Wildlife Art no Longer Extinct, Mexican Wolf Fate Teeters ... · 2 As a Matter of Fact 3 From the...

A PUBL ICAT ION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTERWINTER 2001

Wildlife Art no Longer Extinct, page 4

Mexican Wolf Fate Teeters Between Science and Politics page 8

A PUBL ICAT ION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTERWINTER 2001

Donated collection now available to the public.

Extra savings, low prices!

Limited edition prints by celebrated artists.

Proceeds directly benefit theInternational Wolf Center mission.

Save money on collectible wildlife art and support the survival of wolves worldwide!

The International Wolf Center is a non-profitorganization dedicated to supporting the

survival of wolves worldwide through education.

View our online gallery by

For private inquiries,please call 763-560-7374Any donation above the already low asking price is tax deductible to the full extent of the law.

Carl Brenders, One-to-OneRobert Bateman, Hoary Marmot

B e v D o o l i t t l e R o b e r t Tr a v e r s L e e K r o m s c h r o e d e r J a m e s M e g e r B r u c e M i l l e r ( a n d m a n y o t h e r s ! )

C a r l B r e n d e r s R o b e r t B a t e m a n R . S . Pa r k e r A l A g n e w D o n G o t t J o r g e M a y o l F r a n k M i l l e r

Wild Wolf Weekend Teacher WorkshopMarch 8-10, 2002Cost: $295 includes food, resort lodging, curriculum guide, activity materials.

Spend a northwoods weekend combining theexcitement of field study with curriculum trainingwhich will enrich your classroom studies of thiscontroversial species.

For more information, call 1-800-ELY-WOLF, ext. 25. Or visit our web site at www.wolf.org

Take an Adventure Vacation

in Wolf CountryExperience the magic of the north woods and the

excitement of learning at the renowned International Wolf Center interpretative facility in Ely, Minnesota, U.S.A.

Located within scenic Superior National Forest, adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness,

it’s the ideal place to observe signs of wildlife—at the ideal time—winter through early spring.

Wolves, Eagles, and Bears, Oh My!May 17-19, 2002$295 per person, includes meals and resort lodging

Immerse yourself in the world of Minnesota’sgreatest wildlife treasures. You’ll study the residentpack of wolves at the International Wolf Center,wild bears at the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuaryand eagles at a local nesting site. Your action-packed weekend will feature a howling expeditionand a wolf feeding.

visiting www.wolf.org

2 As a Matter of Fact

3 From the Chair of the Board

12 International Wolf CenterNotes From Home

15 Tracking the Pack

16 Wolves of the World

20 Personal Encounter

24 Book Review

26 News and Notes

27 Wild Kids

28 A Look Beyond

4Wildlife Art no Longer ExtinctArt dealers and galleries are carrying more wolf art than ever before. SteveGrooms investigates where to find quality wildlife artwork.

S t e v e G r o o m s

Features

THE QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER VOLUME 11, NO. 4 WINTER 2001

On The CoverA detail of When Trails Cross © Dan Smith. Artwork courtesy

of the artist and art print publisher Mill Pond Press, Inc., Venice FL 34292, 800-535-0331.

Dan is a long time contributor to the InternationalWolf Center and other wildlife organizations.

To view and purchase additional art, check out our new web gallery at www.wolf.org.

8Mexican Wolf Fate Teeters Between Science and PoliticsWill the fate of the Mexican wolf be determined by scientific-based decision-making or by politics?

M i c h a e l J . R o b i n s o n

Departments

Den Mother-Wolf Family © Carl Brenders

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Publications DirectorMary Ortiz

Magazine CoordinatorAmy Bowman

Technical Editor L. David Mech

Graphic DesignerTricia Hull

International Wolf (1089-683X) ispublished quarterly and copyrighted,2001, by the International Wolf Center,3300 Bass Lake Rd, Minneapolis, MN55429, USA. e-mail: [email protected] rights reserved.

Publications agreement no. 1536338

Membership in the International WolfCenter includes a subscription toInternational Wolf magazine, free admissionto the Center, and discounts on programsand merchandise. • Lone Wolf member-ships are U.S. $30 • Wolf Pack $50 • Wolf Associate $100 • Wolf Sponsor $500 • Alpha Wolf $1000. Canada and othercountries, add U.S. $15 per year for airmail postage, $7 for surface postage.Contact the International Wolf Center,1396 Highway 169, Ely, MN 55731-8129,USA; e-mail: [email protected]; phone: 1-800-ELY-WOLF

International Wolf is a forum for airingfacts, ideas and attitudes about wolf-related issues. Articles and materialsprinted in International Wolf do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of theInternational Wolf Center or its board of directors.

International Wolf welcomes submissionsof personal adventures with wolves andwolf photographs (especially black andwhite). Prior to submission of other types of manuscripts, address queries to Mary Ortiz, publications director.

International Wolf is printed entirely with soy ink on recycled and recyclablepaper (text pages contain 20% post-consumer waste, cover paper contains 10% post-consumer waste). We encourageyou to recycle this magazine.

PHOTOS: Unless otherwise noted, orobvious from the caption or article text,photos are of captive wolves.

2 W i n t e r 2 0 0 1 w w w . w o l f . o r g

Is aerial hunting of wolves legal in Alaska?Public aerial hunting is not legal in Alaska. ■

What is the average littersize of the wolf?

New Question

Correction The photo on Page 16 of the fall issue of International Wolf was credited toTom Brakefield. The photo was actually taken by William E. Rideg.

L. D

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A Portal into Wolf WonderlandB y N a n c y j o T u b b s

Alice (“in Wonderland”) climbed down the rabbit hole and met the Red Queen,

Tweedlee and the Cheshire Cat. This quarter, International Wolf is your portal

into another wild world populated with fascinating characters. Like Wonder-

land, the International Wolf Center offers many doorways.In this issue, you can read Center Director Walter Medwid’s report of Ellesmere

Island’s missing wolves and the reason even musk oxen were sparse on this year’s highArctic visit by Medwid and researcher Dr. David Mech. Readers areinvited to take a second portal through the cyber looking glass to viewon-the-scene reports from the two men on the Center’s web site(www.wolf.org/field_notes/index.htm).

Wolf Curator Lori Schmidt gives readers a glimpse into the steamysummer life of the wolf as she writes about our resident five-pack in“Tracking the Pack.” Two other doorways on the subject have also beenopen for readers. Those who visit the Center in Ely can stand nose tonose with scampish yearlings Malik and Shadow at the observationwindow. And this summer, members attended exclusive Behind theScenes programs to see the pack close-up and learn how the wolves aresocialized and cared for by their handlers.

Too far away to visit? The Center’s cyber portal opens to a real-time wolf cam viewof the captive pack. From your desk at work or school, check (www.elyminnesota.com/Cams/WolfCam/index.asp) to glimpse what the yearlings, Lakota, MacKenzie and Lucasare up to in Ely.

Read Wolf Center Board member Neil Hutt’s report on Wolves of the World in thisissue; then you can vote in the Web site’s www.wolf.org/field_notes index.htm surveyof potential wolf reintroduction sites in the US.

Do you like the magazine’s pop quiz—the “As a Matter of Fact” question? If so, slipthrough the Web doorway to www.wolf.org/learn/learnfrm.htm for an intro to wolfbiology, wolf management, and the survival of the species around the world. Then takethe more extensive on-line quiz.

Going to “Wolf U” is next. This portal is a week-long Intensive Wolf Study Courseat the Center, January 19-25, 2002. There in Ely, serious students study wolf-prey rela-tionships, northern forest ecology, and thrill to field study from a dog sled, aerialtracking flights, and snowshoes.

In this issue of the magazine, readers can also step into the world of wolf art withwriter Steve Grooms; in addition, they can learn about Mexican wolf recovery fromMichael Robinson, and follow an educator into the classroom with real kids.

All these and more treats await you as a member of the International Wolf Center.We hope you enjoy your adventures in Wolf Wonderland. ■

From the Board ChairINTERNATIONAL

WOLF CENTER

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Nancy jo TubbsChair

Dr. L. David MechVice Chair

Dr. Rolf O. PetersonSecretary

Paul B. AndersonTreasurer

Dr. Larry D. Anderson

Phillip DeWitt

Thomas T. Dwight

Nancy Gibson

Helene Grimaud

Cornelia Hutt

Dr. Robert Laud

Mike Phillips

Dr. Robert Ream

Paul Schurke

Teri Williams

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Walter M. Medwid

MISSION

The International WolfCenter supports the survivalof the wolf around the world

by teaching about its life,its associations with other

species and its dynamic relationship to humans.

Educational services and informational resources

are available at:

1396 Highway 169Ely, MN 55731-8129, USA

1-800-ELY-WOLF1-218-365-4695

e-mail address:[email protected]

Web site: http://www.wolf.org

I n t e r n a t i o n a l W o l f W i n t e r 2 0 0 1 3

Nancy jo Tubbs


t is the coldest picture I’ve ever seen.An arctic wolf is howling in awhiteout blizzard. The wolf’s headis raised, its ears laid back. You cantell by the ruffled fur that a keenwind is hitting the wolf from the leftside. The snow has that weird wispyquality that it only gets duringbitterly cold weather.

Lee Kroemschroder’s “Howling Wind” stands outamong wolf paintings I’ve seen as the image thatbest captures the harshness of a wolf’s struggle forsurvival. Wolves lead difficult, dangerous and strenuous lives. “The Howling” is brutally honestabout what it is like to be a wolf.

If this painting is too frigid for your den wall, youmight prefer Carl Brenders’ “Den Mother.” An adultwolf lies with six half-grown pups, several of whichare “monkeyballed” on top of her back leg. Thepups have been rendered with care so that each has

its unique identity. The painting is perfectly realistic,yet it conveys the bonds of love that wolves havetoward their pups. I can’t imagine any fan of wolveslooking at this painting without smiling.

Whatever your tastes might be, today there aremany superb paintings of wolves to choose from.And that is a relatively new fact. Thirty years agothere was hardly any market for wildlife art. For various reasons, including the unease manypeople felt with non-representational modern art,art galleries began selling paintings and limited-edition prints that featured wildlife. In recentdecades wildlife art has been one of the liveliestsectors of the art world.

Wolves began to appear in wildlife art in the mid-1980s, according to Robert Koenke, thepublisher of Wildlife Art News. That period roughlycoincides with the great fight to restore wolves toYellowstone, a battle that both created and reflecteda new public tolerance for wolves. Wolves becameone of the most frequently painted animals and now rank as one of the five most popular subjects,according to Koenke.

Wolf pictures can be divided into three groups.Least expensive are the wolf posters that usually(but not always) feature photographic images. Many posters cost about $10. Posters are the type ofart people might put up on a rec room wall withpins. At the opposite end of the economic scale are original paintings that sell for thousands of dollars,sometimes many thousands of dollars.

Between those extremes lies the large and fascinating market of limited-edition prints, andthat will be the focus of this article. Since relativelyfew people can afford to buy original paintings byestablished artists, limited-edition prints are attrac-tive to wolf fans who want to grace their homes oroffices with the beauty and magic of wolves.

Prints are not prohibitively expensive. Limited-edition prints typically sell in the range of $150 to

Welcome to the World of

I

“HowlingWind”©Lee

Kroemschroder

Artwork courtesy of Lee Kroemschroderand Wild Wings, Inc.


FrozenMoonlight©John Seerey-Lester

Artwork courtesy of the artists and art print publisher Mill Pond Press, Venice, FL 34292

For additional information, call 800-535-0331. Wolf ArtWolf Art

B y S T E V E G R O O M S


$220. Prints look most attractivewhen expertly matted and framed. Agood frame shop will charge about$200 to mat a print of average size.The size of the print dramaticallyaffects the cost of matting andframing. In total, most limited-editionprints cost about $400 to $500 aftermatting and framing.

Because limited-edition prints arelimited, the popular ones sell out andbecome valuable. Art dealers andgalleries often stockpile printsthey expect to sell out. When theprint is sold out or in low supply,those reserved prints can still be bought, but they will be moreexpensive.

“Silent Witness,” by renownedartist Robert Bateman, falls inthis category. This moody picturefeatures a Canadian Shield envi-ronment in winter. Two massiveblocks of lichen-encrusted granitedominate the foreground. Thewatchful wolf is halfway obscuredby a granite block. This is exactlythe way we so often see wolves,standing with dignity but caution,only partially in view.

How can you find the wolf artthat would please you most? Thesimplest way is to look at manypaintings until you find an image that stirs your heart. But a few obser-vations about the different wolf artstyles might help define your tastes.

When wolves first appeared inwildlife art, the fashion was to makethem highly colorful and distinctfrom their surroundings. Artistsemphasized the rich browns presentin the pelts of many wolves, height-ening that effect by bathing thescenes in golden sunlight.

As the wildlife art market hasmatured, the trend has been towardmore somber, naturalistic paintings.The popularity of this more somberand natural art style owes much to Robert Bateman. The wolves inBateman’s paintings blend so perfectly

There are three good ways to buya limited-edition print.

The traditional way is to visit awildlife art gallery to examine whatthey have in stock or listed in catalogs.These galleries are popular enoughthat many wolf fans will find one—or perhaps several—nearby.

The newest way to shop for wolfart is via the Internet. Just direct asearch engine to find “wolf paintings,”

and it will come up with manyhundred hits. Two Internetgalleries featuring wolf art are the Birchwood Gallery(www.birch.mb.ca) and WorldWide Art (www.world-wide-art.com). Both galleries let you playwith various combinations ofprints, mats and frames on yourmonitor until you find the mostattractive combination. Then youcan order the print along withframing and matting for one low price.

The most enjoyable way tobuy wolf art is to visit a wildlifeart show. Wildlife artists attendsuch shows because they love to chat with people who sharetheir passion for wildlife and art.By visiting an art show you cancome home with a print and a

great story about how it came to becreated. These shows are advertisedin magazines like Wildlife Art News.

Two of my friends make a point of collecting the work of artists whohave supported wolf restoration.Because so many wildlife artists havebeen generous in their support ofwolves, there are too many names totry to list them here. Any greatpainting of wolves can bring its ownerjoy. The pleasure of owning a reallyspecial wolf painting is all the sweeterif you know the artist has personallycontributed to the welfare of wolves. ■

Steve Grooms is a writer living in SaintPaul, Minnesota, USA who recentlyrevised his book, The Return of the Wolf.

with their environment that youmight need to look hard to see them. Similarly, John Seerey-Lester’s“Frozen Moonlight” depicts threewonderfully spooky and indistinctwolves in dim blue light.

Wolf art can also be placed on a continuum running from theextremely romantic to the extremelyrealistic. Artists like Bateman, Seerey-Lester, Carl Brenders and Dan Smith

(cover art) paint in the muted tonesof the highly realistic art. But manywolf fans love the spirit, symbolismand romance of wolves. Romanticpaintings might combine the imageof a wolf with that of a NativeAmerican or show a wolf packhowling with a display of northernlights blazing behind them.

And, of course, many paintingsfall in between the extremes of realismand romanticism. No single style is“right” or “better” than any other. To my eye, most painted wolves areplumper and more contented lookingthan the wild wolves I’ve seen. Butthat’s just my taste. If you like a wolfpainting, it is the right one for you.

“In recentdecades

wildlife arthas been oneof the liveliestsectors of theart world.”


Because there are so many paintings of wolves on the market today, you can choose one that matches your ideal vision of wolves.

For example, many people now have observed wolves at

Yellowstone Park. There are wolf paintings that specifically

use Yellowstone’s beauty as the backdrop. John Banovich’shandsome “The Return” is anexample. John Seerey-Lester hasat least one Yellowstone painting.

Many artists have painted arcticwolves well. Among them are Al Agnew, Carl Brenders, RobertBateman and John Seerey-Lester.

Some artists have painted wolvesin Alaskan or Canadian settings.

Perhaps the biggest challenge isto find red wolf art. For currentinformation, contact the Aubrey White at the Red WolfCoalition, Box 2318, Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948-2318.

Silent Witness ©Robert Bateman Artwork courtesy of the artists and art print publisher Mill Pond Press, Venice, FL 34292 For additional information, call 800-535-0331.

Which Wolf, Which Background?Purchase beautiful

wildlife art and support the survival

of wolves. Check out our newweb art gallery at

www.wolf.org.


b y M I C H A E L J . R O B I N S O N

Mexican WolfFate TeetersBetween Science and Politics

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The saga of the troubledMexican gray wolf recoveryprogram can be tracedthrough the life of M166, a

seven-year-old male lobo who atbirth in the Wild Canid Survival andResearch Center in Eureka, Missouri,was given the more romantic andeven hopeful name, Rio, “river” in Spanish.

Until recently, every knownMexican wolf was born in captivity,the progeny of the last five wildwolves trapped in Mexico between1977 and 1980, interbred with twolineages already held in captivity in the U.S. An emergency captivebreeding program raised the world’sMexican wolf population to around200 animals, but until reintroductionbegan in March, 1998, there were no wolves known in the wild ineither Mexico or the southwesternUnited States.

Rio was one of the first elevenanimals released that historic spring.The recovery area for the Mexicanwolf comprises 4.4 million acres,split between the Apache NationalForest in Arizona and the GilaNational Forest in New Mexico.Unlike Yellowstone National Parkand central Idaho, more than two-thirds of the Mexican wolf recoveryarea is grazed by cattle; the Gila contains the largest chunk ofungrazed terrain and three-quartersof the recovery area.

However, to meet the oppositionof the livestock industry-dominatedNew Mexico Game Commission,wolves from the captive populationwould only be released in the Arizonaportion of the recovery area, withallowance for translocating animalsinto New Mexico following theirrecapture from the wild.

A second equally-unprecedentedmanagement provision, also demandedby ranchers, called for removal of any wolves that establish territoriesoutside of the recovery area—even on other public lands and even if the wolves are not killing livestock.

Finally, in contrast to theNorthern Rocky Mountain WolfRecovery Plan, there are no provi-sions requiring livestock operators toassume any responsibility forcleaning up the carcasses of cattlethat die from other causes beforewolves scavenge on them andbecome habituated to stock. In theSouthwest, where many allotmentsare grazed year-round, it is notuncommon to stumble upon dozensof dead cattle that succumbed to starvation, disease and other factors.

Shortly after the first elevenpioneering Mexican wolves werereleased in the Apache NationalForest, they started getting shot. Rio’smate was one of five wolves killedwithin half a year. A sixth wolf disappeared and is presumed dead,and Rio’s pup, thought to be the firstMexican wolf born in the wild in theU.S. in over 70 years, disappearedand is also presumed dead after its

mother was shot. (There has beenone conviction from these [first] fiveshootings - that of James Rogers, amember of a local ranching family,who served four months in prison.)

Over the next two years, Rio wassuccessively provided four newmates, the first of which was killed bya mountain lion and the next tworecaptured after showing insufficientfear of humans. But the last matedisplayed suitable wild behavior: Thepair avoided people and domesticanimals. Then they crossed out of the recovery area.

As a result, Rio and this last matefound themselves back in captivity.After four months, they were re-released in the Gila National Forestin December, 2000. But the once-established pair split up shortly aftertheir release.

Rio’s experience wasn’t unusual.Three other packs were released inArizona but recaptured and held incaptivity for several months, and twoof those have been re-released. Eachsplit apart after re-release, with mostof those animals subsequently recap-tured, killed in vehicular hit-and-runincidents, or dying or disappearingsuspiciously.

0 100 200

Experimental PopulationArea Boundary

Miles

The recovery area for the Mexican wolf comprises 4.4 million acres, split between the Apache National Forest in Arizona and the Gila National Forest in New Mexico.

Recovery Area

that required the amputation of the alpha female’s leg(perhaps a factor in that pack’sdissolution upon re-release and her eventual disappearance and presumed demise.)

Then, in May of this year,Rio and his mate re-united andbegan killing cattle, leading to their recapture in June.They have been separated in captivity, and Rio has beenassigned a new mate–his sixth–in preparation for anotherrelease.

The Mexican wolf recoveryarea spread across parts of twostates aptly illustrates thedifference a state line canmake. In Arizona, wherewolves have been releaseddirectly from the captive popu-lation, five packs with around25 wolves are now established,and several litters of pups

have been born this year. But in NewMexico only one pair survives.

In June, 2001, four biologists ledby Dr. Paul Paquet, released an 86-page study of the first three yearsof the reintroduction. The scientistsconcluded that “survival and recruit-ment rates . . . are far too low to ensurepopulation growth or persistence.Without dramatic improvement inthese vital rates, the wolf populationwill fall short of predictions forupcoming years.”

They recommend eliminating artificial management boundaries.“By far the most important andsimplest change the Service canmake,” they write, is “obtaining theauthority to conduct initial releasesin the . . . Gila National Forest.”They also recommend allowingwolves that are not “managementproblems” to roam freely outside the


During Rio and his mate’s peregri-nations alone in the first half of 2001,each separately scavenged on live-stock carcasses. A rancher refused to allow Fish and Wildlife Servicebiologists to remove a bull Rio hadbeen feeding on, even though thebull (when alive) was not supposedto have been in that part of thenational forest. He was one of anumber of trespass cattle in the area;a necropsy revealed he had died froma fall–not from wolf predation.

This also is not atypical. The firstthree wolf packs to be recaptured hadeach scavenged on cattle. One pack’sscavenging had taken place in a regionclosed to grazing by the Forest Servicebut with cattle still present in defianceof that order. Two of those packs wenton to kill cattle. The third pack wasrecaptured to prevent possible futuredepredations, resulting in an injury

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recovery area, noting that “in sharpcontrast with the Service’s approachelsewhere, the Mexican wolf project developed a rule that requireswolves to be removed from publicand private land outside the . . .recovery area, even in the absence of a problem.”

Another recommendation is to“Require livestock operators on public land to take some responsibility for carcass management/disposal to reduce the likelihood that wolvesbecome habituated to feeding on livestock.” They note that “At least 3 packs were removed from the wild because they scavenged on deadlivestock left on national forest lands.Such scavenging may predisposewolves to eventually prey on livestock.”

Unfortunately, Mexican wolveshave seldom benefited from scien-tific-based decision-making. The firstFish and Wildlife Service Mexicanwolf recovery coordinator lost his job in 1999 when he proposedallowing wolves from captivity to be released in the Gila. After ClintonAdministration officials finally agreedto this change, the agency failed tofollow through with the requisiteamendment to the management rule,and still has not initiated the legalprocess to do so.

Now, rancher-congressman JoeSkeen (R-NM), infuriated by thescientists’ recommendations, ispushing legislation to conduct a newstudy of the recovery program to beconducted by non-biologists.

Whether sonorous howls willcontinue to echo along southwesterncanyon walls will depend on whetherpolitics continues to hold sway or whether we finally heed the scien-tists’ warnings. For North America’smost imperiled mammal, the stakescouldn’t be higher. ■

Michael Robinson represents theCenter for Biological Diversity andlives in Pinos Altos, NM, on the edgeof the Gila National Forest. He iscompleting a book tracing the politicaland cultural history of the federal wolf extermination campaign. For up-to-date coverage of the Mexican wolf,see http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/swcbd/species/mexwolf/wolf.html.

(Cyberspace that is)www.wolf.org

700 web pagesHere you will find volumes of information. Biology, bibliography, scientificabstracts, studies and reports. News on wolf populations around the world.Telemetry, event listings, photos and WolfWatch, our live wolf cam. Plus updates onour resident pack in Ely, Minnesota, U.S.A.And these features: USDA WildlifeServices Livestock Depredation Reports,and polls where you can state your opinion on a variety of wolf issues.


Rhode Island ElementarySchool Reaching out to Wolves

Word of wolves was spoken recentlyby the children, teachers and

parents of Primrose Hill ElementarySchool in Rhode Island. Students fromfirst, second, and third grade classes becameinterested in wolves earlier in the yearthrough their teacher, Laura Butler. Laura hadtalked to the kids about the wolf and hadobtained information to share with the class from theInternational Wolf Center’s website.

In the fall, when the school decided to have a bake sale,the students voted on where they wanted their hard-earnedmoney to go. The children, remembering the website andthe International Wolf Center from their studies earlier inthe year, decided that they wanted to use the money to go to Lakota through the adopt-a-wolf program. The studentsthen collaborated with their parents and other teachers to hold a very successful bake sale.

They soon realized that they had made more thanenough money for the adopt-a-wolf program, and decidedtogether to donate the rest of the money earned to theInternational Wolf Center. In the end, the students not only helped support Lakota through the adopt-a-wolfprogram, but also donated over $200 to the InternationalWolf Center.

Their efforts have definitely not gone unnoticed. TheInternational Wolf Center sincerely appreciates the work ofeach and every one of the people that helped raise funds forLakota and the International Wolf Center. To show itsappreciation and to encourage Primrose Elementary Schoolto remain involved with wolves and the International WolfCenter, a membership in the name of teacher Laura Butlerwas given to the school.

Amber Tamblyn, a young actress who played

the character, “EmilyBowman Quartermaine” onthe American soap opera,General Hospital, has beenconcerned for the survivalof wolves since she was achild. Her enthusiasm forwolves was evident fromher dressing room. It wasdecorated with wolf posters

and photos, and on herdoor was a sign, “Little RedRiding Hood Lied.” Amberhas been a member of theInternational Wolf Centerfor years and furtherdemonstrated her devotionto wolves when her role onthe soap opera ended andshe decided that herfarewell party would be an event to benefit theInternational Wolf Center.

Amber hos t ed apancake breakfast with aKung-Fu theme. Thechoice of the theme wasAmber’s way of contin-uing a running joke onher website. She hadgarnered a reputation forbattling verbally onissues that were impor-tant to her—somethingthat earned her the name“Kung-Fu Princess”among her online fanclub members. Ambercertainly rose to the challenge of championingwolves with this creativeevent.

INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER

Notes From Home

Above: AmberTamblyn, GeneralHospital actress, a wolf enthusiastsince childhood,hosted a benefit forthe InternationalWolf Center.

Right: AmberTamblyn and friends.

Actress Amber Tamblyn Hosts Benefit for International Wolf Center


When the InternationalWolf Center learned

that public libraries acrossthe state of Minnesota had set the theme, “Wolfin’Down Books,” it saw anopportunity to broaden itsaudience through readingprograms.

Speakers from theCenter’s Speakers’ Bureauwent everywhere from farmcommunities in southernMinnesota to towns alongthe Iron Range, and fromone-room libraries close to the South Dakota borderto an auditorium nearRochester’s medical center.Interior locations for thepresentations varied from acorner amidst crowdedbook shelves to city-councilchambers.

The p rogram wasdes igned for fami l ies .

A t t e n d a n c e i n c l u d e dtoddlers too young to stay inany one place long, elemen-tary-school children whohad been reading books fromthe varied library displays,youth fresh from studies ofwolves in school, and adultswho had a life-long fascina-tion with “Canis lupus.”

As is so often the case,participants opened thedoor for exciting learningopportunities. They askedquestions such as “Arethere any wolves aroundhere?” “Could I get a tamewolf?” “When can peoplebegin to kill wolves?” Oneof the more challengingquestions was “How do youtell the difference betweenmale and female wolves?”

R e s p o n s e s t o t h eprograms were encourag-ingly positive.

The Wolf World Will Also Miss Ralph Bailey

Ralph E. Bailey, a former International Wolf Center board member, passed away June 23, 2001. Bailey, a

resident of Marquette, Michigan since 1965, became a boardmember in the mid-1980s and served for several years.

During his tenure on the board Bailey was a strong advocate for public education about wolves. He had a great passion for the outdoors and conservation; his interest in fishing, hiking, backpacking, camping, and hunting influenced his life and career.

Bailey completed his Bachelor of Science degree in WildlifeManagement at the University of Minnesota. He startedworking for the Michigan Department of Conservation in1947, beginning a career that would span 37 years.

He was involved in research and theFarm Game program in his early years,moving on in the 1950’s to becomeDistrict Wildlife Biologist at the Jackson District Office, overseeing wildlife programs in anumber of southern Michigancounties.

In 1965, the Department of Conservation became theD e p a r t m e n t o f N a t u r a lResources, and Ralph took over asRegional Wildlife Biologist inMarquette, overseeing all wildlife programsin the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (UP). Before his retire-ment in 1984, his major accomplishments included layingthe groundwork for the reintroduction of moose in thecentral UP, a program that has been a great wildlife success.He was also chair of the federal government’s EasternTimber Wolf Recovery Team from its inception in 1974through approval of the last Recovery Plan in 1992.

Bailey will be greatly missed by family, friends and thestaff at the International Wolf Center. His contributions towildlife will always be remembered. ■

A poster from “Wolfin’ Down Books. The International Wolf CenterSpeakers Bureau joined with libraries across the state of Minnesotafor this highly successful summer reading program.

Wolfin’ Down Books

Ralph Bailey


Major DonorsBarbara Apgar

Paul Bridson and Kelly Sargent

Robert Halley

Catherine D. Brown

Laura Butler

Eric A. Carlson

Lynn Ebberly

Falcon Trading Company Inc

Ellen M. Gigliotti

Robert Halley

Charles Heck

Jack and Phyllis Heck

Carol Hodges

Book Hower

Patricia Huston

Neil N. Hutt

Dorothy Kanehl

David Mech

Patty J. Miller

Dolores Ann Nesbit

Martin and Linda Orro

Karen L. Pajari

Cornelius and Yvonne Pettinga

Primrose Hill

Elementary School

Linda Pritle

Deborah Ann Reynolds

Cherie Russell

Lynn E. Eberly and J. Andrew Scherrer

Isabelle Dee Suminoe-Ku

Amber Tamblyn

Wolf EnclosureDonationsCatherine D. Brown

Robert Carlson

Barbara Chance

Rick and Lauren Coffman

Henry S. Crosby

Brian and Ellen Dietz

Nancy Gibson and RonSternal

J. Parker Hall

Johanna Goering

Deborah Ann Reynolds

Jolene and GeneRoehlkepartain

Twin Spruce Foundation

Nancy jo Tubbs

HonoraryIn Honor of Blanka GlosGeorge Glos

In Honor of Linda LandisNortheast Utilities

In Honor of Erik Nelson and Lisa LedwidgeN. Paul Nelson

MemorialsIn Memory of Ralph Bailey:Walter and DorothyBreckenridge

Susan R. Clark

William C. Hickling

Carol Hyder

Kathryn Kenyon

David Mech

Rolf and Candy Peterson

Loyd G. Schemenauer

Marion Sonderegger

In Memory of Gus the Siberian Husky:Michael and Rosalyn S. Jordan

In Memory of Nesbit Siekkinen:Norma Arnold Butler

Mary D. McKelvey

Jean V. Ruth and Linda Vineyard

In Memory of Tom Speros:Ben Agar and Julee Caspers Agar

Larry Anderson

Paul Anderson

Tom Dwight

Nancy Gibson

Neil Hutt

George Knotek and Diane Jensen

Terry and Sue Kuzma

David Mech

Walter and MaryBeth Medwid

Mary and Gene Ortiz

Rolf and Candy Peterson

Teri Williams

In Memory of Christopher Yearling:Roland and Beryl Schmitz

Matching GiftsGrainger Matching CharitableGifts Program

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visitors to the center asked“How do the wolves handlethe heat, especially forShadow and Malik? (theArctic subspecies).

There are three maintraits that allow wolves, andmost other canids, to remaincool through the summerheat. The first is the patternof shedding. There are twotypes of hair on a wolf,guard hairs, those long hairsthat dictate the color of

the pelt and the under-coat, tightly mattedhairs that keep animalsw a r m a n d d r y .Beginning in early June,wolves at the Centerbegin to shed theirthick undercoat. Bymid-July, usually justthe guard hairs remain.This summer, Malik,Mackenzie and Lucascompletely shed theiru n d e r c o a t w h i l eShadow and Lakotamaintained a thick ruffof undercoat aroundtheir neck, called apartial shed.

Depending on awol f ’s geograph iclocation and individualc h a r a c t e r i s t i c s , acomplete or partial shed may occur. Arcticwolves may partiallyshed, while Mexican

Tracking the Pack

wolves shedc o m p l e t e l y.After a completeshed, the insu-lating effect ofthe undercoat isgone, allowingthe wolves to be cooler. Incontrast, by onlypartially shed-ding, a wolf canstay warm evenif summer turnscold such as isoften the case inthe Arctic.

The secondtrait that helps

keep wolves cool is theirability to pant. Evidently itwas more important for awolf to keep warm in winterthan cool in summer, sincethey have a thick coat withno sweat glands on theirbody; they only have sweatglands on their paws. So,instead of sweating like

humans do, wolves pant.When panting, the tongueremains moist and allowsheat to escape throughevaporation, thus coolingthe wolf.

The wolf’s third trait thathelps them remain cool istheir tendency to remaininactive during the warmestpart of the day, preferably ina freshly dug hole. Thisbehavior best represents theclassic “Wolf Days ofSummer.” Thus on a typicalsummer day, the wolves atthe Center will be sleepingin cool comfortable beds,attempting to keep theircool during the summerheat. ■

Have you heard theexpression “Dog Days

of summer”? Those hotsummer days best spentlying on the porch? At theInternational Wolf Centerin Ely, we have experienced

the same behavior in ourambassador pack of wolves.The summer of 2001 will be remembered for theunusually hot daytimetemperatures. As the mercuryreached 90+ degrees, summer

Wolf Days of Summerb y L o r i S c h m i d t , W o l f C u r a t o r

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Lucas pants to keep cool. Pantingallows the tongue to remain moistand helps heat to escape throughevaporation, which cools the wolf.

Lucas naps in a cool comfortablebed of dirt and leaves in order tostay cool on a hot summer day.

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Some 600-700 wolvessurvive in Saudi Arabia.

Most of the known range ofthese wolves extends along

the Red Sea coast wheretheir main prey are sheep,goats, chickens and garbage.

Because of the widedistribution and importanceof livestock herding, wolvesare not popular in SaudiArabia. A survey in therecent “Distribution, Statusand Conservation of theWolf (Canis lupus) in SaudiArabia”, published by theKing Khal id Wildl i feResearch Center, SaudiArabia, and three coopera-tors shows that the onlyrespondents expressingpositive attitudes towardwolves included a biologistand some civil service

employees. The rest, mainlyherders whose lives dependon livestock, cited damageto domestic animals as theirreason for killing wolves.Interestingly, few of theseherders expressed fear thatw o l v e s m i g h t h a r mhumans. Some of them evendescribed the wolf as a“strong and clever animal”with the power to keepaway “genies”, supernaturalbeings capable of assuminghuman and animal forms.“It is better,” said a few ofthe herders, “to have somewolves around if they donot attack animals.”

Nevertheless, wolves inSaudi Arabia have no legalstatus, and they suffer a highdegree of direct persecution.A few herders admittedusing poison, but mostwolves are shot and their

Left: Because of the wide distribution andimportance of livestockherding, wolves are notpopular in Saudi Arabia.

Above: Wolves in Saudi Arabia haveno legal status, and they suffer ahigh degree of direct persecution.

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W O LV E S I N S A U D I A R A B I A

A Struggle for Survival


carcasses are often hung ontrees. In addition to adver-tising the skill of the hunter,herders hope this practicewill scare away other wolves.Pieces of liver, believed tohave medicinal value, aresometimes extracted fromthe dead wolves.

If any wolf conservationinitiatives are to succeed inSaudi Arab ia , conf l i c tbetween herders and wolvesmust be reduced. Mostherders interviewed said t h e y d o i n c o r p o r a t emeasures to protect domesticanimals. These includesurveillance of grazinganimals, pens to encloseanimals at night, and the use of guard dogs. Nomadicherders do not, however,shelter their animals in effective enclosures.

Direct persecution nodoubt takes a toll, althought h e w o l f p o p u l a t i o ncontinues to survive. Therecent status report pointsout that much needs to bedone in the way of acomprehensive approach to livestock depredation,the establishment of specificlaws regarding wolves andother carnivores and educa-tion and public awareness.

W O LV E S I N G E R M A N Y

“A DelightfulCulturalEvent”

The first wild wolves inover 100 years have

been born in Germany. Thethree pups belong to a packof six wolves living on amilitary training site ineastern Germany near thePolish and Czech border.Wolves have been extinct inGermany since the 19thCentury, and news of theirreturn has caused whatOliver Matla, president oft h e G e r m a n W o l fAssociation, described as ahuge wave of euphoria.

Ranchers as well as envi-ronmentalists are excited.Dieter Tanneberger, presi-dent of the Society ofPrivate Ranchers, called thediscovery of the pack a“delightful cultural event.”Tanneberger is not worriedabout the wolves. Wolvesare shy, he said, and theylive in a very remote area.Nevertheless, the GermanWol f Assoc ia t ion i scautioning ranchers againstbelieving there is no chancewolves will prey on live-stock. “The attitude towardwolves is extremely posi-tive,” Matla said, “but we all know how fast this canchange to the extremeoppos i te . ” The SaxonMinistry for Environmenthas announced it will make

compensation payments ifthe wolves kill sheep.

The presence of the packis exciting news for conser-vationists who hope thewolf’s return will encouragethe preservation of wildlands in Saxony, one of thefew regions in Germanywhere wolves have a chance to establish a popu-lation. Meanwhile theMinistry for Environmenthas warned the public andthe media not to enter thehighly restricted trainingsite. Every effort is beingmade to ensure that thewolves remain undisturbedwhile they raise their pups.

T h e G e r m a n Wo l fAssociation is contactinglocal forest service rangers

and hunting associations forinformation about sightingsso estimates about actualwolf numbers can be made.Some sources in the regionhave said that wolves mayhave inhabited the area forseveral years, but theseearlier reports are uncon-firmed. Matla is cautiousabout making populationestimates, however. “Wehave a few single commutingwolves that travel back and forth across the bordersto Poland and the CzechRepublic,” he said, “and thismakes it even harder tomake a good guess.”

Saxony islocated near the border ofPoland and theCzech Republicand is home to the first wild wolves inGermany in thelast 100 years.

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number of “family groups”in southern Scandinavia hadbeen reduced from 12 to 10.He noted also that thenumber of territorial pairshad increased from 4 to atleast 5. Bjarvall estimatedthe maximum Scandinavianpopulation at 84-100 wolveswith a maximum of 64-78 inSweden where local biolo-gists believe that at least 200animals are needed tosustain the species.

The summer of 2001began quietly, but in earlyJuly at least 20-30 sheepwere killed in the townshipof Rendalen in the area of another wolf pack, theKoppang / Rendalen pack.Authorities reported anaddit ional 100 sheepmissing.

In response, the DNissued permits to kill up to4 wolves in the Koppang/Rendalen pack by July 30,2001. According to JohnLinnell, Research Ecologistfor the Norwegian Institutefor Nature Research, nowolves had been killed as of the last week in July. Linnell pointed out thathunting in summer i salmost impossible becausemonitoring is mainly basedon snow tracking.

Meanwhile, the mayor ofRendalen claimed thegovernment had done littleto combat the growing wolf problem despite thehunt last winter. LeonhardMikalsen, team leader of thewinter hunt, disagreed. “Itis a difficult job,” Mikalsensaid. “Wolves are smart andhave good instincts.”

W O LV E S I N N O RWAY

AnotherWolf HuntUnderway

Norway’s winter wolfhunt, reported in the

Summer 2001 issue ofInternational Wolf, was con-ducted between February10th and April 6th, 2001.The hunt spurred harshcriticism around the world.E-mails protesting plans tokill 10 wolves were sent tothe Norwegian Directorateof Nature (DN), and conser-vation organizations filedlawsuits. Wolf supporters in Norway formed groups of singing skiers andconducted noisy dog sledraces to disrupt the hunt.News crews arrived to filmthe events, and travelerswere urged to avoid therural townships of Stor-Elvdal and Rendalen as wellas the eastern Norwegiancommunity of Koppang asvacation destinations.

Despite the outcry, 9 ofthe 10 wolves in the Antdalpack were shot by licensedhunters at a final cost of$331,200. The 10th wolf,affectionately named Martinfor the Norwegian wolfconservation campaignerand race rally driver MartinSchanche, managed toescape the helicopters andt h e t e a m o f t r a c k e r s authorized to exterminatethe pack.

Anders Bjarvall, Swedishrepresentative to the WorldConservation Union’s WolfSpecialist Group, reportedthat in late April, 2001 the

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W O LV E S I N T H EU N I T E D S TAT E S

The Last Best Place?

The southern Rockiesecoregion covers an

area nearly the size ofMaine. Falling principallyin Colorado, it extends fromnorthern New Mexico tosouthern Wyoming andincludes vast tracts ofpublic land with abundantprey for wolves. Biologistsmaintain that the region can support at least 1,000wolves. The SouthernRockies Wolf RestorationProject (SRWRP), repre-senting 17 member groups,recently released opinionpoll results indicating thatthe majority of residents in Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico (66% of thosepolled) support wolf restora-tion in the southern Rockies.

A panel of scientific advisors to the SRWRP(including International WolfCenter board members Dave Mech, Rolf Petersonand Mike Phillips) haswritten a joint letter to

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Secretary of the Interior GaleNorton, Colorado GovernorBill Owens and New MexicoGovernor Gary Johnson. Theletter outlines the objectivesof the proposed recoveryeffort and requests a meetingto develop a plan. In addition,the SRWRP will involve inputfrom local people includingranchers and from organiza-tions like the ColoradoCattlemen’s Association andthe New Mexico Farm andLivestock Bureau.

But numerous obstacleswill have to be overcome ifthe SRWRP is to succeed.First, the U.S Fish andWildlife Service (USFWS) is reluctant. USFWS pointsout that the successful rein-troduction of wolves to thenorthern Rockies alreadyensures the species’ survivalin the 48 contiguous states.S e c o n d l y, C o l o r a d o ’sgovernor and the statewildlife commission havevoiced opposition to thereturn of the predator to thisportion of its former range.Furthermore, critics say, theopinion poll was funded byenvironmental groups andfailed to show opposition by farming and ranching

citizens. In addition,Tom Compton of theColorado Cattlemen’sAssociation claimsthat heavy summeruse of the state’s backcounty makesColorado “a poorplace for wolves.”Finally, Coloradolegislators last yearprohibited the statewildlife agency fromspending money tore int roduce anyspecies.

If the SRWRP is to goforward, one key to successwill be a management planthat includes a publ ic l i ves tock-depreda t ioncompensation program aswell as expansion of privatecompensation programssuch as the one offered by Defenders of Wildlife.Another key would be aplan to track and controlproblem wolves. The TurnerEndangered Species Fundhas said it would fund sucha plan. For their part, live-stock owners would have toheed the increasing demandby taxpayers that rancherstake more responsibility forwise use of public lands.

Tom France, NationalWildl i fe Federat ion ’sNorthern Rockies director isoptimistic about the SRWRP.“Protecting wildlife such as wolves and the wild placesthey call home will provideimportant educationalopportunities for peoplethroughout the southernRockies,” he said. TurnerEndangered Species Funddirector Mike Phillipsagreed. “We all want to seethe balance of naturerestored in the southernRockies for our own andfuture generations,” he said.“Science has shown thatrestoring wolves is critical tomaintaining that balance.” ■

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The southern Rockies ecoregionextends from northern NewMexico to southern Wyoming andcan support at least 1,000 wolves.

The majority of residents inColorado, Arizona and NewMexico support wolf restoration in the southern Rockies.


began in 1986 and has continuedever since — a long-term study ofwildlife that is more the exceptionthan the rule. His studies and obser-vations there have produced a newlevel of information and under-standing about the wolf.

Bleak and barren. One gets theimpression that the High Arctic land-scape is just that while flying over ina small aircraft. Fellow passengersincluded several 55-gallon drums ofaircraft fuel, cardboard boxes of food,and camping and research equipmentall strapped together in “first class.”

Smoking was definitely not allowedand if one were to be so foolish, the hazards to one’s health wouldincrease substantially! Down below,ice choked every waterway, and theonly signs of summer were thenarrow leads of water spearing thefrozen surface dotted with distinc-tively sculpted icebergs that couldhave served as substitute Rorschachimages. The land exhibited a range ofsubtle colors, but the overall impres-sion was one of inhospitability,extreme remoteness and lifelessness.

Stones flew as the fat “tundratires” of the plane taxied to a dustyhalt. Off went our supplies andequipment, and soon we weremaking plans to set-up camp, cachefood supplies and begin the searchfor signs of wolves. On the ground, anew and slightly different set of

The thought of my returning toEllesmere Island triggered awave of visual images about

this most unique and inspiring land-scape of Canada’s High Arctic. Eventhough I wouldn’t be returning to theNational Park portion of the Islandwhere I had backpacked in 1997 and1998, the idea of again visiting thenorthern edge of lifeforms, a placewith some of the most magnificent,artful and geologically intriguinglandscapes where I could assist with a classic fifteen-year study of an arctic wolf family by renownedbiologist Dave Mech, had me excit-edly tracking down my heavy wintergear weeks early. I took the trip asboth an honor and a rare privilege tocamp for two weeks amongst themusk oxen, the tundra hummocks,the spectacular alpine flora and hopefully, any survivors of the nowfamous wolf family of EllesmereIsland. Dave’s research on this pack

Ellesmere Island-in search of wolves at the top of the worldb y W a l t e r M e d w i d , E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r

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Because of the very dry climate, organicmatter such as these musk ox bones, can lastfor decades without much deterioration,making age estimates highly suspect.


impressions takes over. First there’sthe strong, cold winds coming off the fjord and then the surprisingvisual array of arctic flowers liberally sprinkled over portions of the rollinglandscape, which by the way couldbe viewed for miles as no treesobstructed the view. Arctic poppy,Arctic dryad, heather, and purplesaxifrage gave evidence to the narrowzone of plant life that existed sandwiched between the desertconditions above and the permafrostbelow. Actually there were lots oftrees, specifically Arctic willow that,while numerous, grew to a heightmeasurable only in fractions of aninch rather than feet. Their branchesliterally hugged the ground andavoided any attempt at height. As far as wildlife was concerned, wemade no sightings in the first coupleof days. However, the numeroustracks (mostly musk oxen and atleast one fresh set of wolf tracks) andthe numerous droppings gave proof that they were certainly around.Nevertheless, because of the very dryclimate-a polar desert- organic matterincluding bones can last for decadeswithout much deterioration, thusmaking age estimates highly suspect.Another enticing element of this

l a n d s c a p ew a s t h epresence ofnumerous marine fossils and petri-fied wood that made the search forfresh wolf tracks that much more of a challenging treasure hunt.

The mystery and the chief suspectof why we were not seeing morewildlife unfolded over our first few days of searching the area. We encountered several winter-killedmusk oxen (eventually we wouldfind 17 carcasses) whose bone fatcontent was exhausted. It was diffi-cult to view the remains of the adults,but the dead calves were a particu-larly sad sight as one’s mind imagineswhat their last days would have beenlike. Further evidence of a particu-larly harsh winter was the extremelylow number of arctic hares (ourcount was less than a dozen), and thecomplete absence of leverets (younghares). In previous years, musk oxenand hares numbered in the hundreds.With little or no prey available, thewolves either died or moved on toparts of the island that may not haveexperienced quite so harsh a winter.The one creature that seemed toweather the winter well was the arcticfox. They visited our camp and were

regularly seen on our exploratoryhikes. Perhaps the lemming popula-tion was in an upward swing fuelingthe fox population.

Our search of three former wolfden sites proved fruitless as far asfresh signs of wolves were concerned.But while we were disappointed, thatemotion was overshadowed by some-thing else. I will confess to feelingthat I was on hallowed ground at thedens…especially the one featured soprominently in Dave’s two books onthe arctic wolves. Replaying thepictures from the books of the adultwolves and the pups, finding bits andpieces of bone left over from previousand countless meals taken at the site(one bone from that same spot wascarbon dated at over 800 years old),and knowing that through a verylong period in history this specialspot was home to generation aftergeneration of some remarkableanimals, this alone made the lengthytrip a dream come true. Similar feel-ings arose while searching anothertraditional den site that I nicknamedthe grotto. It had a rock garden feel

Walter Medwid investigates a former wolf den site (above) and(right) enjoys the breathtaking view of Canada’s artful and geologically intriguing landscape.Photos by Dave Mech

continued on page 21


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about it, and the alpine heather wasespecially luxuriant there. Both sitescommanded impressive panoramicviews of the surrounding landscape-had that been a factor for the siteselection committee?

I should add here that on one of our extended hikes, we discoveredanother dramatic outcropping of rock high on a mountainside. Whilethis was not home to wolves, thesignificant build up of white streakingon several rocky ledges, and a few telltale white feathers at the base,indicated that this too was an historicnesting site of Ellesmere’s onlynesting raptor, the gyrfalcon. Like the wolf’s spectacular panoramas, generations of gyrfalcons have beguntheir life overlooking a landscape that could challenge a school of land-scape artists.

Visiting these historic sites had aprofound impact on me for reasonsthat elude me. Perhaps it was thatonly a handful of people has everwalked this ground or that in ourculture we are surrounded by suchrapid change and that these sitesspoke to the centuries. Maybe it wasthat, here, natural forces-as brutal as they might be-were the controllinginfluence on these animals whereasin so much of the world human influences play such a significant role with so many species. Regardlessthe reason, these sacred sites areindelibly etched in my mind.

For certain, to watch wolves inthis setting and over an extendedperiod would have been a highlightof my life. I can only imagine what itwould be like for these wolves to goabout their business while I watchedtheir every movement from up close.The pictures in the books will haveto do. And while I experienced a bitof disappointment about missing that

Personal Encountercontinued from page 21


experience, for a very brief moment I was a part of a unique environmentthat is home to rare arctic wolves,polar bears and musk oxen, and birdsthat have traveled thousands ofdangerous miles to nest underprecarious conditions; an environ-ment that once was a rich tropicalforest, that hosted ancient peopleswho left many visible reminders oftheir presence, and where glaciersand permafrost and the tilt of theearth create the rules for all life. Icould hardly have asked for more. ■

Left: Flowers such as Arctic poppy, Arctic dryad, heather, and purple saxifrageare found sprinkled over the rolling landscape.Below: Evidence of a particularly harsh winter was the extremely low numberof arctic hares and the complete absence of young hares.Photos by Walter Medwid

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authors all give good summaries ofgeneral information on wolf biology,ecology, and conservation. Readerscan get a quick overview of a varietyof topics and then consult the refer-ences for a more scholarly, in depthplunge, into specific topics. I stronglyrecommend that school and publiclibraries get this book – it has answersto a lot of questions we get fromschool children seeking help withterm papers and similar projects.

The book is brightened through-out by a generous sprinkling of colorpictures and colorful anecdotes, suchas Mech describing how he paid atrapper $100 out of his own pocketso the trapper would allow him torelease a wolf from the man’strapline, after he fitted it with a newradio collar. When the sametrapper later caught another radiocollared wolf, it was too much of a fiscal nightmare for the U.S.Forest Service and the “ForestSupervisor Craig Rupp issued aspecial order protecting wolves on all federal land within theboundaries of the SuperiorNational Forest” (p. 20), or inthe last chapter (p. 114) whenhe describes what to do whena state legislature offers you a million dollars for a

Different authors who are all,including editor/author DaveMech, f ield researchers,

contributed chapters to this booksummarizing briefly the history ofwolf recovery and research inMinnesota and what problems arelikely to shape the futures of theseactivities. This is a large format bookwith lots of pictures and will be ofimmediate use to people who havestarted to take an interest in conser-vation and ecology or a specificinterest in wolves. It will also be ofuse to people who want the experts’ideas of the problems wolf conserva-tion faces in the twenty-first century.The book is relatively slender, but the


project near to your heart. (Accept.Promptly. Then negotiate later for the larger amount they originallymentioned.) Or the amusing situa-tion in chapter 8, where Steve Frittsdeals with the still-thorny question,why manage wolves instead of lettingnature balance itself. He talks aboutthe problems his team faced when he and his team were in charge ofdriving off or catching wolves whohad started to prey on livestock. Theytried non-lethal methods of predatorcontrol: “We hung surveyors’ flaggingon fences and trees in an attempt tomimic Europeans’ use of similar‘fladre’ to funnel wolves whilehunting them. Farmers laughed andcows ate the flagging.” (p. 94) Theyalso tried strobes and sirens, tasteaversion, and encouraged the farmersto use guard dogs. He says the only consistently effective methodwas trapping and euthanasia ofdepredating wolves.

Though the book’s focus is wolfresearch and conservation inMinnesota, author-editor Mech doesrange afield in giving a quick sketchof wolf research in the twentiethcentury. Sigurd Olson, whose earlystudies sparked an interest in wolfconservation, Young and Goldman,authors of Wolves of North America,Adolph Murie, whose book TheWolves of Mt. McKinley, is still aclassic. Mech states that later studiesof wolf social behavior have not somuch corrected Murie’s work asrefined it and added details. MiltStenlund started using planes tofollow and study wolves inMinnesota, and on Isle Royale,Durward Allen was studying wolvesand nurturing a number of promisingyoung biologists. (Readers whowould like to know more about thisperiod before the book’s editordispersed from The Island shouldread Dr. Allen’s book Wolves ofMinong. Dr. Allen was not only ahands-on field biologist, but also an

The Wolves of Minnesota, Howl in the Heartland edited by David Mech

b y P a t G o o d m a n n


accomplished writer whose prose is a pleasure to read.) Reminiscingbriefly about his time on Isle Royale,Mech remarks that the more he sawof the Isle Royale wolves the more hewondered how wolves on the main-land were organized. When donewith grad school, Mech dispersedand he found Minnesota. As he sayson page 42, “it was only natural thatI should settle in Minnesota.”

One of the reasons I am buyingthis book for my own library is that it is a book with good scientificcredentials, but in a “popular” style

that is not at all dry. It gives thelatest thoughts, in clear thumbnailsketches, on wolf social behavior(packs are not primarily huntingunits), hunting behavior (wolves can learn to take strange preywhether it is bison or livestock in the“bizarre surroundings” of barns andpaddocks), dispersal patterns (longdistance dispersers extend wolf rangewhile others keep a low profilewaiting for a vacancy in the existingterritories) and it says in so manywords that while wolves may takemice and other small prey, they donot live on mice alone (die annoyingfactoid, die). Another reason is thatit contains a very nice chapter byFred Harrington, whose work I have long admired, and that of twobiologists, Russell Rothman andRoger Peters, whose work on wolves’scent marking and mental maps oftheir territories were invaluable to meas a master’s degree candidate.

By the end of the book the readerwill have a more than a noddingacquaintance with this animal knownas “wolf” and also with the problemsof conserving the species in the future.

Unlike some popular works, theauthors and editors all have a hands-on acquaintance with the subject thatis only gained through years in thefield. Though this book is not amongthose which I have, on occasion,commanded readers to buy, it is onethat I recommend that they get as areadable summary of wolf conserva-tion progress and problems. ■

(This review was originally published in the2001/One issue of WOLF! Magazine, a quarterly publication of Wolf Park, in BattleGround, Indiana. For more information go to www.wolfpark.org)

Pat Goodmann is the head researchassociate at Wolf Park where she hasstudied wolf behavior in Wolf Park’scaptive pack for 25 years.

...it is a book with goodscientific credentials, but

in a “popular” style...

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WOLF DELISTING in thewestern US may have just been

expedited by the discovery of a newbreeding wolf pack in Idaho, theGold Fork Pack, 10-15 miles NE of McCall, ID. This makes 30 packsknown to have bred in Idaho,Wyoming, and Montana in 2000,thus starting the official countdownof 3 years during which at least 30breeding packs bred. Eligibility fordelisting wolves in this area from theEndangered Species List would comein December 2002, assuming thetrend continues.

AWOLVES E-MAIL NETWORK is a new interactive project of

the National Wildlife Federation for“wolf activists involved in NWF’swolf recovery efforts from around thecountry.” To receive free highlightsof NWF’s efforts toward wolfrecovery, e-mail [email protected].

WINTER HUNTING PAT-TERNS OF WOLVES in and

near Glacier National Park, Montana”is the name of a just-published technical article by Kyran Kunkel andDaniel H. Pletscher in the July 2001Journal of Wildlife Management. Thearticle analyzes the winter hunting

Idaho.” Four wolves were confirmedpoisoned by compound 1080 inIdaho, and Defenders of Wildlife andthe U. S. Fish and Wildlife Servicehave posted the reward. ContactSpecial Agent Paul Weyland, U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service at 208-378-5333 with any pertinent information.

THE RETURN OF THEWOLF: Reflections on the

Future of Wolves in the Northeast.”This new book of essays edited byBill McKibben, John B. Theberge,Kristin DeBoer, and Rick Bass(Middlebury College Press, $24.95)discusses possible wolf reintroduc-tion to the northeastern U.S. as wellas the complex biological and socialissues involved in such an attempt.

WOLF FRIEND MOVES ON.Hank Fischer, the Defenders

of Wildlife’s Northern Rockies repre-sentative who conceived the innova-tive idea of private organizationspaying compensation for wolf depre-dations on livestock, has left that posi-tion “to work more independently, toget involved with a wider variety ofpartners, and to engage in thoseprojects that interest me most.” Fischerintends to continue working for theconservation of large carnivores. ■

habits of wolves in areas inhabited bydeer, moose, and elk.

WOLF GUARDIANS are doingjust that in the Sawtooth

Mountains of central Idaho. A groupof volunteers , organized andequipped by Defenders of Wildlife,are helping save wolves by trying to prevent them from preying on sheep in the back country. TheGuardians hope to scare any wolvesoff that get the idea that sheep mightbe suitable prey. If wolves were to killthe sheep, they would be subject tolethal control by the government.

WOLF PUPS GALORE. Aminimum or 76 in Idaho and

67 in the Greater Yellowstone areahave been accounted for, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service believesthere were about 200 born this spring to an estimated 400 adults inthe northern Rockies. The Service’sweekly report about these wolves canbe viewed at www.wolf.org.

WOLF POISONERS BEWARE!A $20,000 reward has been

offered “for information leading tothe arrest and conviction of thoseresponsible for illegally poisoningendangered gray wolves in central

“

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In the year 2000, scientists esti-mated that at least one species ofplant or animal goes extinct every

20 minutes—that’s 26,280 speciesthat disappear every year!

The Endangered Species Act is aU.S. law passed in 1973 that identi-fies and protects plants and animalsin danger of extinction or threatenedby extinction in the foreseeablefuture. When a plant or animal isplaced on the list of endangered orthreatened species, the USFWSmakes plans to protect that speciesfrom disappearing forever.

In this issue of International Wolf,you can read about the Mexican Wolfand efforts to ensure it’s survival in the wild. The Mexican Wolf is asubspecies (one type of) gray wolf(Canis lupus). The other types of graywolves are not as close to extinction,but they have been exterminated frommost areas where they used to live in the United States.

One of the reasons why wolves no longer live in ecosystems wherethey used to roam free is becausepeople moved in and changed the

Back from the BrinkB y A n d r e a L o r e k S t r a u s s ,

Information & Education Director

ecosystem. For example, wolves used to inhabit all areas of Minnesota,but when cities and farms were devel-oped, wolves could no longer live in those areas. In addition, peoplefeared wolves, so they shot andpoisoned them to get rid of them.

The tables at right contain infor-mation about how populations ofhumans and animals have changedsince the 1700s. Make a chart of thedata and ask yourself:■ What trend do you see in animal

populations over time?■ What trend do you see in human

populations over time?■ How might animals and humans

affect each other to cause thesechanges?

■ Do you predict the trends willchange or stay the same in thenext 100 years?

■ What could be done to change the direction of the trends? ■

This activity and more can be found in the International Wolf Center’s new WolfManagement curriculum for students grade 6 – adult. To obtain a copy of the activity guide and instructions for the on-line workbook, e-mail [email protected] or call 1-800-ELY-WOLF, ext. 25.

US/CANADA MAMMAL AND BIRD EXTINCTION

Year Total species extinctB I R D S M A M M A L S

1700-1799 0 2 1800-1899 20 6 1900-1980 39 33

WORLD MAMMAL AND BIRD EXTINCTION

Year Total species extinctB I R D S M A M M A L S

1600-1649 3 2 1650-1699 9 5 1700-1749 13 8 1750-1799 17 16 1800-1849 39 21 1850-1899 87 43 1900-1949 152 102

Source: Gray Wolves, Gray Matter, 2001,International Wolf Center, pages 78 – 81.

Year millions of people

1790 .........41800 .........5 1820 .........9 1840 ........19 1860 ........28 1880 ........54 1900 ........80


1920 .......110 1940 .......136 1960 .......180 1980 .......230 1990 .......249 2000 .......281


1650 .......550 1700 .......610 1750 .......760 1800 .......950


1850 ......1210 1900 ......1630 1950 ......2520 2000 ......6200

U.S. POPULATION

WORLD POPULATION

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Agency presented each of our children with a special award becauseof their tireless efforts on behalf ofthe wolf. They also participated inImagine Yellowstone, an art project.Some of their work is exhibited inYellowstone.

The most important lesson thatour children have learned throughthis project is that even small voicescan be heard. By integrating thisprogram into the curriculum, we areinstilling early on a sense of responsi-bility for the environment in ourstudents. We need knowledge-able students that can expressthemselves and bring outthe true character of thewolf and emphasizethe importance ofits place in ourecosystem.

Ihad been working with mystudents K through 6, atDogwood Elementary School for

over 10 years regarding the wolf.Dogwood Elementary is located in Smithtown on Long Island in New York state. My students weresurprised to learn that, at one time,wolves had lived, not only in thewestern states, but also on LongIsland. In fact, in Islip, just five miles from Smithtown, there was a1683 law stating that “WhatsoeverChristian shall kill a grown wolf on Long Island, he shall be paidtwenty shillings.” My students appreciated the proximity.

I educated the students about the plight of the wolf and showedthem how they could bring aboutchange. The students brainstormedissues such as Yellowstone, delisting, Red and Mexican Wolves, and theplace the wolf could take in our ownnortheast.

During the years , s tudents organized a Wolf Walk for goodhealth and to raise money for wolfconservation. Letters from Dogwoodstudents, have reached the desks ofpresidents, members of congress, thegovernor of New York and UnitedStates Department of the Interior officials, in direct responsibility forthe wolf’s fate. Students’ letters insupport of wolf reintroduction haveappeared in International Wolf,Audubon and Defenders of Wildlifemagazines, as well as local papers.

In honor of the students’ letterwriting, a flag was flown on NewYork’s Capitol Hill and the UnitedStates Environmental Protection

The entire planet is ours and thewolf is a symbol of wildness anddeserves its place. The Adirondacksare waiting to hear their first wolfhowl in over 70 years. If it doeshappen, it will be in no small partthat our children have willed it. ■

Joyce Weldon recently retired as a teacherfor 27 years at Smithtown School District,Smithtown, New York, USA. Joyce feelsthe environment and its creatures (with a special emphasis on the wolf) areimportant to everyone.

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THE ALPHALEGACY PROGRAMrecognizes the generosity and foresight of individualswho have included theInternational Wolf Center intheir wills or other estate plans.

To learn more about making a giftthrough this program, please contact Walter Medwid, Executive Director, International Wolf Center, 3300 Bass Lake Rd., #202Minneapolis, MN 55429

763-560-7374wmedwid@wolf .org

Your gift for wolves can

last beyond a lifetime.

Your gift for wolves can

last beyond a lifetime.P h o t o b y L y n n a n d D o n n a R o g e r s

The whole family can show support for wolves bysporting the InternationalWolf Center “running wolves”logo on these rugged, butstylish sweatshirts and shirts.Distressed logo in dark navyagainst updated backgroundcolor from nature’s outdoorpalette. Pigment-dyed, 100% pre-washed cotton.These clothing articles makegreat “can’t miss” gifts. Colors: willow, yam, mustard

Oversize Sweatshirt available in adult sizes onlyM, L, XL, 2X (L is 45" at chest)

#2235 $42.95

Short-sleeve T-shirtsADULT S IZES: S, M, L, XL, 2X(L is 42" at chest)

#2179 $16.95YOUTH S IZES: 6/8, 10/12(10/12 is 32" at chest)

#2219 $12.95

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#2229 $12.95

Visor with adjustablehook and loop closure Colors: yam, khaki. Fits heads to 24"

#2227 $12.95

To order, call 1-800-ELY-WOLF, ext 25 (1-800-359-9853) or shop www.wolf.org

Run with the Wolves Run with the Wolves

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inneapolis, MN

55429-2518

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They won’t forget the yearyou gave them

a wolf forthe holidays.

As a member of the InternationalWolf Center you are concernedabout the wolf and the fate ofwildlands on our planet. You know

the feeling you get every timeanother issue of International Wolfarrives in your mailbox, the

satisfaction of doing your partto see that the wolf continues to have

its place in the wild long into the future.

Why not share those feelings with friends and

family? Make them a member ofthe pack this holiday season.

The International Wolf Center wants tomake it easier for you to spreadthe word about the wolf andgive a meaningful giftthat will be enjoyed long afterthe holidays.

Call 1-800-ELY-WOLF, ext.25,(218-365-4695) or visitwww.wolf.org and have a gift membership sent in yourname anywhere in the world

in time for the holidays.

Rem

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Wildlife Art no Longer Extinct, Mexican Wolf Fate Teeters ... · 2 As a Matter of Fact 3 From the...

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