Helping Save Mexican Gray Wolves (#2)

This is the Corduroy Creek area in Arizona, where the wolf pen was located.

This is the Corduroy Creek area in Arizona, where the wolf pen was located.

Plans are being made for the first release IN FIVE YEARS of Mexican gray wolves into the wild! Nearly exterminated in the wild during by the 1930s, the Mexican wolf remains one of the most endangered mammals in North America. In May, Wolf Haven’s Director of Animal Care, Wendy Spencer assisted in the care & observation of two wolves scheduled for future release. (this is the second blog post about her experience.)

In early April we received word that the Interagency Field Team (IFT) was planning to initiate a release operation later in month. The plan was to move M1051 and pregnant F1126 from Sevilletta to a hard-sided acclimation pen in the Apache National Forest where they were to remain while the female whelped and the family acclimatized enough with the area so that once released, they would hopefully recognize it has home. And because this would be an extended period of time- at least 6 weeks- the IFT needed some help keeping an eye on the wolves and monitoring for signs of whelping activity. Maggie Dwire, who is with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and serves as the Assistant Recovery Coordinator for the Mexican gray wolf program, put a call out to a few representatives from select facilities who participate in the Mexican wolf captive breeding program and asked for volunteers to come to AZ and “pen sit” the wolves.

One of the dogs (Tom) that Wendy had to temporarily say good-bye to during her trip.

One of the dogs (Tom) that Wendy had to temporarily say good-bye to during her trip.

As reticent as I am about leaving not only the sanctuary animals, but my own personal animals, I knew this was an opportunity of a lifetime and one that I could not pass up. On May 17, I flew to Albuquerque, NM, and the next morning, myself and Erin Kipp, a staff person from the Endangered Wolf Center, made the 4 hour trip to the office in Alpine, AZ, where we met several members of Arizona Game and Fish (AZGF), one of 5 agencies who make up the IFT. On the Arizona side, it is AZGF that see to the day-to- day management of the wolves on the ground. They have a dedicated staff who focus solely on the wolves and as I discovered, even though there are only approximately 38 free ranging wolves in Arizona (at last count), those wolves keep the staff plenty busy. Everything from tracking, to telemetry flights, to trapping and collaring, to managing livestock conflicts (to name but a few) falls under the purview of AZGF, so trying to pen sit wolves for 6 weeks would have significantly stretched their resources……….

Helping Save Mexican Gray Wolves (#1)

These Mexican gray wolf brothers reside at Wolf Haven International – they aren’t the two scheduled for release (M1051 and F1126).

These Mexican gray wolf brothers reside at Wolf Haven International – they aren’t the two scheduled for release (M1051 and F1126).

Plans are being made for the first release IN FIVE YEARS of Mexican gray wolves into the wild! Nearly exterminated in the wild during by the 1930s, the Mexican wolf remains one of the most endangered mammals in North America. In May, Wolf Haven’s Director of Animal Care, Wendy Spencer assisted in the care & observation of two wolves scheduled for future release.She will write about her experience in a series of blog posts.

It has been almost 5 years since the Interagency Field Team (IFT) has done an initial release of Mexican gray wolves into the American southwest-  a benchmark that has been considered long overdue by most accounts. Recently, however, the politics and policies that have long stymied any new releases into the primary recovery zone of Arizona were tenuously and temporarily set aside in favor of science in order to give the free ranging Mexican gray wolf population a much need genetic boost.

On April 25th, 2013, M1051 and F1126 were transported from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s Sevilleta Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico to a chain- link release pen in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, just outside of Alpine, Arizona.

Unbeknownst to the pair, they bear a heavy burden- how well they fare in the wild will no doubt have strong implications for future releases, so it is critical to the program that everything goes well, not only  the acclimation process, but the subsequent release as well. In order for those things to happen, it is equally critical that the IFT set the pair up for success and give them a fighting chance once they are released.

However, the pair has a tough road ahead for the life of a free ranging Mexican gray wolf is not an easy one. Unquestionably, the biggest challenge they face is their ability to stay clear of humans (and their guns)-it is no secret that the local residents are not overly receptive to the idea of having wolves back on the landscape and over the years, they have made their malcontent abundantly clear by illegally shooting and killing at least 46 of them.  And while the habitat is ideal and well saturated with a robust prey base, the primary recovery area itself is relatively small which limits the number of wolves it can support. And as if those impediments weren’t enough, throw in disease and wildfires and speeding vehicles, as well as cows, and it becomes obvious that the odds are disproportionately stacked against them.

So… how exactly does the IFT go about setting up the pair for a successful release? Recently I was given the rare opportunity to not only get a behind the scenes look, but to also participate briefly in the process and it was an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life…………………..

Endangered Species Day

Today, Wolf Haven International joins thousands of people and organizations in celebration of Endangered Species Day. It is the 40th anniversary of the momentous occasion when the Endangered Species Act was put into place, recognizing the imperiled status of far too many creatures, and creating federal protections for them.

For our part, Wolf Haven is an active player in two different Species Survival Plan programs for critically endangered types of wolves. Since we were selected to participate in the Mexican gray wolf SSP program in 1994, five litters of these pups have been born here and two packs (11 wolves total) released into their historic range in the southwest.

In 2003, Wolf Haven began participating in the Red Wolf SSP plan. Both the Red wolf and the Mexican gray are indigenous to this continent, and not found in the wild anywhere else in the world. We currently house 11 Mexican gray and 4 red wolves, a few of which may be seen during a guided walking visit of our sanctuary.

There are still far too many species threatened with extinction due to critical habitat loss, poaching, and misunderstanding. Although Endangered Species Day is officially celebrated today, all of us must keep them in the forefront of our minds and hearts everyday – and do what we can to prevent the loss of even ONE more threatened species.ImageImage

Big day in the sanctuary

Guy and Anna

Guy and Anna

Big day in the sanctuary for some of our residents

Guy and Anna were moved to a large off-visit enclosure up on the hill away from the public visit route. If they choose, they can still catch a glimpse of visitors as they make their way along the public visit route, but given that both Guy and Anna are very shy, no doubt they will enjoy the increased privacy. Moving them meant that their original enclosure would now be vacant, and since that enclosure has an above ground tunnel that connects to Juno and Shadow’s enclosure, we were able to open the gates to the tunnel so Juno and Shadow could have an extra enclosure to romp in. Both pairs were so excited with their new digs- all kinds of new things to investigate and mark and roll on! Lots of excited whining, smelling and big, toothy smiles as well. I’d say they are pretty pleased with the new real estate!

Juno cautiously sniffs her new digs.

Juno cautiously sniffs her new digs.

Rocco is stretching! How about You!

Please remember Rocco and his 49 neighbors at Wolf Haven International! Today is GiveBIG, when your donations are magically made even bigger (s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d)! Visit the Wolf Haven giving page on The Seattle Foundation’s website on Wed. May 15! Today!

Greenwood Elementary School

Happy Birthday Shadow! From Mrs. Schumacher’s class

Greenwood Elementary School

Happy Birthday Shadow! From Mrs. Schumacher's class

Mrs. Schumacher’s kindergarten class at Greenwood Elementary in Seattle, WA, presented us with a booklet of 24 different hand-drawn pictures & personal greetings to 3-year old wolf Shadow. It’s a treasure (just like Shadow!)

Shadow in the snow.

Shadow in the snow.

How to STRETCH – in Six Simple Steps

The Proper Way to STRETCH

Riley stretches

Riley stretches

On May 15, for a 24-hour period, The Seattle Foundation is hosting the 3rd annual GiveBig Campaign for participating nonprofit organizations. People from AROUND the world can make a donation to the listed charity of their choice anytime between midnight and midnight of that special date AND The Seattle Foundation will “stretch” all donations. Although not a dollar-for-dollar match, the stretch increases the total amount of money that each nonprofit will receive at the end of the day. The percentage depends on the size of the stretch pool and how much is raised in total donations.

Here’s WHAT YOU CAN DO to Help Wolf Haven International and STRETCH those dollars!

Easy, how-to instructions

  1. First of all, SHARE these instructions with your family and friends.
  2. Set a calendar reminder (make sure it’s audible!) on your smart phone and other electronic devices with the following information: May 15, midnight (12 a.m.) – 11:59 p.m., GiveBIG.
  3. When the alarm goes off & your reminder pops up on May 15, immediately go to www.seattlefoundation.org/GivingCenter/GiveBIG
  4. Enter “Wolf Haven” in the search bar
  5. Select “Donate Now” & complete donation form (make sure Wolf Haven International) is your designated recipient.
  6. Brag about your generosity on Facebook and Twitter:  “I just gave to Wolf Haven International through The Seattle Foundation GiveBig campaign. How about you?

THAT’S IT! You have now properly completed a healthy stretch – which will benefit not only you (don’t you feel good about yourself?) but especially a nonprofit organization that you care deeply about – Wolf Haven International.

Wolf Haven needs your support year-round and we are always grateful for it – whenever it occurs! But for one special day – MAY 15 – your gift can magically GROW. All you have to do is GIVE via the Giving Center on The Seattle Foundation’s website on MAY 15.

Thank you in advance for your generosity and FLEXIBILITY.

Now set your reminders to STRETCH on MAY 15!

Happy Birthday to Shadow!

Uma P. with her drawing of Shadow.

Uma P. with her drawing of Shadow.

This lovely drawing of Shadow and Juno in their sanctuary enclosure was drawn by a young lady named Uma P., in honor of Shadow’s 3rd birthday. Uma & her mom visited Wolf Haven International to see the young wolf that she adopted at Christmas time.

See Sweetgrass documentary – sheepherding in American West

Join Wolf Haven International for a special screening of Sweetgrass at Evergreen State College followed by a discussion on wolf recovery and agriculture in the Pacific Northwest and abroad. This breath-taking documentary follows the last of the American west cowboys as they lead herds of sheep into the mountains of Montana. The discussion following the film will be led by the Evergreen Conservation Club and the Evergreen Animal Agriculture Club.
Wolf Haven International Screening & Discussion of Sweetgrass
Evergreen State College
Free Showing
April 12, 2013 at 4:30pm
2700 Evergreen Parkway NW
Olympia, WA 98505
This event is a collaboration with the award-winning documentary series POV.
 
“With eloquence and splendor, “Sweetgrass” is a singular record of all there is to love and hate.”

Slate review of the movie Sweetgrass.

Feeding the Wolves at Wolf Haven

Lonnie with salmon

Lonnie with salmon

Our Wolf Feeding Schedule

At Wolf Haven International, we have traditionally maintained a feeding schedule for the wolves that mimics a wild setting as much as possible. This means adjusting their diet to simulate a “feast or famine” style of eating.  (In the wild, wolves generally succeed in hunting one out of ten times.) We accomplished this by maintaining our animals on a bi-weekly feeding schedule (with treats in-between).

We recently began modifying our feeding schedule. Rather than two regular feedings (as in the past), we now focus simply on 20 pounds of meat per wolf/per week. The number of feedings (usually 2-3) and the amount per feeding varies depending on what food we have available. The primary food sources are beef, chicken, and salmon.  The salmon is donated to us from World Famous Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle. The wolves’ diet is still supplemented with marrow bones and turkey necks. In addition, we now get donated meat through our participation in the Sustainable Selections Program (meat donations from WalMart). This includes steaks, roast, ground beef, and other human grade food. This meat is usually divided up and frozen into a ‘loaf’ for each wolf.

Feeding Species Survival Plan (SSP) Wolves

Kibble feeder made from cedar wood.

Kibble feeder made from cedar wood.

Keep in mind the SSP animals (red wolves and Mexican gray wolves) are on a different diet: The SSP animals are fed kibble, with approved supplements (mainly roadkill). The reason the SSP animals are fed kibble is so ALL the facilities in the programs can maintain on the same diet. This removes the need for animals to get re-adjusted to a diet at a new facility if they get transferred. It also prevents potential pre-release animals from developing a taste for farm or ranch animals.

Erik Wilber, Animal Care Specialist