DECEMBER 2011 NEWSLETTER
Navi & Tala having fun with a hat they stole from one of our visitors!
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RIGHT: Darlene, Rachael and Tracy with Ruby’s new boy Carlos. BELOW: An intimate moment caught on film during a VIP tour. BOTTOM RIGHT: Rachael using the power saw to cut up a deer.
One of the MANY jobs of our staff and volunteers
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Double-Barreled Attack on Wolves
Recently, the Obama Administraresolve of the Bush and Obama adtion, via the U.S. Department of the ministrations to protect these animals Interior, announced a final rule deproved weak. listing wolves in the Great Lakes ReThe anti-wolf crusaders have staked gion, officially removing all federal out an anti-science, anti-ecological Stay informed. protection for wolves in the states of posture. There is superabundant sciMichigan, Minnesota, and Wisconentific evidence that wolves have had Visit our new blog on sin. State wildlife management offian enormously beneficial ecologiwolfeducation.org cials, along with the trophy hunting, cal impact in the range they inhabit. trapping, and ranching lobbies—and the politicians be- They cull weak, old, and sick animals from populations, holden to them—have been clamoring for years to de- reducing total numbers of prey populations, and therelist wolves, and only a series of successful HSUS law- by mitigating the browsing on vegetation and bringing suits have prevented that from happening. We’ll now great vitality to the entire ecosystem. With less grazing be examining our legal options and may again urge a pressure, new saplings have taken hold to form young federal court to block this premature removal of wolves groves. Stream flow and quality has improved. Other from the list of threatened species. predators, like coyotes, have also been reduced in denThe HSUS and a coalition of conservation groups suc- sity, and there’s been a cascade effect that’s restored ceeded in a series of legal actions to block de-listing in many of the original characteristics and dynamics of the Northern Rockies, but eight months ago, Congress the animal and plant and forest communities. de-listed that population through the unprecedented Still, wolf recovery in the Great Lakes region is far step of attaching a rider to a massive budget bill. As we from complete. And hostile state management plans in predicted, sport hunters and trappers have proceeded, the region—some of which would allow a nearly 50 perhastily and recklessly, to slaughter wolves in Idaho and cent reduction of the region’s wolf population—make it Montana, and the killing is now set to ramp up next in likely that the recovery that has thus far been achieved Wyoming. could be reversed by high levels of trapping, poisoning Wolves in the United States have suffered a long his- and recreational hunting. tory of human persecution, with state and federal ofClaims of wolf depredation on livestock are often senficials and private citizens amassing a grisly and enor- sationalized. Last year in Wisconsin wolf depredations mous body count. These actions over time resulted in occurred on only 47 farms out of 7,000 in the state, and the extirpation of wolves from everywhere in the Lower only 63 cattle and 6 sheep were killed. Many people 48 except the far northern reaches of Minnesota and complain about impacts from abundant deer populaIsle Royale National Park in Michigan. Now, with wolf tions—whether deer-auto collisions or browsing on populations allowed to reclaim just a small portion of commercial or ornamental shrubbery—but somehow their habitats, the same anti-wolf hysteria of the 19th the beneficial social and economic factors of having century that nearly exterminated them has resurfaced, predators in the ecosystem are omitted from their analwith irrational claims being made about the impacts ysis. It’s plain that the economics work in favor of wolf that wolves have on deer, elk, and livestock popula- protection, not against it. tions. These notions are not grounded on fact, but A small, vocal segment, driven by an irrational haupon the mythology of the wolf as a rapacious predator tred of wolves, is driving the decision-making. Political that slaughters everything in its path. leaders in these states are all too ready to bow to the Even with protection under the Endangered Species pressure and to buy into the rhetoric and false framing, Act in place for some wolves over the last 35 years, and it’s the wolves who suffer. It’s yet another example wolves now occupy less than five percent of their his- of adverse policy actions by this Administration on torical range in the lower 48 states. There are some animal welfare and conservation. It talks a good game 4,000 wolves in the Northern Great Lakes and fewer of science-based decision-making and sound policy, than half that number in the Northern Rockies. The but in the end kowtows to traditional special interests listing of these wolves under the provisions of the ESA (most of which will never vote for Obama). There’s not has shielded them from run-away exploitation, but the much “change” to be found, but just more of the same political pressure to de-list them has been great, and the old ways of Washington.
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The
Wolf Pack Christmas 2011
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Our holiday party was a big success. Thank you to everyone who joined us.
Happy New Year!
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winter special events these tours and events are in addition to our standard 10am, Noon & 2pm tours
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
SU MO TU WE TH FR SA SU MO TU WE TH FR SA
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8 9 10 11 12 13 14 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 29 30 31
MARCH
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APRIL
SU MO TU WE TH FR SA SU MO TU WE TH FR SA
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MAY SU MO TU WE TH FR SA
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Walk on the Wild Side
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not offered until after May 15th
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I RE D U Q E R ONS I T A V U RS R O E T S E R A LL E V E N T S FO R L PECIA 742 e S D 9 c AN 6 8 7-limited splalation 9 1 7 have cance . er urs noAll to have a ay-Octob e M w and icy from pol
NEXT full moon tour FEB. 4, 2012
FULL MOON TOURS February 4 March 10 April 7 May 5 June 2 & 3 July 7 & 8 August 4 & 5 September 1 & 29 October 27 & 28 November 24 December 29
FEEDING FEST TOUR Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 3:30pm Meet our resident animals during the feeding tour and observe them when they are most active...feeding time! Learn about hunting, howling and hierarchy and communicate with the pack in a group howl! Adults $20 Kids 12 and under $10
SPECIAL EVENTS
January 14 · 4-6 pm Bonfire & BBQ Meet and greet one of our ambassador wolves $25 adults $15 kids 12 and under February 11 · 3-5 pm Celebrate Valentine’s with the ‘Lovers’ $40 per couple Must be 21 +
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Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center
Bonf ire & BBQ
January 14th · 4-6 pm Meet and greet one of our ambassador wolves $25 adults $15 kids 12 and under reservations required 719-687-9742
Celebrate Valentine’s with the Lovers’
Saturday · February 11, 2012 · 3-5 pm $40 per couple · Must be 21+
RSVP REQUIRED 719-687-9742
WARNING!
FREE APP
DOGS ON HEALTH FOOD/ ORGANIC FOODINCLUDES BLUE BUFFALLO BRAND.
for your iPhone or iPad on iTunes... Get Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center on your smartphone! Scan this code:
It was on Fox news that 70 dogs have died as a result of eating chicken jerky treats made from chicken that has come from China. Kingdom Pets brand from Costco is one of them. Also certain Blue Buffalo brand pet foods have a recall for the same thing.
working together to make a difference... “We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.” ~ Immanual Kant
Mexican Grey Wolves www.mexicanwolves.org
Natural Resources Defense Council www.nrdc.org
www.aza.org www.projectcoyote.org
www.defendersofwildlife.org
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Wild Earth Guardians
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For current wolf articles and to be a voice through knowledge
~ Martin Buber
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NEWSLETTER BY: Melissa Macis
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