Riley's spirit continues in our hearts

Our friend Riley photo courtesy of Julie Lawrence/Wolf Haven

Our friend Riley
photo by Julie Lawrence/Wolf Haven International

It is with a heavy heart that Wolf Haven writes that our friend Riley passed away earlier this month. Riley was only seven years old and was healthy and happy. His passing was very sudden and unexpected and left us all in a state of great sadness.

During a routine morning walk through the sanctuary by animal care staff on Friday December 12, Riley was found lying on his side not moving. It was apparent that he had passed away during the night. The day before he died, Riley was his usual happy, playful self. Two weeks earlier he had been introduced to a new companion, a female wolf named Ukiah, whose brother had died. The two of them were forming a fast friendship and could be seen nose to nose wagging their tails, playing a little and lying quietly next to each other in the middle of their enclosure.

The day he passed he had been given a special treat, a small sheep carcass donated to Wolf Haven by a local farmer. Riley did not want to share the carcass with Ukiah at first. He kept chasing her off until he ate his fill and then he moved away to allow Ukiah to enjoy as well.

When Riley was found the following morning, his abdomen was acutely distended; an indication of gastric dilation volvulus (GDV), where the stomach fills with gas and twists on itself. We consulted our veterinarian about performing a necropsy in order to determine the cause of his death. The veterinarian felt that given all of the symptoms and the large amount of food Riley had quickly ingested the day before, a necropsy was not necessary. She explained that GDV, also known as torsion, evolves extremely quickly, making it nearly impossible to prevent and very difficult to treat successfully, especially in wild canids. Riley (as well as our other wolves) received carcasses on a regular basis without any ill-effects, so we are not sure why on this particular day it turned out to have fatal consequences.

Riley at rest

Riley at rest

It has been an honor to care for Riley and watch him blossom with his first companion Siri and his burgeoning new friendship with Ukiah. He was a little shy and was also playful and mischievous. He will be greatly missed.

Thank you for your generosity, care and support of Riley while he was with us at Wolf Haven. His spirit will continue on in our hearts.

“Among Wolves” author speaks in Olympia

Young Mazama pocket gophers struggle to find their place in a new world

Mazama pocket gopher

Mazama pocket gopher

By Kim Flotlin, USFWS wildlife biologist

Mazama pocket gophers are another fascinating animal found at Wolf Haven (although rarely actually seen, since they primarily reside underground). The Mazama pocket gopher is both state and federally listed as threatened.

USFWS wildlife biologist Kim Flotin has written an entertaining, informative blog about the challenges faced by both dispersing pocket gophers and college students.

Young Mazama pocket gophers struggle to find their place in a new world

A Ghostly Visit

Wolves in Vegas

By Skie Bender, Education Outreach Specialist, Wolf Haven International

Wolf Haven arrives in Sin City

Wolf Haven arrives in Sin City

I recently had the opportunity to present Wolf and Wildlife   Education programs at two REI (Recreational Equipment Incorporated) outdoor stores in Las Vegas, Nevada.

REI is a national retail co-op dedicated to “Inspiring, educating and outfitting its members and the community for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship.”

REI sells “Gear.” Lots and lots of gear. Gear for backpacking, hiking, camping, climbing, biking, paddling, and winter snow sports.

Are there wild wolves in Nevada?

Wolf-themed slot machine

Wolf-themed slot machine

Wolves historically have been a scarcity in Nevada. Though there never was an abundance of wolves, research shows that wolves did exist throughout the state, even in the very arid Southern Nevada. The last confirmed sighting of a wild gray wolf was in 1941 in Elko County (northeastern part of the state.) Currently, there are many wild wolf reported sightings – though none can be absolutely confirmed, due to the fact there is no definitive proof such as wild wolf scat, hair, carcasses or even field footage.

Desert Cactus

Desert cactus

There were never and probably never will be a lot of wolves due to the fact there is not a lot of suitable wolf habitat in Nevada. Western Nevada lacks elk and moose (wolf food) and is in short supply of water.

Currently, the nearest population of wolves to Nevada is in Idaho’s Boise and Sawtooth National Forests, about 100 miles north.

The gray wolf in Nevada remains protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. It is presently classified as a “game” animal.

REI Wolf & Wildlife Programs

 Boca Park REI

Boca Park REI

Boca Park REI

Not too far from the bright lights and loud sounds of the Las Vegas Strip, I presented at the Boca Park REI store. Just before ‘show time’, I found sanctuary inside the REI store, perusing the aisles, flipping through hiking books, spinning mountain bike tires, squishing the warm thickness of down sleeping bags. I felt so much more ‘at home’ in the nature inspired presence of outdoor gear, than in the superficial bright flashing marquee lights of Las Vegas casino consumerism.

7pm: time to share my passion and experience with wolves to an intimate crowd of about fifteen folks. The attendees were all adults, except for one very inquisitive elementary-aged schoolgirl that sat in the front row and asked a lot of very smart and eager questions. During the program, we had an in-depth dialogue about wolf families, pup development, the importance of wolf packs for socialization and working cooperatively to hunt ungulates (hoofed animals.) I showed video clips of Wolf Haven’s wolves’ scent-rolling on salmon and plucking feathers off of geese. At the end of the evening the schoolgirl said to me with shining wide eyes, “I hope to visit Wolf Haven one day.”

 Henderson REI

Henderson REI attendees

Henderson REI attendees

The next evening I drove 30-miles south of the Strip to present at the Henderson REI store. There was an overflow capacity crowd of more than 60 attendees. I was thrilled with the deep thought-provoking questions, comments and discussions that we had about wolf biology, behaviors, social structure, livestock conflict resolutions, and wolfdog differences and similarities.

The audience had such a thirst for knowledge about the too often misunderstood wolf, which led to a wonderful interactive dialogue flow that was maintained throughout the evening. The program lasted nearly two hours. Even after the program was officially over, a small group of people continued to ask more questions about wolves.

The very last touching comment was made by an intense college student that fervently shook my hand as he stated, “That was really great, I learned so much. I learned more tonight than I have during a whole semester in school! Thank you!”

Thank you to all who attended the REI Wolf & Wildlife Education programs in Las Vegas. A very special Thank You to Ashley Lee, the Market Outreach Coordinator for REI Las Vegas.

If you live in Washington State – Skie Bender will be presenting at REI in Olympia on Tues November 11th @ 7pm

FREE!

REI, Olympia, WA
625 Black Lake Blvd SW #410, Olympia, WA 98502
360.786-1938

The Huckleberry Pack

huckleberry_pups

2012 photo of The Huckleberry Pack pups c/o WDFW

In the upcoming issue Wolf Tracks magazine, Wolf Haven executive director Diane Gallegos writes about the family of wolves known as the The Huckleberry Pack and the conflict that ensued following depredation of sheep placed in their territory. What can we learn from this scenario?

“Sheep dropped on top of a wolf pack in difficult terrain without proactive and diligent use of nonlethal deterrents resulted in a conflict that cost taxpayers and the livestock producer thousands
of dollars, and cost the endangered female wolf and dozens of sheep their lives.”

Read the Entire Article

Mowing at The Haven

by Brennan Stoelb, Animal Care Specialist

brennan-mowingThe Pacific Northwest is known for its rainy days, but the summer usually brings lots of sun. As you might guess, this is a great recipe for plants to grow, more specifically, grass. The animal care staff tries to mow the grass in the sanctuary on the footpaths outside of the enclosures on Tuesdays, since we are closed for visits. Our mowing routine is nothing out of the ordinary; one person cuts the roads with the rider mower, two people weed whack closer to the fences and around obstacles. As with everything that needs to get done in the sanctuary, we do it with the animal’s well-being and comfort as the top priority.

carosal-fall06Wolves are neophobic, or afraid of new things. Unlike dogs, wolves are not very brave and outgoing when it comes to new things in their environment. Coyotes are braver than wolves which is why they have been so successful integrating with people and our urban ways. So when it comes to cutting grass, you would expect our residents to stay away from us and the mowers. Guess again! There seems to be two reactions to mowing day; indifference, and curiosity.

mehina-klondike-3Indifference. There are some residents that just don’t seem to care that the animal care staff is operating loud machinery. Indifference is mostly manifested by them continuing to lie on the ground or carrying on with their normal routine. Some indifferent wolves include Jesse and Shiloh and Mehina and Klondike.

shoka-2Curiosity. This is the reaction most residents have and it baffles me. Mowing day is met not with fear, but active interest. Even skittish animals seem to have a newfound bravery when the mower is around. Since Shoka arrived at the sanctuary, he has been wary of me. I catch glimpses of him and hear huffs as I walk past during feeding or doing the walkthrough. I do what needs to be done and I move on. But just this morning as I was on the rider mower, I went past Shoka’s enclosure and he was about five feet away from the fence just watching. No huffing. No running to the back of the enclosure. Just watching.

ruby-and-talaRed wolves Ruby and Tala, while hard to see on visits, are often at the fence in full view while we are mowing the grass. Same goes for the coyotes. Some wolves like Lonnie, will rub the fence line after the mower or weed whacker has passed to get the fresh-cut grass smell. After all, who doesn’t like that?

 

Splish Splash

by Brennan Stoelb, Animal Care Specialist, Wolf Haven International

London enjoys his tub

London enjoys his tub

In a recent blog I mentioned that it has been hot here in western Washington. Read it here…… While on most hot days the wolves lay in the shade to keep cool, Wolf Haven also provides other means to beat the heat; splash tubs.

For the animals that enjoy wading in water, animal care places 45 gallon, galvanized tanks in their enclosure. Not every enclosure has a tank because, just like humans, not every wolf likes to get wet. The tubs are about a foot and a half tall, just enough to be below their stomachs. They’ll jump in the tub and begin pawing the water to make it splash. Lakota and Shadow are two residents who love their tubs.

Bart torn between water bucket and splash tub

Bart torn between water bucket and splash tub

As you might assume, all this playing in the tub can make for some messy water. Every week animal care scrubs the tubs and replaces the dirty water with clean. In some cases the water will be changed more frequently. Daily we top-off the tubs to replace any water that’s been splashed out. With sponges and diluted bleach in hand, we go about the task of cleaning. Not only does dirt and fur cloudy up the water, it’s not uncommon to see someone peeing in their tub. Nothing is better than filling a tub with cool, clean water, only to have them hop in and pee – to each his own, as they say. Sometimes during feeding, a piece of meat will fall the wrong way and land in the tub.

One day when I was feeding a treat to Lakota, a piece fell in the tub. Not to let a little water stand in his way, Lakota stuck his head in the water, over his eyes, and sort of “bobbed” for his treat. Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful. I threw him a replacement, which he ate, but he went back to the tub and pawed the surface of the water, ever hopeful that it may float to the surface.

It surprises some people to hear that wolves can swim. They have webbing between their toes to help them move more easily on snow and uneven surfaces. This webbing also helps when swimming. Wolves will cross streams while chasing prey but

Gypsy & Diablo leave paw prints in their tub

Gypsy & Diablo leave paw prints in their tub

photographers captured one young wolf in Canada swimming to catch a goose. Perhaps his “rubber ducky?”

On Lake Superior in northern Michigan there is an island called Isle Royale. Once connected by a predictable ice bridge in the winter, Isle Royale has become a subject of recent debate. Home to a 56 year study on moose and wolf interactions, the island’s wolves are in decline. According to the annual report, there are nine wolves on the island, two of which are female. Scientists are concluding that the decline is a result of inbreeding both in prey and predator, since no new genetics are regularly coming to the island. To get to the island, wolves would have to swim about 15 miles. In 1997, a wolf from Canada affectionately called, “The old grey guy,” crossed the ice bridge and became a successful breeder. The debate amongst scientists is whether humans should intervene by bringing new genes to the island or let nature take its course. For more information on Isle Royale visit www.isleroyalewolf.org.

So if the heat gets to you this summer, do what the wolves do – and take a dip!