Wolf Weekly Wrap-Up

Rally For Mexican Gray Wolves Next Tuesday: For 17 years, media giant-turned-wildlife philanthropist, Ted Turner, has shared his New Mexico property with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to aid in Mexican gray wolf recovery efforts. Turner’s Ladder Ranch property is critical to wolf recovery because for 17 years, he’s provided large, fenced holding pens for Mexican gray wolves en route to or from the wild. However, last week, Governor Martinez and her appointees on the New Mexico Game Commission announced they will not renew the permit Turner needs to allow the Ladder Ranch to continue to host Mexican gray wolves on its property.

This is purely a political move designed to hamstring recovery efforts of these wolves. If you live near Santa Fe, please join us next Tuesday, May 19 on the steps of the New Mexico State Capital. We’re telling the Governor not to slow down the recovery of our lobos and demanding she renew Ladder Ranch’s permit! We’ll meet at 11:45 am at the Roundhouse. Don’t forget to bring signs, water and anyone else who shares your love of these amazing wolves! Please RSVP by clicking here. Hope to see you there!

First Red Wolves Born In The U.S. This Year:  In April, four Red Wolf pups, were born in a state park in south Georgia – the first born in the U.S. this year! Today, there are only about 100 wild Red Wolves in the United States, all in North Carolina. There are another 200 Red Wolves living in captivity in the U.S. and the four pups born this spring are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan Program.

Red wolves were the first species to ever return from extinction in the wild.

This program and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Red Wolf Recovery Program work to augment the wild population of Red Wolves by releasing captive wolves into the wild. Unfortunately, the future of the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Red Wolf Recovery program is uncertain as NC officials recently asked the Service to terminate it. At Defenders we believe that it is vital that the Service continues to stand behind and fully fund the Red Wolf Recovery Program; we can’t allow these wolves to fade away once again from their native lands. You can help us by writing the Service and tell them not to abandon Red Wolf Recovery when the job isn’t done!

Wolf Science –“Tolerant Dogs And Aggressive Wolves”: You’ve heard it before: dogs are tolerant and wolves are aggressive, right? Not that simple, according to new research published by The Royal Society this April. For years, researchers have assumed the reason domestic dogs are so compatible with humans is that over the course of their domestication, they’ve evolved to become more tolerant and less aggressive. However, this research shows wolves – not dogs – are more tolerant and less aggressive with members of their own pack. The research examined dogs and wolves during feeding under identical conditions. Surprisingly, both dominant and subordinate wolves fed at the same time. When watching dogs, it was only high-ranking animals that monopolized the food. The scientists conclude that because wolves appear to be more cooperative than dogs with members of their own pack, such strong wolf-wolf cooperation could be the basis for the evolution of dog–human cooperation. Interesting stuff!

Keeping the Pressure on Congress: Vilifying wolves based on myths and propaganda doesn’t seem like the highest and best-use of congressional power. But, Representatives Newhouse (R-WA), Walden (R-OR), Stewart (R-UT), Lummis (R-WY), Kline (R-MN), Ribble (R-WI) and others are doing just that! Elected officials need to hear from their constituents about three bills currently under consideration in the House that would delist wolves in certain states! Congress has no business deciding whether wolves, or any other species, should be listed. The law is clear on this point. Listing decisions are to be based on science. You can help us by sending a note to your Representative. Thank you for all you do!