MEXICAN WOLF

From: Laura
Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2008 9:28 AM
Subject: FW: Another Calf Confirmed killed by wolves

The Middle fork pack has never to my knowledge, killed livestock until the past two to three weeks. Why did they start? They had a territory staked out, the alpha's were both wild born, they were firmly mated and had produced at least 4 litters of pups. They were never fed never coddled and didn't need it.

What changed to get them into ranch country? In December agency personnel removed the Middle fork pack Alpha female. She had a fully healed but flopping leg, likely broken by an elk. They amputated the leg and kept her in captivity for 6 weeks. During that time, her pack made wider and wider circles apparently searching for her. They ended up on a ranch in a calving pasture. When the female was placed back with the pack, they kept making those wider and wider circles. Now they are permanently located on the ranch and eating cattle and have been for the past two to three weeks. This is their first confirmed depredation, there have been many others but eaten up too soon to retain evidence for confirmation. Soon they will be killing adult cows and the kills will be easier to find.

Manipulation of this wolf pack by emotional agency decisions has caused them to shift territory and move to ranch country. This will likely lead to eventual permanent removal of the pack as it should be according to the rule. There are 6-7 members in the pack. Two adults, two 2 year old pups (even though in 06 they were not deemed a breeding pair during the count) and 2-3 young of 07. Witnesses say they are somewhat smaller than the captive raised wolves probably due to a normal wolf diet. We know the three collared wolves were vaccinated for rabies probably the others were not.

The wolf team cannot seem to take their personal agenda's out of the program long enough to do what is best for it. Feeling sorry for a single animal has led to the ruining of an entire pack of wolves that were formerly the only pack that was behaving naturally. The agency personnel should have left them alone and let the female's fate take it's course, there were plenty of wolves to replace her naturally if she died. As it was she was showing no signs of faltering due to her condition, this is hardly professional management.

Laura

Laura's weblog is Wolf Crossing.