#endangered – Page 2 – Wolf Haven International

Meet Gypsy and Diablo, the sweet Mexi duo

November 2, 2015/in Uncategorized /by Wolf Haven International

by Pamela Maciel, Mexican wolf/bilingual education specialist, Wolf Haven

There are currently 19 Mexican gray wolves living at Wolf Haven International. All are part of a binational Mexican wolf Species Survival Plan (SSP) Program. Of these animals, there is only one pair that sanctuary guests have the opportunity to admire during their guided visit: Mexican wolves M657 and F907 (otherwise known by in-house names Diablo and Gypsy).

All SSP programs were created to save highly endangered species from vanishing permanently by means of building a captive population through selective reproduction planning. Eventually, particular individuals could be potentially released into the wild. Both Diablo and Gypsy were born as part of the Mexican wolf captive breeding program, in 2000 at Detroit Zoological Institute and in 2004 at Río Grande Zoo, respectively. Diablo was transferred to Wolf Haven in 2004 and Gypsy joined him in 2005; ever since they have been sharing an enclosure on the public route.

Diablo

Gypsy

They are such a cute pair to observe. Even though it isn’t huge, from a physical perspective their age difference has become quite noticeable. Gypsy is an 11-year old that looks like a blooming yearling; her sparkling big eyes and flamboyant coat often make visitors sigh. On the other hand, handsome Diablo’s 15-year old body is showing its natural decline; his movements are at times clumsy, he has lost almost all of his hearing and his sight isn’t that great either. That does not deter him from teaming up with “Gyps” every morning and engaging in enthusiastic displays with all their enclosure neighbors. Beyond the physical differences, their shared self-confident and playful character makes Gypsy and Diablo wonderful life mates as they celebrate ten years of togetherness.

This article originally appeared in the Fall 2015 issue of Wolf Tracks magazine.

Saving the Mexican gray wolf

August 12, 2015/in Uncategorized /by Wolf Haven International

Noel is one of the 19 Mexican gray wolves currently residing at Wolf Haven.

How to save an endangered species

The Mexican gray wolf, native to Mexico and the U.S., is one of the most critically endangered animals in the world. Their population dwindled to only seven wolves when a “survival plan” was put into place.

The Endangered Species Act, which mandates recovery of endangered species, prevented the complete human eradication of the Mexican wolf. By the early 1970s when the Act went into effect, their population was so low that wildlife officials felt the only option for restoration of this wolf was captive breeding and reintroduction to historic ranges.

Precarious existence of the Mexican wolf

Once common from Mexico to Colorado, today there are approximately 109 Mexican wolves left in the wild, mainly along the Arizona-New Mexico border (with one known wild pack in Mexico). A Mexican wolf Species Survival Plan (MWSSP) was developed to manage and oversee the captive breeding program and lend support to the reintroduction and recovery effort of the species in the wild. The MWSSP currently houses approximately 270 wolves in 52 facilities in the United States and Mexico.

Participants of the 2015 MWSSP meeting held at Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City, Mexico.

Because the entire Mexican wolf population was founded by only seven animals, genetic diversity remains one of the biggest challenges to the health of this species. For this reason, careful analysis of each individual Mexican wolf’s lineage and genetic DNA are of critical importance to the program’s success. Participating facilities in the MWSSP program meet annually to assess the current status of the Mexican wolf population and make breeding recommendations for the coming spring. The meetings alternate between the U.S. and Mexico, with varying organizations assuming the role of host agency. Wolf Haven hosted the MWSSP in 2012; this year, it was held in Mexico City at Chapultepec Zoo.

Xochitl Ramos, chief veterinarian for the MWSS's Mexican committee; Pamela Maciel, Wolf Haven's Mexican wolf specialist; Monica Galicia, SEMARNAT (Mexico's environment ministry) representative

Xochitl Ramos, chief veterinarian for the MWSSP’s Mexican committee; Pamela Maciel, Wolf Haven’s Mexican wolf specialist; Monica Galicia, SEMARNAT (Mexico’s environment ministry) representative.

Our director of animal care, Wendy Spencer, and Mexican wolf specialist Pamela Maciel attended this year’s meeting, which lasted from July 15-17. Here are some pictures from the three intense days in which breeding and transfer recommendations were made, and potential candidates for release into the wild were selected (most important, since this is the ultimate purpose of the program). It is a challenging, but worthy balancing act to ensure that not only are the needs of the program as a whole met, but the best outcome for each individual wolf involved is achieved.

Wendy Spencer (far left), Wolf Haven’s director of animal care and member of the MWSSP management group, assess transfer, housing and pairing possibilities with colleagues.

As a result from last year’s MWSSP meeting breeding recommendations, three pair of Mexican wolves at Wolf Haven gave birth to litters this spring. There are currently a total of 19 Mexican wolves living at our sanctuary (11 adults and 8 pups). This makes a total of eight litters of Mexican pups that have been born at Wolf Haven between 1996 and 2015. Some of the first Mexican wolves released back into the southwest – after an absence of nearly 40 years – came from here. Mexican wolves from Wolf Haven have been released in 1998 and 2000. The births and releases were all direct outcomes of recommendations made at these annual meetings.

Mexican biologists, veterinarians and wolf caretakers discuss transfer possibilities with Peter Siminski (MWSSP Coordinator).

Wolf Haven International is proud to participate in this special program that is contributing to the recovery of the Mexican wolf.

A total of over 60 people from Mexico and the U.S. attended this year's meeting, including some graduate students from Mexican universities.

A total of over 60 people from Mexico and the U.S. attended this year’s meeting, including graduate students from Mexican universities conducting research on the biology of Mexican wolves.

Blog produced by Pamela Maciel, Mexican wolf specialist & Kim Young, Director of Communications,
Wolf Haven International

Summer Days at Wolf Haven

August 26, 2013/in Uncategorized /by Wolf Haven International

Sanctuary Update – Brennan Stoelb, animal care specialist

Blooming flowers and budding trees have given way to the smell of fresh cut grass and finding a shady spot to read a book. Summer is here!

Clarice

Our oldest gal Clarice is doing well. She is currently taking two medications for some incontinence issues, which isn’t uncommon given her age. One of the medications, DES, has a very high success rate. While it hasn’t completely relieved her symptoms, there has been measured improvement while on DES. For a couple of months, she was on a roasted chicken kick as an extra morning snack. Then she decided roast was a better breakfast. After a few weeks, she went back to chicken. Recently, she has gone back to preferring beef roast. How long roast will be the preferred meat is anyone’s guess, but we are more than happy to accommodate Clarice! She is 18 after all.

In the spring issue, I mentioned the challenges we were having pilling our older female Kiawatha. We are pleased to report that she also loves raw beef roast. She likes it so much that most mornings she eagerly runs to the fence for her roast!

Anna & Guy

Between mowing the grass and weed-whacking, we have made some changes to the sanctuary. Guy and Anna, who were in the enclosure behind Juno and Shadow, have a new home in the back of the sanctuary with lots of seclusion! Not only does this allow Guy and Anna, who are a bit on the shy side, more privacy, but it also allows Juno and Shadow access to a second enclosure. Sometimes Shadow gets a little wary of certain types of cameras and this new arrangement allows him a buffer zone. Both pairs appear very happy with the new set-up!

Everyone was hopeful this year as we observed, via remote camera, three of the four Species Survival Plan (SSP) pairs that were recommended for breeding, actually engaged in breeding behavior. Unfortunately, due dates came and went without pups.

Tamaska & Jacob

Tamaska, one of our female red wolves, looked pregnant and even spent hours in her den. Spirits were high among staff members. We were slightly concerned when Tamaska’s mate Jacob was seen entering the den, which typically the female would not allow. To get a better view of the goings-on, we borrowed a “snake” camera from a local plumber, Advanced Plumbing Technologies, and had a peek in her den. Unfortunately, only rocks were found. It remains uncertain if she was going through false pregnancy, if she miscarried, or if the pups were stillborn.

Pups or no pups, come on out for a visit and take a visit of the sanctuary. While you’re here, lose yourself meandering through our gorgeous mounded prairie.

Helping Save Mexican wolves (#11) – looking for F1305

July 24, 2013/in Uncategorized /by Wolf Haven International

Helping Save Mexican wolves (#10) – F1305 just wants to have fun

July 15, 2013/in Uncategorized /by Wolf Haven International

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 Part 10 of an ongoing series of blog posts about her experience in Arizona.

While M1107 would take a time out from fence fighting, F1305 would play on the nearby log pile. She had what would be analogous to a play face and though her tail was straight up, her movements were exaggerated and clumsy as she would often try and invite M1107 to play.

He wanted no part though, as he was clearly in battle mode and focused solely on his rivals. Obviously, there was a conversation that took place between him and the pair because after several minutes of truce (and rest) the three wolves would once again take up their positions at the fence and resume fighting. Meanwhile, the little female would bow and jump around in circles- clearly she did not take this as serious as her new companion did. However, when the fence fighting would increase in intensity, then she would join the fray briefly.

Enclosure where fence fighting between captive and free-ranging Mexican gray wolves took place.

The fence fighting continued for almost 2 hours but just before 7 am, I observed the pair walk over to far side of the pen and curl up in a day bed. M1107 paced back and forth along the fence line as if trying to encourage them to come back, but to no avail. Realizing the pair was not going to take his bait, he headed towards the north side of the pen where he took up post like a sentry. He eventually lay down, but kept a watchful eye. The little female was relentless in her attempts to get M1107 to play- she kept pouncing his head and playfully nipping at his rump, but he ignored her. Perhaps out of sheer boredom, she eventually laid down as well.

Throughout the morning either M1107 or F1226 would initiate a howl but all four would stop what they were doing and join in- it was mesmerizing. Even as I made my way back to camp, I would hear their melodic chorus as it drifted by, carried on the early morning breeze. However, in addition to the howling, I heard bouts of fighting as well and that continued well on into the late morning….. (to be continued)

Helping Save Mexican wolves (#9) – fence fighting between free-ranging & captive wolves

July 10, 2013/in Uncategorized /by Wolf Haven International

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 Part 9 of an ongoing series of blog posts about her experience in Arizona.

As I headed to the blind the next morning, a herd of elk cut me off as they made their way across the road. They were huge and beautiful and a picture of sheer grace as they trotted by, except for the baby who was still a bit wobbly.

As I crested the ridge, I could hear loud whimpering and whining coming from the pen, amplified by the surrounding hillsides. I was still too far off to see the pen but the sounds continued as I approached. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a group of mule deer slinking past me. Their eyes were as big as saucers and even an uneducated observer like me could tell they were concerned about something. I continued to make my way down to the blind and as the pen came into view I could see movement along the perimeter in front of me.

It turned out to be an elk darting back and forth along the fence line and M1051 and F1126 were frantically running alongside him. Seconds later I caught a glimpse of something behind the elk but I was still far away and the lighting was poor but the animal looked decidedly canine. I couldn’t believe my eyes! The elk suddenly turned away from the pen and began running up the hill just to the left of the blind and by that time I had made it to the blind and I could make out the distinct coat color and pattern of a Mexican gray wolf as he gave chase to the elk. They both disappeared from view but I could hear them crashing through the woods.

Meanwhile, the wolves in the pen were coming unhinged. They were whimpering and whining and alarm bark/howling- a clear sign that they were agitated and in distress. Even with the naked eye I could see their hackles standing on end from head to tail, with tails held straight up in the air. They quickly bolted to the opposite side of the fence as a wolf came running to the fence and they began fence fighting with each other but this did not look like the same wolf that I watched run after the elk. All of a sudden, the elk came tearing towards the pen again, with the wolf still in tow! The elk found himself caught in between the two free ranging wolves and repeatedly darted back and forth. However, at one point the two wolves took time away from the elk to fence fight with the pair. The fighting became so intense that it was in that moment that the young spike saw his opportunity to get away and I watched as he bolted up the far hill and eventually out of sight.

I could not believe what I was seeing! The wolves would periodically take a break from fighting and essential go off to their own corners which allowed me to get good visuals through the scope. I could clearly see a radio collar on one of the free ranging wolves, who presumably was M1107. Even though I didn’t pick up his signal at all during the night, he was the only wolf that had been known to visit the pen site. Also, he was one of just a handful of wolves equipped with a GPS collar and through the scope I could see the telltale antenna. The other wolf looked and behaved like a juvenile- most likely a yearling. She was much darker in color and her markings were more muted than the other wolves. And although there was no clear indication as to whether she was indeed a female, she just “looked” female to me.

Up until this point, everyone on the IFT thought that M1107 was traveling alone but somewhere on his travels, he managed to pick up this little female- perhaps a yearling from the Maverick pack….. (to be continued)

Helping Save Mexican Wolves (#8) – wild wolves, wild horses, & magic

July 5, 2013/in Uncategorized /by Wolf Haven International

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 Part 8 of an ongoing series of blog posts about her experience in Arizona.

Wolf paw print

Recently the IFT had confirmed the alpha female of the Bluestem pack had 5 pups, which brought their total to 10- the largest pack in the area. In order to try and insure that they stayed out of trouble, the IFT decided to temporarily put out a cache pile so Quinn and I left a few dozen pounds of carnivore logs for them. The wolves were obviously coming in and feeding off the pile because tracks were all around the area and there was a trail camera set up in order to visually confirm that the wolves were indeed coming in and eating from it rather than being totally scavenged by ravens.

Then we went looking for the remaining member of the Hawk’s Nest pack. We drove over to his known range and because the wolves prefer to travel on the existing forest service roads, it was fairly easy to pick up his tracks. It was obvious to me that Quinn was familiar with this male and his habits because Quinn just opened the door to his truck as he slowly drove until he was able to spot a track. From there we got out and followed his trail a bit before it disappeared into the tree line.

About 100 horses that wandered from the Fort Apache Indian Reservation live in the area.

As we drove back to the trailer we came across a group of wild horses grazing in a meadow off the side of the road. Apparently the forest is home to about 100 horses that have wandered off the Fort Apache Indian Reservation (FAIR) and now live amongst the elk, deer and big horn sheep that call the forest home. They were so beautiful and majestic- I just sat and watched from a distance while they were in the area. They didn’t seem to give a rip about us, but as a horse person, I was thrilled to have a chance to see them- what a gift!

Beautiful moon shines over the landscape

Nighttime in the Apache is magical- the moon was waxing gibbous that week so each night, the forest was bathed in pale yellow moonlight, silhouetting the old aspens against the midnight skies that were adorned with millions of stars. The forest came alive at night and I imagined the revelries of its inhabitants as I stood with my telemetry equipment in hand, afraid to turn it on, lest it somehow disturb them. In those moments, I had an abiding awareness of my intrusion into this secret, enchanted world of the forest but did my best to minimize my incursion………… (to be continued)

Helping Save Mexican Wolves (#6) – disappointment

June 25, 2013/in Uncategorized /by Wolf Haven International

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 Part 6 of an ongoing series of blog posts about her experience in Arizona.

One of the two collared wolves intended for release into the wild.

A few hours later Quinn from the IFT (Interagency Field Team) showed up at camp and he and I drove down to the pen to feed and water the wolves. As we approached the pen, we noticed the wolves were running hard and because it was already in the 70’s,it was important to do what we needed to as expediently as possible and then get out. The pen is situated in the center of a basin, will hillside surrounding all but the northern side. The pen itself looked very similar to the set-up we have at home. It was approximately 1/3 of an acre in size and is comprised of 9 gauge, 8 ft high vertical fencing with an overhang as well as a 3 ft ground skirt hog -ringed to the bottom of the vertical at a 90 degree angle. It took the field team about 2 weeks to construct the pen- a very ambitious endeavor in the middle of nowhere! There was little “furniture” inside the pen aside from a wooden den box but there were several down trees and stumps that the wolves had dug day beds next to.

Eight foot high vertical fencing with overhang & ground skirt.

We quickly fed out 2 back elk legs and changed their water troughs before exiting the pen. Once again, the field team needed a fresh eye to look at the female to try and determine whether or not she was nursing, and a quick glance was all I needed. As much as I had hoped otherwise, I felt very confident that there were no pups- it was much easier to see in person that her abdomen was tucked up which was inconsistent with nursing. It takes 10-14 days for the female’s milk to dry up, so if she did whelp or abort or reabsorb, it had been at least that long.

Print left by one of penned Mexican gray wolves.

This was not the news that the IFT was hoping to hear. The release date had already been pushed back once due to the prospect of pups, but if there were indeed no pups, what would that now mean for release? I was told that most likely the date would be pushed back up- perhaps after the holiday weekend. No doubt an IFT conference call was in order….. (to be continued)

Helping Save Mexican Gray Wolves (#4) – beauty from devastation

June 19, 2013/in Uncategorized /by Wolf Haven International

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 Part 4 of an ongoing series of blog posts about her experience in Arizona.

Charred aspens can be seen amidst the new aspen growth in meadow.

By the time Allison left, it was about 3:00 in the afternoon so after Erin and I got settled in the trailer and figured out who was sleeping where, I grabbed my journal and decided to go for a walk. The pen was in a southerly direction from camp so I decided to head north to see what I would find. I didn’t have to go far- only about a ¼ mile before I came to an open meadow on the northwest aspect of the ridge where our camp was located. There I sat in the afternoon sun, captivated by the beauty that surrounded me. Evidence of the fire was all around me but even in the midst of so much devastation there was such beauty and life. The tall, charred aspen were a stark contrast against the pristine blue sky and brilliant green of the young aspen regrowth as it danced in the afternoon wind. Ravens and songbirds soared over head and everywhere I looked, grasshoppers flitted about, the din of their collective chirping rivaling the sound of the aspen leaves rustling in the wind.

Mule deer

A few hundred feet away there was a group of mule deer grazing – we regarded one another briefly, and after giving me a dismissive glance, they went out their business. For hours I sat, Thoreau’s words “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately “repeatedly running through my mind. I felt grateful, blessed, alive. Once the afternoon sun began to sink below the far off ridge line, I decided to head back.

Wendy Spencer uses telemetry equipment to locate sign of collared wild Mexican wolves.

Sunset is early in the Apache- 7:30, so after a light dinner, it was time to turn in since we both had to be up early – 3:30am. Erin was going to spend a day in the field with the IFT and I needed to get to the blind at first light (4:45am). Throughout the night we took turns getting our telemetry readings- not only were we monitoring the pair, but there was also another wolf hanging around, M1107, the former alpha male of the now defunct Rim pack. His mate had been removed from the wild the previous year so now he just wandered his former range and the nearby Fort Apache Indian Reservation (FAIR), presumably in search of a new mate. We picked up his faint signal to the north of the pen during the night so we knew he was still in the area.

Helping Save Mexican Gray Wolves (#1)

June 12, 2013/1 Comment/in Uncategorized /by Wolf Haven International

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 25^th, 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…………………..

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