Wolf
Table of Contents
Iris Productions:
Return of the Wolves (22 min Video by A three-person production crew from the University of Lincoln Class of 2018) A short documentary exploring the social, economic, and ecological impacts wolves could have if reintroduced to the Scottish Highlands. Featuring interviews with BBC's Chris Packham, SCOTLAND: The Big Picture's Peter Cairns, former NFUS deputy Andrew Bauer, and Alladale Reserve Manager Innes McNeil.
Species of Wolves
International
Grey Wolf
Africa
Ethiopian Wolves are one perhaps the most endangered of the wolf species in the world. Currently they are under threat from habitat loss as farming spreads into their territory, but "Population decline of the Ethiopian wolf is increasingly being tied to diseases, particularly in the Bale Mountains. Since 2008, this Ethiopian wolf population has declined by 30 percent due to consecutive epizootics of rabies and canine distemper. Rabies is a potential threat to all populations of the Ethiopian wolf, while canine distemper remains a serious concern in Bale."
Painted Wolves Also known as African Wild Dogs. Technically they are neither wolf nor dog, but the last of another genus. These guys are so charismatic they even have their own fan club on Reddit!
Asia
Indian (Bheriya)
Tibetan
North America
USA
Red Wolves are one of the most endangered species in the world with their numbers dropping from 100 to around 25, mostly due to gunshots.
Grey Wolves
Threats to Wolves
North America (but maybe in other places too?)
“Wildlife Services has been having their way for almost a century, killing millions of wild animals each year, as well as maiming, poisoning, and brutalizing countless pets. They have also seriously harmed more than a few humans.”
Washington State
Washington State Wildlife Officials Order Killing of Entire Wolf Family to Protect Cows (Written, 2019) “This isn’t the first time WDFW has ordered the killing of an entire pack. The state has obliterated several wolf packs over the years, starting with the Wedge Pack in 2012, and has caused countless packs to fragment as a result of targeting individual wolves. All of these kill orders were issued with the same goal: stop livestock depredation.” And “Yet science shows that killing a wolf can increase the risk that wolves will prey on livestock in the future. It is counterproductive and unsustainable.”
Calls to Action
Take Extinction Off Your Plate - a project of the Center for Biological Diversity
Learn about the problems facing wolves in your area, what laws protect them, and if those laws are being properly upheld
then
Contact Your Representatives to tell them you want wolved and other species/wild areas to be properly protected from hunting and habitat loss.
Donate to organizations that protect wolves, advocate for the, rehabilitate, and help re-wild or reintroduce them to their original range.
Non-Lethal Conflict Solutions
Wolves get a bad rap for livestock attacks, but hunting them has been shown to actually increase livestock mortality. Even in the name of conservation, wolf culls have been allowed, despite environmentalists and conservationists pointing out that wolves and their natural prey are the victims of environmental destruction. If anything wolves seem to be the scapegoats in these situations, allowing politicians and others to ignore the more serious threats to herbivores.
Organizations
International
International Wolf Center advances the survival of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their relationship to wildlands and the human role in their future.
Europe
European Alliance for Wolf Conservation (EAWC) "We are a coalition of NGOs advocating for the use of preventive non-lethal means to achieve coexistence with wolves, in accordance with the strict protection granted by the EU Habitats Directive and the Bern Convention."
Germany
EuroNatur Foundation: Wolf Projects This organization is currently working in Baden-Württemberg, Central Eastern Europe, and in Beskids Mountains in the the Polish-Czech-Slovakian border area.
Italy
Rewilding Europe's Return of the Wolf Project "is working promote wolf conservation in the Italian Alpine Arc region and support human-wildlife coexistence. Using non-invasive sampling methods the project is also conducting wolf monitoring in the Upper Taro Valley (an extensive area of wild land in the province of Parma), the northern Apennines and the Alps, and following the dynamics of wolf populations in selected rewilding sites. This allows the project team to evaluate the territorial expansion of wolf packs and keep track of the birth and growth of wolf cubs."
North America
USA
Alaska
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC) "Most of the animals that have come to AWCC have either been orphaned or injured. With consent from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, animals taken in by AWCC are cared for by our animal care staff and are given a permanent home at AWCC."
California
California Wolf Center California Wolf Center is dedicated to the return of wild wolves to their natural habitat and to the people who share the landscape with them. We foster communities coming together to ensure wolves, livestock, and people thrive in today’s world.
Colorado
Mission: Wolf Education vs. Extinction "is a solar-powered nature center that provides a sanctuary for unwanted captive-born wolves and horses. We offer experiential education to inspire the public to become stewards of the earth.
Since 1988 we have provided lifelong care for 125 wolves and 25 horses, facilitated experiential wolf education with over 1 million people and preserved 350 acres of pristine subalpine habitat. Our community of volunteers from around the world invites you to visit us."
Florida
Shy Wolf Sanctuary: Education & Experience Center Shy Wolf Sanctuary Education & Experience Center provides sanctuary and rehabilitation to unreleasable wild and captive-bred exotic animals, including wolves and wolfdogs. We work year round to educate the public about the importance of protecting these animals and peacefully co-existing with wildlife. Our Healing Hearts program takes it one step further by sharing our residents’ stories of “rags to riches” with children and others who have experienced neglect, abandonment or abuse and giving the humans interacting with them hope for the future and what it holds. Wolf Awareness Week 2018 (4:37 min video)
Indiana
Wolf Park a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to behavioral research, education and conservation, with the objective of improving the public’s understanding of wolves and the value they provide to our environment.
Wolf Conservation Center:
Maps
North America Red Wolf Range
Red Wolf Historic Range & Current from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services
A Comprehensive Assessment of Red Wolf Reintroduction Sites (PDF) includes multiple maps including the historic range, maps of suggested park areas suggested by conservation specialists, as well as maps exploring the resources and threats associated with each area. These included topics such as hunting levels, dear population density, etc.
Asia: Indian (Bheriya) & Tibetan Wolves
Places to See Wolves
When you visit places with wolves, it helps promote their conservation.
