Colorado
Wolf
AND WILDLIFE CENTER NOVEMBER 2017
Please Help ICRC To Help Rescued And Abused Coyotes! CWWC purchased a new freezer for ICRC. For now they are doing well with meat due to the hunting season, however all good things eventually come to an end. This is a charity organization and does wonderful work helping coyotes. Not many organizations help coyotes, so if anyone loves them like us, please help them. Indiana Coyote Rescue Center 765-566-3800
A Note from Indiana Coyote Rescue Center
CERTIFIED BY THE
The Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization certified by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA). Look for this logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things. The contents of the material we include in our newsletter does not necessarily reflect the views of Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center. We collect information from sources that are from other organizations, the web, news feeds, and/or other sources. We choose articles that are in the related field of education and conservation.
To subscribe to our newsletter, visit our website at
wolfeducation.org and sign up on the newsletter page.
As much as we enjoy this time of year, it is a reminder that cold weather is around the corner. We have several urgent projects that we need to accomplish before the real cold comes, and we are ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work, but we desperately need your help! We recently received a very generous donation of a new freezer from Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center, and we need to get it filled up so that we have food reserves for the animals if the roads are impassable. We still need at least 4 new shelters as well as straw to fill them with to provide warm beds. We also need materials to create windbreaks around enclosures. We know that it can be hard to find money to spare, but we are asking you to please consider donating what you can towards these efforts. Every little bit helps! We know we can count on you to help us to continue to provide safe, loving, life-time care to these majestic animals! Please click the donate button above or mail checks to ICRC P.O. Box 275 Burlington, IN 46915.
getting creative
having scary fun
Howl-o-ween Event All the critters enjoyed their meat-filled pumpkins. Thank you to all who helped make it happen!
Thank you! Jami Hammer - ICRC Director Email to CWWC from ICRC Right now, we are just trying to raise enough money to provide a little “cushion” for increased winter expenses like the utilities and supplies for some of our older animals. The meat source has saved us quite a bit of money, but it will be a few months before those financial benefits come to fruition. The last several months were quite a struggle having to buy the food:-/ I’m happy to report that our new freezer is PACKED with deer meat, so I can’t thank you enough! The freezer will allow us to have surplus on hand and store as much extra as possible while we have a steady source of food. I’m trying to get some extra funds to get some donated fencing transported here and get my front perimeter done before winter. Talk about a time crunch! You have already been so incredibly generous, but if you want to share our FB post on your page, that might get some of those donations coming in. It’s always hardest this time of year with the holidays :-/ Again, I have no appropriate words to express my level of gratitude for your support.
| 2 | COLORADO WOLF AND WILDLIFE CENTER
THANK YOU EMERALD EDGE CONSTRUCTION COLORADO WOLF AND WILDLIFE CENTER | 3 |
OPERATION SPAY AND NEUTER plus so much more to help dogs in need!
Cocal is a little island off the southern part of Costa Rica that is poor and in dire need of help with their animals which are mostly dogs. Darlene, CWWC staff, and volunteers usually frequent this island 2-3 times a year with free medicines, health checkups, and gift certificates to the most needy as well as free spay and neuter clinics. Serious conditions that need immediate treatment are also addressed. Unfortunately, many of these animals have heartworm and do not have a long life expectancy. CWWC also supplies dog food and ongoing medications to some. Sadly, it is temporary due to the infrequency of our visits. We need help to do more. If anyone is interested, please donate and put in the subject line “COSTA RICA DOGS.” Your donation is tax deductible, and on our next visit in March 2018, we will be teaming with a vet in Jaco, Costa Rica to help with more needs, with
100% of the funds generated from our Center. We need preventative care and ongoing medications as well as a food drive for the dogs eventually. Many thanks to Dani from Kids Saving the Rainforest, Rick, and Suzanne for their help with this last mission. Also, thanks to Ana Pana in Las Monas where we do clinics on the same trip. We are happy to say that we treated 75 dogs this visit. Special thanks to Planet Natural for the donation of flea collars, shampoo, and glucosamine tablets. Thank you to TCRAS for all of the donated collars which were used to replace the ropes and twine that are used as collars for a lot of the dogs. Thank you to Dr. Volz, Dr. Steiner, and Terry for advising me of certain medical vet conditions that I had questions about while I was there and for their help with medications that were brought.
A note from Planet Natural All of us here at the warehouse loved the care package and card you sent to us, thank you so much! My coworker Kait loved the paw decoration and my manager Michelle uses her mug every day, I myself use the orange water pouch for those afternoon walks at the dog park. We are so happy to hear the good work you intend to accomplish with our products, and it was a unanimous decision to help you, whether or not you asked for it, as your mission is a good and just one! We wish you well on your trip. Thank you, Scott www.planetnatural.com
| 4 | COLORADO WOLF AND WILDLIFE CENTER
COLORADO WOLF AND WILDLIFE CENTER | 5 |
Japan deserves worldwide condemnation for commercial whaling masquerading as ‘science’
For The Animals This photo shows a creation that Rick has built for our beloved Princess and will also serve as a symbol for all of our animals that pass to the spirit world. When one of our animals leaves us, we have a special ceremony in remembrance of them. The fire will be lit and will burn throughout the ceremony. It will also be lit on different evening events and holidays in celebration of past and future.
| 6 | COLORADO WOLF AND WILDLIFE CENTER
In a flouting of internaon the pressing challengblog.humanesociety.org tional conservation values, es of ocean health, climate Japan just announced that change, toxic pollution, maits latest hunt, which conrine debris and entanglecluded recently, has claimed ment, ship strikes, and other the lives of 177 minke and threats. Quite apart from sei whales – adding to the the tragedy of animal deaths toll of thousands that its from whaling by an effecwhalers have claimed in tively dead and abandoned an era when just about the industry, the continued preentire civilized world has dation of the world’s whales abandoned the practice. by these three nations repJapan’s commercial whal- Year after year, Japan’s government-sponsored fleet trawls the world’s resents the worst sort of to kill whales as a meat-gathering exercise, while trying to hoodwink ing is like a bad dream from oceans distraction from the urgent the global public with a claim that it’s doing so for science. Photo by Alamy which the rest of the world conservation work we could cannot wake up. Year after year, its government-sponsored all be doing to help all marine creatures and their habitats. fleet trawls the world’s oceans to kill whales as a meat-gath- On top of all that, who doesn’t see that whale watching and ering exercise, while trying to hoodwink the global public ecotourism hold far more economic promise and benefit with a claim that it’s doing so for science. This despite the fact than killing the animals? that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2014 rejected Getting the United States and other nations to stand up to Japan’s assertions and ordered an immediate halt to Japan’s Japan when it comes to whaling is a battle that does not end, other scientific whaling program in the Southern Ocean. whether or not a hunt has taken place or recently concluded. This despite the fact that in April 2017, 42 International It involves mobilization at the biennial meeting of the IWC Whaling Commission (IWC) signatory nations adopted a itself, and associated maneuvers to thwart the whalers in resolution calling on Japan to abide by the ICJ ruling. This that body. It involves pressing the federal government to exdespite the fact that the signatories to the International Con- ercise available options and channels for bringing pressure vention for the Regulation of Whaling never envisioned the to bear on a nation that in other respects has proven itself a scientific exemption clause in the treaty to support commer- strong partner. It involves strict attention to the dividing line cial catches. This despite the fact that the market for whale between modern commercial whaling and aboriginal submeat continues to decline in Japan. And this despite the fact sistence whaling, which is practiced in the United States and that global public opinion, with few exceptions, roundly a few other countries, and has enjoyed special protection. It condemns and disapproves of Japan’s flagrant disregard for involves sustained efforts to shift public opinion and curtail international law and comity between nations, something market demand for whale meat in Japan. And it involves an that’s been in evidence again and again through the years. unyielding determination to see our nation and others adopt The HSUS and Humane Society International have been the strongest possible agenda of whale and ocean conservacampaigning to protect whales from whaling and oth- tion across the board. er threats for nearly half a century, and the passage of the Right now, in the U.S. Congress, Representative Matt Gaeglobal commercial moratorium was a proud and decisive tz, R-Fla., is advancing a resolution to urge the United States victory, one that has spared countless thousands of whales to do more to establish itself as a true global leader in whale since the mid-1980s. There are just three nations involved in conservation and protection, by expressing the strongest commercial whaling — Japan, Norway, and Iceland — and possible opposition to commercial whaling and by confronttheir intransigence in the face of almost universal censure ing Japan for its wrongdoing. As we gear up for IWC 2018 astonishes me every time I think about it. Their machina- late next year, we’ll do even more to press the case against tions at the meetings of the International Whaling Commis- whaling and its defenders, while continuing our efforts to sion demean their standing in the community of nations, diminish market support and public opinion favoring whaland waste a lot of time and energy that could be better spent ing in Japan itself. COLORADO WOLF AND WILDLIFE CENTER | 7 |
America’s
Cat by David Friend
I remember turning to look far down a dirt road near Florida’s Everglades. My eyes stopped just in time to see a blur that had crossed the road then vanished in the brush. My senses failed me in that brief moment as did my recall. Was it a panther? That is what I wanted to see. I tried to convince myself that it was. Was it big enough? Did I see a long tail? Did it move like a cat? I had missed the details. I probably did not see a cougar. Mountain lions are elusive. Unlike wolves and grizzly bears, they shun open and unbroken landscapes. Concealed in the shadows of the forests’ edges they stalk and ambush deer and elk. They are an introverted species. Although I can’t be confident that I have ever seen pumas in the wild, I suspect many have seen me. It was early. I was alone in the valley except for that large grizzly bear grazing on the other side. I love these moments. After some time he (I’m pretty sure it was a male) looked back down the hill at a pile of reeds that a recently arrived coyote had come to investigate. The grizz charged, ran the scavenger off, and uncovered a bit of the elk hidden underneath. I was in the backcountry of Yellowstone National Park on what I would soon find out to be a popular fishing trail. This boar finished his breakfast of sedge and elk then retired to hide and nap in a thicket adjacent to the trail. I decided to stay hoping to see when he would arise. The bear stayed hidden in those trees all day. I’m glad I waited with him for many reasons. One being the opportunity to witness a string of fisherman walking by and completely oblivious to this sleeping giant. Here in the Rocky Mountains we live with cougars. We don’t know how many, but the population seems to be bursting at the seams. Increasing confirmed sightings of mountain lions in the Midwestern United States and the occasional Eastern sighting leads most wildlife biologists to believe that puma populations are healthy and growing. Some would argue that there are possibly more now in the west than there were during European settlement. If that is so, why would I be writing a conservation article on one of the few relatively successful large carnivores?
Mountain lions, cougars, pumas, catamounts, lions, cats, Puma concolor, whatever you might call them, evolved in North America diverging from a common ancestor to the jaguarundi, Puma yagouaroundi, about four or five million years ago. Two to four million years ago during the Great American Interchange, after volcanic forces bridged the gap between the American continents we know as Panama, they spread southward colonizing South America as well. An older divergent species, the cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus, left the Americas, but the Pumas never did. Cougars roamed throughout the entire Western Hemisphere with the exception of the farthest arctic regions of North America. They are America’s cats. After the arrival of Europeans, cougars, like wolves, were harassed and eventually eliminated from the eastern coast and midwestern plains of North America. Their extermination was so effective that it was thought that all Florida panthers were extinct until 1973 when confirmation came of a remnant population of fewer than thirty-five hiding in the wetlands in the southernmost part of the state. You might assume at first glance when presented with a current map of cougar populations in North and South America that they are doing very well. In many respects they are. It is in closer inspection that you would notice that the Florida panthers are not the only isolated pumas. You might also see areas where populations are approaching isolation. And you would see that the great American continents have once again been divided. This separation is disconcerting. Advances in genetic research combined with paleological evidence suggests that the North American cougar population may have nearly disappeared some 10,000 to 17,000 years ago. I don’t know the reason why but if this did happen it means that the large majority of North American mountain lions are descended from South American cougars that recolonized their place of birth. Today, in order to save the Florida panther from its deadly genetic bottleneck, characterized by cowlicks, cryptorchidism (failure of either or both testes to descend), reduced motile sperm, and increased
| 8 | COLORADO WOLF AND WILDLIFE CENTER
atrial septal defects (a hole in the wall separating the upper heart chambers), eight female cougars from Texas, the next closest population of cougars nearly a thousand land miles away, were captured and temporarily introduced to bear a new and healthier generation. Without natural connections we must forcibly move wildlife to keep them healthy. “The enormous and costly effort to save the Florida panther is a sobering reminder that it is wiser to implement conservation measures before a species is seriously threatened.” Sharon Negri and Howard Quigley in Cougar: Ecology and Conservation I mention all this because we have a choice in how we treat other living species on this planet. The cougar is considered to be of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), but why should that stop us from creating a better environment for them as well as their endangered kin. Creating more corridors to connect the remote populations by building wilderness “highways” between them, creating more large crossing structures over and under our busy roadways, welcoming dispersing predators into “new” (what is actually old) habitat such as the eastern United States, and encouraging more research to understand what it is these living creatures need would help. We must also at times and in places make room for them, in other words, get out of their way. In order to successfully rehabilitate the Yellowstone grizzly bear population human induced hazards, such as legal and illegal harvest, road kill, and death due to depredations all had to be managed and reduced. Let’s not forget about the need to curb and reverse rampant habitat fragmentation. All this takes energy, time, and money. Are they worth it? We know a few things about them: They are impressive in that of all the large felids the cougar regularly kills the largest prey relative to their own size. To aid them in this Herculean effort they have a fifth digit on their front paw, a claw that, like our thumb, opposes the other four claws to help hold themselves in position to bite the throat. Their forelimbs are massive and rotate to allow for that better grip. They also have a shortened jaw with fewer teeth to give their bite a mechanical advantage. Yet despite their awesome potential they rarely attack and kill humans. Between 1890 and 1990 there were 63 verified cougar attacks in the United States and Canada of which 10 were fatal. Between 1991 to 2005 there were another 54 attacks, 9 being fatal. You may have noticed that the rate of attacks increased during those last 16 years. Why? Human populations increased dramatically, more so than lion populations, and expanded into puma habitat. This increased considerably the amount of interactions that people have with mountain lions. I find this fascinating considering that the rate of attacks between 1991 and 2005 is just above 3 per year. Fatal attacks being less than one per year. Biologists are always bewildered by the amount of restraint predators show around us. The effects that carnivores have on prey species, specifically ungulates (deer and elk), are still not completely understood, but the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho are instructive. Elk numbers decreased and released stressors that inhibited other animal and plant life. There
was a time on the east coast of North America when word of deer sign would make front page news. They were nearly gunned down to extinction. Deer conservation since then has been so successful that, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, there are an estimated 1.5 million deer-vehicle collisions every year resulting in over $1 billion in vehicle damage and more than 100 deaths. Although cougars would not completely eliminate this problem it has been suggested that a population of eastern cougars may reduce that number simply by thinning the herds and thereby saving many more people indirectly than they harm directly. In every equation there is a cost and a benefit. Some are objective, others subjective. Paul Beier states in Cougar: Ecology and Conservation, “One cultural benefit of living with large predators is the reminder that humans are part of nature-and not always the dominant part.” We may not always be the dominant part, but we do largely dominate our home pushing other living species into tighter corners of the world. I would like to think we’re better than that. More humble. Yes, mountain lions are worth the time, energy, and money spent on them and much more. When I look upon them it’s not so much the power of their bodies that moves me. Having been close to wild wolves, black bears, grizzlies, African lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, gorillas, and recently an ocelot and a jaguar, working with wolves at the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center...it’s something more. Whenever I leave Isha, one of our young male arctic wolves, he tugs on me, and not just with his teeth. I have not yet figured out how to properly explain what it is about these amazing living beings that inspires me. It’s something in their eyes, deep within their eyes. You can see a busy mind at work. I want to know what they are thinking. Whatever it is they have an amazing ability to keep me in awe and humble. There is a lot more to learn about cougars. One question that puzzles me is why, while in the western United States mountain lions were escaping the carnivore extermination that eliminated wolves, the Great Lakes populations saw the opposite result. That being the disappearance of pumas and the endurance of wolves. I have been studying the cougar and have yet to read the answer. I’ve sent out several emails to cougar conservation organizations and wildlife biologists. I have yet to receive even an educated guess. They’re not ignoring me. Some just simply don’t know. The slow process in receiving an answer is most likely due to a very comforting idea. I am sure they are busy. They are out there trying to get to know cougars as they really are. I wait somewhat impatiently and with anticipation to learn more from them about this incredible and illusive All-American cat. The facts for this article are largely dependent on the book Cougar: Ecology and Conservation edited by Maurice Hornocker and Sharon Negri Information pertaining to vehicle deer collisions comes from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (iihs.org) I also used information readily available on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website (cpw.state.co.us)
COLORADO WOLF AND WILDLIFE CENTER | 9 |
ADOPTION CORNER
ADOPTION CORNER
Available from TCRAS · Teller County Regional Animal Shelter
Available from San Luis Valley Animal Welfare Society
tcrascolorado.com · 719.686.7707 · NO-KILL shelter in Divide, Colorado
slvaws.org · 719.587.woof (9663) · Non-Profit NO-KILL Shelter
AGE: 1 y 9 m 12 d SEX: Male/Neutered Red/Brown Boxer/Retriever
Hello! My name is Bubba. I have a heart of gold and love to be around people. I am originally from Alabama and so far I have been enjoying the mountains. I do have some small medical needs, but the shelter can fill you in if you are interested in me! I would love to go to a home where I am the only dog, because I don’t like to share the love. If you would like to come and meet me, I am waiting for you!!
ADOPTION FAIR Saturdays 11am-5pm at the Petco in Colorado Springs at 5020 N. Nevada
Can you help Maximus? We have had Maximus for one year. He needs a back knee TPLO (tibial-plateau-leveling-osteotomy) for which we have raised donations. What is holding back the surgery is Maximus does not have a foster who could rehabilitate him for 12 weeks, perhaps a foster who would like to adopt him. Great with people and children. He weighs 90 lbs and best as an only pet. The first 6 weeks of rehab would be the most crucial. Please call the San Luis Valley Animal Welfare Society at 719-587-WOOF (9663) if you can help or have any suggestions for this guy who was saved from being euthanized when a rescue was shut down.
AGE: 1 y 5 m 16 d SEX: Female/Spayed Orange Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Hi. My name is Sherbert. I am a beautiful girl looking for a quiet home. I would prefer to not have young children, as they scare me. I may take a little while to warm up, but please know I am worth the wait.
| 10 | COLORADO WOLF AND WILDLIFE CENTER
COLORADO WOLF AND WILDLIFE CENTER | 11 |
Interior Department to allow imports of elephant and lion trophies from Africa, reversing Obama policies November 15, 2017 · Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States
With barely contained enthusiasm, Safari Club International (SCI) announced on its own initiative recently that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has reversed critical elephant protections established during the Obama administration, allowing imports of elephant trophies from Zimbabwe and Zambia. For decades, Zimbabwe has been run by a dictator who has targeted and killed his political opponents, and operated the country’s wildlife management program as something of a live auction. Remember, it was Zimbabwe where Walter Palmer shot Cecil, one of the most beloved and well-studied African lions, who was lured out of a national park for the killing. Palmer paid a big fee even though it did irreparable damage to the nation’s reputation. The United States has listed African elephants under the federal Endangered Species Act, and hunting trophies can only be imported if the federal government finds that killing them positively enhances the survival of the species. Under the prior administration, FWS made the eminently reasonable decision that Zimbabwe – one of the most corrupt countries on earth – was not managing its elephant population in a sustainable manner. Government officials allegedly have been involved in both poaching of elephants and illegal export of ivory tusks. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe even celebrated his birthday last year by feasting on an elephant. Zimbabwe’s elephant population has declined six percent since 2001 and evidence shows that poaching has increased in areas where trophy hunting is permitted (such as in the Chirisa and Chete safari areas). A number of problems with Zimbabwe’s elephant management remain unresolved to date: the lack of an elephant management plan; lack of sufficient data on population numbers and trends; anemic enforcement of wildlife laws; lack of information about how money derived from trophy hunting by U.S. hunters is distributed within Zimbabwe; and lack of a national mechanism, such as government support, to sustain elephant conservation efforts in the country. This jarring announcement comes on the same day that global news sources report that Mr. Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s aging dictator, is under house arrest following a military coup. This fact in and of itself highlights the absurdity and illegal nature of the FWS decision to find that Zimbabwe is capable of ensuring that elephant conservation and trophy hunting are properly managed. During the last two years, poachers in the country have poisoned several dozen elephants, including young calves. Government officials cash in by capturing elephant calves who are still dependent on their mothers and exporting them to China for use in zoos. Perhaps not surprisingly, a hunting outfitter advertised elephant hunts in Zimbabwe as soon as the SCI announcement was made public. It’s a venal and nefarious, pay-to-slay arrangement that Zimbabwe has set up with
the trophy hunting industry. Notably, an FWS decision to allow imports of elephant trophies from Zimbabwe is legally required to be published in the Federal Register, and no such formal decision has yet appeared. That SCI, the largest pro-trophy-hunting lobby group, announced this decision suggests an uncomfortably cozy and even improper relationship between trophy hunting interests and the De-
partment of the Interior. SCI’s announcement indicates that elephant trophies will also be allowed to be imported from Zambia. The elephant population in Zambia has suffered a dramatic decrease over the last few decades, from more than 200,000 elephants in 1972 to just a little over 21,000 according to the Great Elephant Census in 2016. Ivory trafficking remains a threat to the country’s elephant population. Even more ominous, the FWS has just erected a new website that provides a guide to trophy hunters seeking to import lion trophies. Just last year the FWS listed the lion as threatened with extinction under the Endangered Species Act, set up criteria that must be met before the FWS would allow the import of lion trophies, and prohibited imports of trophies from captive lion populations hunted in fenced enclosures – commonly referred to as canned lion hunting – in South Africa. Unbelievably the news gets even worse, as the Department of the Interior has also just announced that it is forming a euphemistically named advisory group, the International Wildlife Conservation Council, that would allow trophy hunters an even more prominent seat at the table of government decision-making, ignoring the copious science that trophy hunting undermines the conservation of threatened and endangered species. Let’s be clear: elephants are on the list of threatened species; the global community has rallied to stem the ivory trade; and now, the U.S. government is giving American trophy hunters the green light to kill them. What kind of message does it send to say to the world that poor Africans who are struggling to survive cannot kill elephants in order to use or sell their parts to make a living, but that it’s just fine for rich Americans to slay the beasts for their tusks to keep as trophies? The anti-colonial revolution that Mugabe helped lead in 1980 is a distant memory, and a new form of colonialism has taken effect in the bowels of the Zimbabwean government – with rich, white trophy hunters allowed, for a fee, to plunder wildlife for personal benefit. It’s time for the era of the trophy killing of Africa’s most majestic and endangered animals to come to a final close, and the United States should not be retreating from that commitment. The post Interior Department to allow imports of elephant and lion trophies from Africa, reversing Obama policies appeared first on A Humane Nation.