I've been reading up on the history of wolf reintroduction in Colorado, Yellowstone, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho (and how those packs have spread to California in some cases). It seems like it's a long term and expensive effort that's worth the costs, and I'm wondering if people know of any other parts of the world that are in the early stages of considering wolf reintroduction?

I know there are a lot of eastern wolves in my area but does this look like a grey wolf?

New Survey Reveals Overwhelming Public Support for Wildlife Protection Policies

Exciting news! A new nationwide survey conducted by the Animal-Human Policy Center at Colorado State University, in collaboration with Project Coyote, shows that there is strong public support for wildlife protection policies. The survey results reveal that the majority of U.S. citizens back policies aimed at reducing animal cruelty and protecting wildlife. Key findings include:

• 85.8% support a federal law specifying that cruelty towards wildlife is a criminal violation.
• 80.2% favor banning the practice of intentionally running over carnivores with vehicles.
• 78.2% support a federal law banning wildlife killing contests.
• 77.5% back a federal law requiring states to limit the number of carnivores a hunter can kill in a year.

This overwhelming support shows stronger protections for wildlife aren’t just moral, they’re popular! Even the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association (ISMA) has acknowledged the need for responsible riding and education in response to this incident. Hopefully the results of this survey will help legislation, like the new bipartisan bill, the Snowmobiles Aren’t Weapons (SAW) Act, become law. If you'd like to read the full survey, check it out here.

This Week in Wolf News

A recent Harvard Law article explores the significance of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as it celebrates its 50th anniversary. The article highlights how the ESA has helped save approximately 1,670 species of plants and animals from extinction and has been pivotal in restoring gray wolf populations. However, despite its many successes, the ESA is under attack.

According to the article, the future of the ESA is uncertain. It notes recent efforts to weaken the ESA and attempts to delist gray wolves before they’ve made a full recovery, potentially affecting their long-term survival. In the face of these political attacks, the ESA remains an essential tool for wildlife conservation, ensuring that species like wolves can continue to thrive.

A recent editorial emphasizes that federal intervention has been the only barrier preventing states like Idaho from completely eradicating their wolf populations. However, that protection is now at risk as the USFWS moves to revive a Trump-era rule that would remove federal protections for wolves nationwide. Meanwhile, the Republican majority in the U.S. House has also voted to delist wolves from the Endangered Species Act.

The article also highlights that states in the Northern Rockies have already implemented plans to reduce up to 60% of their wolf populations, influenced by special interest groups and political pressure rather than science.

On September 21st, a hunter shot and killed a gray wolf at close range while hunting on public land in Oneida County, Wisconsin. The hunter claimed he had no choice but to shoot as a pack of wolves surrounded him and approached within 10 yards. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) is investigating the incident, as gray wolves are federally protected in Wisconsin.

According to the article, the US Fish and Wildlife Service will also likely get involved in this sad case. We will continue to track updates and share with the team as we hope that this wolf’s untimely death receives the proper investigation it deserves.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) recently discovered that one wolf pup from the Copper Creek pack remains at large after they believed they had captured the entire pack earlier this month. The agency is now attempting to capture this uncollared gray wolf pup, believed to be the fifth member of the pack.

As a reminder, CPW announced plans to capture and relocate wolves from the Copper Creek pack, including the first breeding pair and their pups from the 2023 gray wolf reintroduction. Capturing and relocating an entire wolf pack, especially with young pups involved, poses serious risks to their well-being – especially when you leave one pup behind all alone.

CPW has captured the alpha female and four pups that are being temporarily held, as the alpha male sadly died after being captured. The agency aims to reunite the missing pup with its littermates and mother, with plans to release the pups this winter. We hope for a quick and safe reunification.

Before you go – Tell USFWS: Do Not Return to President Trump’s Devastating Wolf Policies

The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) sided with radical hunting groups like the NRA and Safari Club International in an ongoing court case seeking to revive a Trump-era rule that would remove Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for gray wolves nationwide. If successful, this could reopen wolf hunting in regions like the Great Lakes, the Pacific Northwest, and Colorado.

Countless wolves were slaughtered when protections were last lifted in 2020, and these hunts continue in the Northern Rockies. Allowing states nationwide to conduct wolf hunts would be devastating. Please note that many state wolf management plans include recreational wolf hunts as a management tool (we disagree). Wolves have not yet re-established sustainable populations in much of their historic range, and the USFWS has proposed developing a long-term national wolf recovery plan—which now feels performative at best, and moot at worst. Let’s encourage USFWS to retain protections for the gray wolf and save it from the risk of extinction.

This is the time to take action—click here and click our top action to sign a letter urging USFWS: 1) do not partner with hunting groups, and 2) do not go back and support this Trump-era delisting rule.

Looking for some good movies with wolves in them so far I have watched the following.

Call of the wild Wolfwalkers Twilight Balto movies except first one Alpha and omega movies Sheep and wolves also watched both of them.

Hello! My name is Lauren and I'm a scientist who studies the evolutionary history and conservation of wolves using genetic tools. I have spent a decade now studying wolves -- I have tracked Tibetan wolves on the Tibetan plateau to study their howls and behavior, studied Indian wolves in the Indian grasslands, and worked on applying non-lethal wolf deterrents to help reduce wolf-sheep conflict in Idaho. I did my PhD at University of California, Davis studying the evolutionary history of wolves in Asia. We sequenced the first whole genomes of wolves in India and found they are the world's oldest ancient wolf lineage. I currently use genomic tools to guide conservation efforts of wolves, such as inform taxonomy, connectivity across the landscape, and inbreeding.

Indian wolves are fascinating and special animals. Out of all worldwide wolves, they probably live in the highest human and dog densities landscapes. We think there are only 2,000-3,000 Indian wolves left in India and an unknown, but declining number, in Pakistan.

Indian wolves face so many threats to their existence. In Pakistan, there may be only a handful of wolf packs left. In India, almost the whole population is found outside of protected areas.

We are currently trying to save the remaining Indian wolves found in Pakistan. We have an amazing team of scientists to do the first large-scale non-invasive genetic survey of Indian wolves across Southern Pakistan to collect baseline data, such as where they are still surviving, to inform conservation. Along the way, we will engage local communities and students, and share updates so everyone can follow along. Please consider donating to our efforts here: https://experiment.com/projects/conserving-the-endangered-indian-wolf-in-pakistan-using-genetic-tools

As a thank you for reading through this, I will be answering questions about wolves! I'll try to answer as many as I can in the next few days. Thank you!!!

https://reddit.com/link/1fw6uz4/video/ybbx3k8sdssd1/player

Wolf problems on Campania Island

More wolf problems on Campania Island

I need some advice (preferably from people with experience), on how I can begin working with wolves as a job or work towards becoming a wolf biologist. I know you have to study in zoology or biology and similar subjects, and educate yourself very well on wolves themselves, but how would I go about actually working with them or researching them in the wild? I’d like to work with relocating them to different areas safely, studying their behaviors and such in the wild, things like that.

Also I do live in a state where there are plenty of wolves, Yellowstone is only about 8 hours away from me. And I know they have had wolf related projects they’ve done. The only issue is I don’t have a nearby wolf sanctuary in my state anywhere at all or any place that seems to have wolves in captivity that I know of. I’m willing to move to another state in order to get a job working with wolves in the future once I complete college, but I’d prefer somewhere in my own state. I’m sure I’d have to do plenty of work unrelated to wolves, but I’d really like to be someone who researches/studies and works with them every day out in the open. Thanks.

Edit: for more context I am 21 and I graduated with a GED with a GPA of 3.3. Since someone in the comments mentioned it.

This Week in Wolf News

Over 80 conservation groups have urged Congress to oppose a new bill (H.R. 9533) that threatens to weaken the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The proposed “ESA Amendments Act of 2024,” would decrease protections for threatened and endangered species. Some of the changes would include extending timelines for listing decisions, fast-tracking delistings, and shifting responsibility for key implementation decisions from the federal government to the states—even though we’ve already learned that many states are incapable of effectively managing their threatened and endangered species populations.

This legislation is yet another shameless attack on the ESA and will gut protections for vulnerable species. To learn more, check out this press release from our partner, Defenders of Wildlife.

A recent article focuses on the work of Francine Madden, who was hired by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in December 2023 to lead a three-year national dialogue on how communities can coexist with gray wolves.

The article discusses Madden's history and work, including her efforts in Washington state. Despite its optimistic portrayal, there has been ongoing controversy regarding the effectiveness of her work in Washington which resulted in increased wolf kills during that period. According to the article, the goal of this “national dialogue” is for the USFWS to use these interactions to inform its policies and future rulemaking regarding wolves, which is notable as USFWS prepares for its 2025 national wolf recovery plan.

We should remember that the USFWS's role in implementing the ESA is to protect endangered or threatened species based on science. However, having participated in this “national dialogue,” it has become clear that it lacks factual grounding. To make matters worse, it's being filmed. It is disturbing that this “dialogue” and film will have any impact on the final National Wolf Recovery Plan at all. Madden has now selected twelve stakeholders for this dialogue who will begin meeting over the course of the next year. We will continue to closely monitor this process and provide updates as they are released.

A recent study reveals that habitat loss in southern Canada is limiting the ability of wolves to travel from the Laurentian Mountains in Quebec to the Adirondack Park in New York. Jonathan Cole, a PhD student at Concordia University, conducted the research, which found that habitat areas in Ontario have drastically decreased and made it harder for wolves to cross into New York.

According to the study, extensive habitat restoration and protection are needed in Ontario and Quebec to support wolf migration, along with improved protections for wolves and coyotes from hunting and trapping. If you’d like to read the full study, click here.

Last week, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) killed two wolves from the Onion Creek pack in northeast Washington. Now, this week, they have announced the approval of the lethal removal of another wolf from the Couse pack in southeast Washington.

We are extremely disappointed in WDFW's decisions to consistently use lethal removal instead of proactive, nonlethal methods. We call for an immediate stop to these unnecessary killings.

The radical, pro-hunting Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (Sportsmen’s Alliance) has filed an amicus ("friend of the court") brief in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to support the USFWS 2020 decision to delist gray wolves in the Lower 48 states under the Endangered Species Act. In addition to this brief, the Sportsmen’s Alliance has filed its own lawsuit against the USFWS to force it to take action on its petition to delist wolves in the Western Great Lakes region.

This comes as no surprise. The Sportsmen’s Alliance is another hunting group that has joined the NRA and the Safari Club in filing an amicus brief in support of the USFWS’s 2020 delisting decision. The Sportsmen’s Alliance has been working for decades toward permanently delisting wolves throughout the U.S. They are known for their relentless attempts to 1) bully the FWS into siding with their anti-wolf agenda and 2) undermine wolf protections. Keep your eyes on this group.

Before you go – Tell USFWS: Do Not Return to President Trump’s Devastating Wolf Policies

As we reported last week, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) sided with radical hunting groups like the NRA and Safari Club International in an ongoing court case seeking to revive a Trump-era rule that would remove Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for gray wolves nationwide. If successful, this could reopen wolf hunting in regions like the Great Lakes, the Pacific Northwest, and Colorado.

Countless wolves were slaughtered when protections were last lifted in 2020, and these hunts continue in the Northern Rockies. Allowing states nationwide to conduct wolf hunts would be devastating. Please note that many state wolf management plans include recreational wolf hunts as a management tool (we disagree). Wolves have not yet re-established sustainable populations in much of their historic range, and the USFWS has proposed developing a long-term national wolf recovery plan—which now feels performative at best, and moot at worst. Let’s encourage USFWS to retain protections for the gray wolf and save it from the risk of extinction.

This is the time to take action—click here and click our top action to sign a letter urging USFWS: 1) do not partner with hunting groups, and 2) do not go back and support this Trump-era delisting rule.

To learn more, check out this article from our partner Defenders of Wildlife, and read this piece from our partner Howling For Wolves.

Twice now, over a few months, I’ve heard a low, long, single eerie howl outside my bedroom window at about 11:30 pm. I live in the woods on many acres. I am very familiar with coyote sounds. And this sounded like a low, mournful wolf howl…nothing like a high pitched coyote sound. It sounded very close…but not super loud. I have seen large canine footprints occasionally, but I just assumed it was large coyotes. I have a Catahoula dog —a medium sized dog at 60 lbs, and her prints are smaller than these. So, I’m wondering if I have a wolf? Any southern Missourians with wolf experiences?

Hii!! So there's this girl i like, and she's OBSESSED with red wolves, and I want to take her to a zoo where she can see some. Problem is, Google won't tell me any zoos near me, all it's showing up with is not what I want! If you know any Zoos in Utah, please let me know!

Tell USFWS: Do Not Return to President Trump’s Devastating Wolf Policies

Last week, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) sided with radical hunting groups like the NRA and Safari Club International in an ongoing court case seeking to revive a Trump-era rule that would remove Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for gray wolves nationwide. If successful, this could reopen wolf hunting in regions like the Great Lakes, the Pacific Northwest, and Colorado.

We know countless wolves were slaughtered when protections were last lifted in 2020, and these hunts continue in the Northern Rockies. Allowing states nationwide to conduct wolf hunts would be devastating. Please note that many state wolf management plans include recreational wolf hunts as a management tool (we disagree). Wolves have not yet re-established sustainable populations in much of their historic range, and the USFWS has proposed developing a long-term national wolf recovery plan—which now feels performative at best, and moot at worst. Let’s encourage USFWS to retain protections for the gray wolf and save it from the risk of extinction.

This is the time to take action—click here and click our top action to sign a letter urging USFWS: 1) do not partner with hunting groups, and 2) do not go back and support this Trump-era delisting rule.

To learn more, check out this article from our partner Defenders of Wildlife, and read this piece from our partner Howling For Wolves.

This Week in Wolf News

In response to widespread public outrage over the abuse and killing of an adolescent wolf in Daniel, Wyoming, a new bipartisan bill, the Snowmobiles Aren’t Weapons (SAW) Act, is being introduced in Congress. According to a recent Cowboy State Daily article, conservative Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) is joining forces with Democrats to push for a national ban on using snowmobiles to chase down wolves and other predators on federal lands. This practice, known as “predator whacking,” sparked national attention after Cody Roberts ran over a young wolf with a snowmobile, taped her mouth shut, paraded her through a bar, and then killed her.

As we reported last week, Wyoming’s proposed bill would still allow chasing down animals with vehicles, as long as they are killed quickly. We support the stronger federal SAW Act and call for a national ban to prevent further inhumane treatment of wolves.

This week, U.S. Senator Cory Booker and U.S. Representative Raúl M. Grijalva introduced the Tribal Heritage and American Bison, Grizzly Bear, and Wolf Restoration and Coexistence Act. This proposed legislation seeks to establish permanent federal protections for American bison, grizzly bears, and gray wolves, while enhancing tribal management authority over these species.

The bill would prohibit the hunting, possession, or sale of these animals, with targeted exceptions for, among other things, scientific or conservation purposes. If you'd like to check out the full text of the bill, click here.

According to CBS Colorado, Colorado is set to receive up to 15 more gray wolves from British Columbia this winter. As a reminder, this reintroduction effort is part of the state’s Wolf Restoration and Management Plan, which was put in place after voters passed Proposition 114 in 2020, requiring Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) to restore wolves to the Western Slope. Last December, 10 wolves were relocated from Oregon.

CPW’s Wolf Conservation Program Manager, Eric Odell, stated that the department has learned valuable lessons from last year’s reintroduction and plans to apply those lessons to ensure the success of establishing a self-sustaining wolf population in Colorado. The state plans to continue bringing wolves over the next one to three years to support these efforts. We sincerely hope they have learned from mistakes made in the first tranche. Above all else, do no harm.

According to a recent Denver Post article, another wolf reintroduced to Colorado has died, marking the third death among the 10 wolves released last year as part of the state’s wolf reintroduction program. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) received a mortality signal from the male wolf’s collar and confirmed the wolf, identified as 2307-OR, was found dead in Grand County. The cause of death is still under investigation.

The state’s wolf population now stands at 13, including seven surviving reintroduced adults, four pups from the Copper Creek pack, and two wolves that migrated from Wyoming. We will continue to provide updates as more information is released following the investigation into the death in Grand County.