WOLVES IN THE WILD.

WOLVES IN CAPTIVITY.

WHEN DO WE CALL FOR RELEASE 

FROM SANCTUARY?

http://keepwolveslisted.blogspot.com/2014/06/wolves-in-wild.html

On May 28, 2014 we saw a scenario unfold in Alaska, where a crew of Wildland Firefighters rescued a pack of 5 wolf pups from a den where they had been abandoned by their parents. ( Thank you to White Wolf Pack for sharing that news with us) :
http://www.whitewolfpack.com/search?updated-max=2014-05-29T14:23:00-07:00&max-results=5

When the news was shared, I heard from three Wolves that they were curious as to whether or not the wolf cubs would be released back into the wild.
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/20140528/wolf-pups-rescued-kenai-fire-find-care-alaska-zoo
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/20140530/wolf-pups-orphaned-wildfire-find-forever-home

No, they will not.

The concept of fostering pups has a sketchy history.
It does not always work.
Here is an instance where it has worked:
http://www.endangeredwolfcenter.org/blog/historic-cross-fostering-event-involves-wolves-from-here/

So, here’s what I see about wolves in Alaska.
In spite of repeated requests, we found only 305 comments to USFWS in a 90 day period to request endangered or threatened status for the Alexander Archipelago wolves in the Tongass Rain Forest.
http://keepwolveslisted.blogspot.com/p/keep-wolves-listed.html

Wolves are merely wolf hunter targets in Alaska.
They are in peril in Denali, Alaska, where they have actually drawn in tourism dollars. Folks travel the world just to see wolves in Denali National Preserve, where sport hunting and trapping is legal, and the wolves are disappearing because of that fact.
http://www.nps.gov/dena/parknews/wolf-viewing-down.htm
http://www.adn.com/2013/05/17/2906539/where-have-all-the-denali-wolves.html

I’m certain that if you have been pro wolf for any length of time, you will vividly recall Sarah Palin’s track record of allowing wolf hunting by helicopter.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/palin-shooting-wolves/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQobIUE1zTU

I applaud the Firefighters, the wolf biologist, the Alaska zoo and the Minnesota zoo for having the foresight to know that if these cubs were released back into the wild, they would not stand a snowball’s chance in hell of survival.
First off, if they did somehow manage to teach themselves to hunt, with no elder guidance, how long are they going to survive with little or no legal protections against wolf hunting in Alaska?

The same thing holds true when we travel to the Southwestern USA and deal with our beautiful little Mexican Gray Wolf Buddies.
Just recently we witnessed Governor Jan Brewer veto a bill that would have allowed continued wolf hunting of these wolves who are currently under USFWS Endangered Species Act federal protection. Governor Brewer said while she is a proponent of state’s rights, knew that a state does not have the power to override a federal law.
http://www.mexicanwolves.org/index.php/news/1236/51/In-the-News-Ariz-Bill-Allowing-Ranchers-to-Kill-Wolves-Also-Vetoed
Then, not even 48 hours later we read of this wolf damning news from Arizona FWS.
http://www.mexicanwolves.org/index.php/news/1244/51/Guest-Column-Game-and-Fish-plan-makes-it-easier-to-kill-wolves/d,News2
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/mammals/Mexican_gray_wolf/pdfs/AZGF_alternative_for_rule-change.4.2014.pdf

One hand giveth, one hand taketh away.

While I do understand the danger of keeping our Mexican Gray Wolves in sanctuary for too long, it hinders their genetic viability. They need to be out to find mates soon, as they are getting too old now to be parents.
http://keepwolveslisted.blogspot.com/p/mexican-gray-wolves.html
But I have to wonder what their odds of survival are, when released into a war zone for wolves in Arizona?

This one is a tough call.
Bottom line?
If we want our wolves to survive in the wild, then we had better be able to ensure their legal protection.
Which is exactly what we have been working so diligently for over the last year. We, to the tune of one and half million voices, told the USFWS that as long as the states are allowed to hunt our wolves in the wild down to the minimum number before they require legal protection, like Idaho intends to do, that they are indeed endangered.
http://www.hcn.org/wotr/idaho-has-declared-a-war-on-wolves

Hence….#KeepWolvesListed as endangered under the federal protections of the Endangered Species Act.

Sometimes sanctuaries and zoos are a godsend, Wolves.
Don’t bum out when a wolf lives there, because that means that we stand a chance of seeing baby wolves. 

Live wolves, not dead ones from the wilderness, hoisted up for a wolf hunter’s trophy portrait photograph.

Photo credit:
Ptarmigan Tracks | Camp Denali Alaska Newsletter
campdenali.com
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