Month: October 2013

Who is the Lobo? The Mexican gray wolf or “lobo” is the southernmost and most genetically distinct subspecies of gray wolf in the North America. In the late 1800s, there was a national movement to eradicate wolves from the wild landscape. Wolves were trapped, shot, and poisoned. Bounties were paid. By the mid-1900s, Mexican wolves…

“I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.”  ~ Henry David Thoreau

Folks hating wolves is nothing new. And with recent wolf hunts being such a contentious issue, one might expect a certain vitriol with regards to wolves that might not be present in, say, duck hunters. It seems, however, the loathing within many has taken on an air of depravity. Some have gone so far as…

On June 7, 2013, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) officially announced proposals that will impact the future of America’s gray wolves. 1) Nationwide Gray Wolf Delisting Proposal: USFWS’s proposes to remove Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for the gray wolf (Canis lupus) in the contiguous United States. 2) Proposed  Rules for Mexican Wolf…

  It’s Time to Howl! Beyond its role as a living symbol of our natural landscape, the wolf is a keystone species. Its presence is critical to maintaining the structure and integrity of native ecosystems. Federal protections for wolves are essential to help this animal recover and expand into still-suitable parts of its former range.…

Autumn is a magical time at the Wolf Conservation Center. Colorful leaves are dancing in the breeze, cider is brewing in our cozy classroom cabin, and critically endangered wolves are shaking in their boots dreading the day humans set foot in their remote territories. WCC staff and volunteers rarely disturb our thirteen Mexican gray wolves…

“Autumn is a second spring when every wolf is a flower.” ~ Atka

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has ordered the trapping of three critically endangered wild Mexican gray wolves accused of livestock depredations. If captured, the alpha male and female of the Paradise Pack in Arizona and a male of the Fox Mountain Pack in New Mexico will live out there days in captivity. Cattle…

Though several factors have played a role in the Isle Royale wolves’ demise, Biologists Rolf Peterson and John Vucetich assert that the most prominent cause of their plight is something far less direct. The wolves, they say, are dying because of climate change. Lake Superior average temperature has increased by 4 degrees in 25 years.…