot of land; the territory of a wolf pack can range in size from about 100 square miles in the lower 48 states to over 1,000 square miles in Alaska. With increasing human land development, the natural habitat of wolves, which used to cover most of the United States, is shrinking. It was human involvement that caused wolves in America to nearly go extinct in the

1970s. Fortunately, wolves have had an incredible rebound in the last two decades and were taken off the endangered species list in 2011. But without the protections that come with being on the endangered species list, the population of wolves in America is again being threatened.

The benefits of a healthy wolf population reach beyond the species alone. In the video, “How Wolves Change Rivers,” we can see how the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone led to a healthier ecosystem: stronger elk herds did not overgraze, leading to an increase in younger trees and then eventually, healthier rivers. As Chadwick puts it, “the question is no longer how to get rid of wolves but how to coexist with them.”

Big predators such as wolves are necessary for a healthy environment, and with a growing US human population, co-existence is becoming even more important. Increasing education on human impact on the environment, and thus wildlife habitat, at a young age and dispelling negative stereotypes of animals like the “big bad” wolf are steps we can take to help end the human “wolf wars.” The sooner we make the connection between the human population and the population of our wildlife and health of our ecosystems, the better. www.populationeducation.org

Terri, Charlie and Dr. Volz from the Animal Clinic of Woodland Park removed Sakara’s upper canine.

Picture on right is of the tooth that he removed.

What happens when Kekoa gets a hold of a guest’s shoe

Vet classes with Dr. Kristin Doust and CWWC interns.

The class was about animal CPR, mathematical conversions, and checked out a cyst on a real wolf. The next class will be constructed around different drugs, medical records, and acupuncture.

Samantha and Na’vi

Howling for Wolves and Voting Rights in Michigan Wayne Pacelle: A Humane Nation

Almost three decades ago, I spent a summer as a Student Conservation Association ranger at Isle Royale National Park, in the farthest reaches of northern Michigan. I hiked through the beautiful boreal forests of this World Heritage site, drawn there because of the stories I’d read as a child about the relationship between the wolves and the moose on the island. Not for a moment did I ever worry about a wolf attack – in fact, I yearned for a glimpse of these elusive creatures.

I’m back today in the lower peninsula, enjoying the Michigan summer and speaking up for wolves as the human population of 10 million grapples with the question of how it handles the 650 or so wolves who’ve reclaimed a small portion of their range, in the state’s Upper Peninsula.

Immediately after the federal government removed wolves from the list of endangered species, a majority of state lawmakers voted to open up a trophy-hunting season for wolves. The HSUS joined a larger coalition, called Keep Michigan Wolves Protected, and conducted a referendum to give voters the opportunity to nullify the legislature’s precipitous and controversial action.

We’re pleased to stand with the Detroit Zoo, Michigan’s native American tribes, Audubon chapters, the Michigan Sierra Club, hundreds of other groups, businesses, veterinarians, wolf scientists, and thousands of volunteers working on the ground who favor the restoration of basic protections for the state’s small population of wolves.

Before the public could even vote on the issue, lawmakers found a different means of allowing trophy hunting – by ceding authority to the seven-member Natural Resources Commission to establish hunting seasons for almost any species.

They clearly feared that the voters would side with us, and tried to derail our referendum.

We responded with a second referendum, to give voters the chance to nullify the second

legislative maneuver against wolves. We met their attempt to suppress voting rights with more citizen democratic action and a new opportunity to vote.

This time, the trophy-hunting lobby gathered signatures for its own wolf-hunting measure, ironically and counterintuitively as a third attempt to thwart a vote of the people. Their measure is called the “Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act” – a well-dressed-up wolf hunting measure – and they have publicly stated that they want the legislature to approve it later this month or in August. The trophy-hunting lobby, by various means, wants legislators to control this issue, so they can have their way with wolves.

There’s one overriding conclusion I’ve come to in talking to people in this state. We at The HSUS and Keep Michigan Wolves Protected have confidence in the people of Michigan to weigh the issues and make the right decision. Our opponents don’t trust the citizens of the state, and they are making extraordinary efforts to block a public vote in a fair election.

Our system of government is grounded on the principle that regular people are entrusted to make election decisions, whether for candidates or issues. Thomas Jefferson said it best: “Men by their makeup are naturally divided into two camps: those who fear and distrust the people and wish to draw all powers from them into the hands of higher classes; and those who identify themselves with the people, have confidence in them, cherish and consider them the safest and most honest, if always the wisest repository of the public interest.”

It’s a sad circumstance when lawmakers and their allies in the trophy-hunting community try to squelch the voting rights of citizens, in their zeal to kill animals who are rare, who’ve harmed no one, and who have a rightful place in this great state.

Tracy join Kwahadi and Zaltana in their enclosure for an alpha tour Na’Vi and Kekoa were enjoying double belly rubs from Leah

The howl of the wolf is a song break her heart. Some have been rarely heard in Colorado these days. raised in a crate. Or put on chains Wolf The wild ones are gone, driven to and left there. Some were destined to extinction by hunting since 1945. be fur coats.

Sanctuaries The controversy about reintroducing Today, the center is home to 19 them to the state rages on as we wolves, four coyotes, four swift foxes in Southern speak. But you can hear their howls and three red foxes. “We’re really at the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife full,” she says.

Colorado Center, tucked into a secluded Tours are available and they’ll sanctuary near the town of Divide, fascinate both young and old. The just west of Colorado Springs, up Ute center has a golf cart to assist those Pass. who can’t walk the easy trail along It all began in 1993 when animalthe 10 enclosures. lover Darlene Kobobel rescued a wolfAll the animals are rescues – dog named Chinook from an animal from college dorms, roadside zoos, shelter. The two-year-old female was photo farms and the fur industry. going to be euthanized, but the idea Others are adopted from other of killing this beautiful animal broke rescue operations. This is not a her heart. zoo —though it is certified by the Through Chinook, Darlene learned Association of Zoos for its high the about the plight of the wolf and standard of care. wolf-dog. Darlene educated herself And the wolves, paired by

by Linda DuVal about wolf hybrids and discovered temperament and compatibility, krcc.org that there are more than 250,000 lounge in the sun or play like puppies, born every year. Most – 80 percent -depending upon their mood. Some die by their third birthday, often euthanized because come to greet visitors; others are quite shy. their owners can’t handle them. They are, after all, Wolves are pack animals. They’re family-oriented. wild.

And Darlene is definitely the alpha wolf. She lives in These animals aren’t accidents – they’re a house on the property. When she leaves or when intentionally bred for profit. Darlene became she comes home, the animals howl in welcome or dedicated to educating people about the misguided farewell. practice of breeding wolves as pets. In fact, she urges And at the end of a tour, your guide will initiate neutering in all cases. a thrilling experience. Everyone in the tour gets to In 1993 she moved to Colorado from Los Angeles, howl, to start things rolling. Then all the wolves, found a place near Lake George and decided it was wolf-dogs and coyotes return the favor. the perfect spot to house rescue wolves and hybrids.

Once again, the call of the wild echoes over the As soon as she let people know she would rescue Rocky Mountains, just as nature intended it should. them, she got 17 animals in the first week. She had to work three jobs just to support them. She later DuVal is the former travel editor for The Gazette, relocated the wolves to a 70-acre piece of mountain Linda a freelance travel writer and winner of several Lowell property with trees, hills, gullies and rocks. Each Thomas awards. She is the co-author of Insider’s Guide wolf pair has a one-acre enclosure, a den area, access to Colorado Springs and writes a local Web site, Pikes to a water feature, and room to roam.

Peak on the Cheap (www.pikespeakonthecheap.com).

She gets daily calls about taking in other wolves Colorado Traveler airs Sundays before the Splendid Table and hybrids, plus coyotes and foxes. The stories and Wednesdays at 11:55 am.

Call of the Wild

Spirit Wolf Energetics Holistic Animal Wellness

Therapeutic Benefits

Energetic therapy is a gentle, non-invasive treatment that utilizes light touch to help clear, balance, and stabilize an animal physically, mentally, emotionally, and instinctually. It may be effectively used for all species including small and large animals, birds, aquatics, and exotics.

Energetic treatments can assist your animal with: · Disease prevention · Improved healing from illness or injury · Recovery from physical/emotional trauma · Calming before & after surgery · Stress management · End-of-life nurturing & support Beth Shemo – HTAP, RMP 719.650.5071 · spiritwolfenergetics@gmail.com

Full Moon TOURS AUGust 8·9·10 Standard Full Moon Tour 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.

ADULTS: $25 (13 years+)

CHILDREN: $15

(8-12 years) No kids under 8

Wear warm clothes & good boots.

Bring a camera and a flashlight Check wolfeducation.org for dates and check-in times

Standard Tour

ADULTS $15 · CHILDREN $8 10 am, noon and 2 pm Tuesday-Sunday 1 hour educational tour

FEEDING Tour

ADULTS $20 · CHILDREN $10 Every day except Thursday (and Monday) 1 hour educational tour while your guide feeds the wolves.

WALK on the WILD SIDE

$75 PER PERSON Reservations for Thursdays or Sundays Guided nature walk in the beautiful Rocky Mountains with a wolf.

YOUTH FOX PHOTOS

$100 for up to 4 children (must be 8 or older) Your child will have their picture taken with our red fox.

ALPHA PHOTO SESSION

$150 for the first two guests (must be 18 or older) $50 for each additional guest, up to 4 people 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.* *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.

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

Reschedules are allowed May-October only!

Shy or Abused?

At a dog show several years ago, I was talking with a fellow dog trainer who had rescued a Jack Russell Terrier. She explained that her dog had previously been abused, most likely by a man because the dog was terrified of men, especially ones of larger stature. Her dog would pull back wildly if a man bent to pet the dog, as if the dog feared a beating. At this same dog trial, my daughter happen to be showing her dog, Alexis. While waiting for her turn, my daughter decided to take an opportunity to try and socialize her shy dog. She asked a man standing ahead of her to pet her dog. My daughter held out her dog, and when the man reached towards Alexis. Alexis flailed and made a scream in panic, making bystanders wonder if Alexis had just been struck painfully by this man and was anticipating another harsh smack.

The truth of the matter was that no man or woman ever beat the dog. Alexis’ true problem was that she was extremely shy. Likewise, I’m willing to bet that the woman who adopted the dog she thought had been abused was also dealing with an extremely shy terrier.

Extreme shyness is a deemed a fault in this breed and encouraged to be avoided when breeding. Still, you will find some terriers will be shyer, and that shyness can vary from somewhat shy to extremely shy, such as Alexis’s case.

Alexis was young when she reacted so poorly to the stranger at the dog show.

We had the privilege of owning Alexis practically her entire life, so we knew

no abuse fueled her excessive behavior.

Before Alexis passed at age eleven, she finally learned to relax around people.

Learning to deal with Alexis and her sister, Cookie, gave me the opportunity to learn a lot about resolving shyness issues.

There are a lot of tricks and techniques. The information is more than I can contain in a single article, but there are some do’s and don’t and general guidelines I’d like to touch on.

Dog shyness varies from the reserved dog to the very shy dog. There are also extreme cases like Alexis. Granted, if you are dealing with an extreme case, you will end up dedicating a lot of time to the issue, and never have an outgoing dog. Still, you can improve the dog to the point the dog doesn’t live in terror.

If you apply the same techniques to less extreme cases, you will find the dog will improve a lot. But keep in mind, you will never change a truly shy dog into one who isn’t shy. Even if your dog is reserved, you may find the dog will want to take his time when greeting strangers before he warms up to them.

When working to resolve shyness, the younger you begin, the more likely you are to create a more confident individual. Puppy class can be a great start, but be careful. If the instructor doesn’t truly understand shy dogs, they may have you put the dog into situations the dog feels overwhelmed.

This will result in a setback in your socialization. A good way to work with a shyer dog is to start with a one-on-one introduction. Let a stranger take a hold of the leash and lead the dog off for a short distance. Once the dog feels at ease with the first person, quit for that session. In the next training session, try introducing the dog to another

new person. Keep up this pace of one person at a time until the dog begins to warm up to strangers. At that time, you can try introducing more than one person per training session.

Another technique to socialize a shyer dog is to have a stranger hold the dog.

This can work well with some shy dogs that are not severely shy. However, you need to do the technique right. Let’s take a look at how this was first done incorrectly with my dog Cookie, and then corrected. Cookie was handed off to a man to help socialize her. The man held my dog for a few minutes then handed her back. To my surprise, the next day, my dog reacted more fearful towards strangers. I later discovered the mistake. The entire time the man held my dog, Cookie didn’t relax. To resolve this setback, I found a woman who was willing to take the time to hold my dog until she felt comfortable in the hands of a stranger. This took about twenty minutes, but after that, Cookie began to feel more relaxed with people she didn’t know. Cookie was a shyer dog, but not as extreme as Alexis. If we’d have tried to hand off Alexis to any stranger, Alexis may have bit the person or Alexis may have flailed enough to have escaped.

When working with more difficult cases, you need to do a little confidence building. Doing agility with the dog is a good confidence builder, as is doing basic training. Playing games with the dog is also a confidence builder, especially the game of Tug-of-War. Let the dog win some of the time, just be sure that you win that final round.

Other things that can help a shy dog is to keep all of your training reward based and positive. Many very shy dogs are also very sensitive. Harsh punishment,

no matter what the dog’s crime, needs to be avoided.

One trick to help socialize dogs is to have a stranger feed the dog a treat.

This can be a great way to help a dog learn to feel positive about strangers.

After all, if a stranger offers a treat, they can’t be all that bad. Don’t let your dog snatch the treat, and then avoid getting touched by the stranger.

That only intensifies the dog’s fear.

Although you don’t want to force the dog to be petted, you can hold the treat in a fashion that the dog must touch your free hand while chewing on that biscuit. If the dog chooses to pull away from your touch, allow the dog to do so. Just make sure the dog realizes that in order to eat that treat, he must brush against those fingers. You can arrange that kind of contact by holding out your fingers ahead of the hand holding the treat. When done correctly, the dog will have to brush against the free hand in order to get the treat.

With some shyer dogs, if you let them take his time to feel comfortable around strangers, the dog may seem to wake up one day and act as if he wasn’t ever shy. With other dogs, you may find the dog is always a little reserved and will need to approach strangers at his pace. With severe shyness, you will never have a dog who wants to run up and greet people. However, with the right kind of socialization, even a very shy dog can learn to relax when in the presence of strangers.

This article received a DWAA nomination. You will find more information on dealing with both kinds of problems in my book “Training the Hard to Train Dog.” More information is available at: www.peggyswager.com

SLVAWS

TCRAS

Hutson and Reggie would like a home together. They are 2-yr-old brother & sister husky/shepherd mixes, spayed, neutered, microchipped, all vaccinations current.

Hutson weighs 50lbs and is very friendly! She loves to go for walks, chew on bones, have her belly rubbed. She’s been in obedience training and is doing well. She knows sit, down, stay, wait, and how to walk with a loose leash. She is very motivated by food, and can’t stop wagging her tail when showing off her tricks for treats! She would do best in a house without other dogs, except for her brother.

At 70lbs, Reggie’s a big guy, but very gentle and sweet! He likes to stay close to his people, take walks, and play with his sister, Hutson. He’s had some obedience training and is doing well at sit, down, stay, wait, and loose-leash walking. He likes the work—and getting treats for his efforts—and would do well in a home where he can continue working on obedience skills. He is crate trained, house trained, stays off of furniture, and knows to only chew on his toys. He would do best in a house without other dogs, except for his sister.

I’m Ling Ling- I recently had to give up my posh lifestyle and move to the shelter. Although the ladies have been great, it’s really cramping my style and I am hoping we can bust out of here soon! I am quite the lover and I’m always willing to take attention. I have mesmerizing blue eyes that capture my soul and will make you fall madly in love with me! I know it’s easier to adopt a cute little kitten you can have several years with but my love will last a lifetime!

I’m an older gentleman who was very well cared for and found myself at the shelter! My brother Ling Ling and I are a very bonded pair and will need to stay together. I am pretty low maintenance and hardly make a peep. I do enjoy the company of people but will also curl up and nap while there’s no one around. Please don’t be fooled by my age, I still have a lot of life left. And do not be worried by the expected medical expenses with adopting an older cat, our medical expenses are covered for life!

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

TCRAS

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

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

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

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...

Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center

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Please note that CWWC does not control and cannot guarantee the relevance, timeliness, or accuracy of these outside materials.

www.defendersofwildlife.org

For current wolf articles and to be a voice through knowledge

Wild Earth Guardians

www.wildearthguardians.org

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