Wildlife Weekly Wrap-Up

NM Fish and Game’s War on Wolves Continues
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. But, last week, New Mexico Game and Fish Commission denied Turner’s Ladder Ranch the opportunity to maintain an active role in Mexican gray wolf recovery by refusing the ranch’s appeal for a permit to hold Mexican gray wolves there. For years, Turner has provided large, fenced holding pens for Mexican gray wolves en route to or from the wild on this property. It was our hope that the commission would heed the best available science and listen to the wishes of local communities that overwhelmingly support wolf restoration. Instead, by denying Turner’s appeal, the commission jeopardized the continued recovery of New Mexico’s lobos. But rest assured, the commission’s decision will not deter us. No matter what, we are going to keep howling for wolves!

Stopping the Plague from Plaguing Prairie Dogs
All five species of prairie dogs were once common across the central and western grasslands of North America, likely more than one billion strong. But the widespread destruction of prairie dog colonies and the arrival of exotic diseases reduced prairie dog populations by over 95 percent. Prairie dogs are especially vulnerable to “sylvatic plague” – introduced into North America in the early 20th Century. Out of all prairie dogs infected, only a very few have survived. To stop the spread of this deadly disease, scientists have been working on the development of an antibiotic to administer to plague-infected prairie dogs orally through bait. And now, we’re excited to tell you about a new research direction from a University of Colorado scientist. What if some prairie dogs carry a form of inherited resistance to plague? Identifying a “plague resistant” gene in prairie dogs could have far-reaching impacts for conservation of the entire prairie dog ecosystem. And that’s the focus of this new research. How exciting! This is a project we’re watching closely.

Living with Wolves
Conflicts between people and wildlife pose a serious challenge to conservation. Too often, the response to a conflict is to kill the wildlife, an approach that can threaten the survival and recovery of species and does nothing to keep other wildlife from moving in and repeating the behavior. Working with ranchers, Defenders has pioneered many practical solutions to help livestock and wolves coexist by using effective nonlethal deterrents like fladry, range riders, electric fencing and livestock guardian dogs to help protect livestock and build social acceptance for wolves. And, our recently updated publication “Livestock and Wolves” shares these stories and best practices. It covers nonlethal tools, methods and strategies that work, and offers real-life examples of successful solutions devised by livestock producers, agency managers and researchers working together.

California Wolf Country
On Thursday, the first of a series of public meetings on California’s draft wolf recovery plan took place, and we were there to be a part of it. The state is fast becoming a leader when it comes to wolf recovery in the West. After OR-7 became the first known wolf in the state after nearly 90 years, California protected wolves under the state’s Endangered Species Act. And 83 percent of California voters believe that wolves should be protected and are a vital part of America’s wilderness and natural heritage. Defenders is looking forward to engaging all of the diverse participants – private landowners, representatives of the state’s wildlife department, local community members, conservationists – in productive dialogue to make wolf recovery in the Golden is a success for all.

Salamanders Won’t Be Coming to the US Anytime Soon – but that’s a good thing
In an effort to stem the spread of a deadly fungal disease, last week the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) banned the import of the vast majority of salamander species into the U.S. This disease, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), is thought to spread through international trade. Because the United States is home to almost one-third of the world’s salamander species, the potential consequences of the Bsal fungus entering the United States are enormous. Setting these emergency precautionary measures for salamanders is the most effective way to ensure that salamander populations in the United States remain disease-free. We commend the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for taking this important first step in protecting this country’s native salamanders.