Author Archives: Nathan Lyle
Removing wolves did not reliably prevent domestic animal losses
August 31, 2026
Humans usually try to kill wild animals that they perceive as threats. However, many scientific findings have raised doubts that killing solves wildlife damage to property. With scant, low-quality data, uncertainty persists. We reviewed recent studies of killing gray wolves … read more
Posted in Conflicts, Resources | Tagged carnivores, conflict and coexistence, consensus reviews, livestock, non-randomized BACI, predator control, spatiotemporal recurrence and survival models
Wolves increase germination speed and success of blueberries
August 31, 2026
Seed dispersal plays a key role in facilitating important ecological processes that reduce plant competition, parasitism and predation while promoting gene flow and biodiversity. In many ecosystems across North America and Eurasia, wolves consume fruits when available. However, the impact … read more
Posted in Biology, Resources, WolfWatcher | Tagged Canis lupus, ecosystem effects, endozoochory, frugivory, seed dispersal
Ecological Studies of Wolves on Isle Royale 2025-2026
May 31, 2026
In winter 2026, the wolf population was likely composed of 37 wolves, which is approximately 20 percent higher than the last population estimate of 31 wolves in 2023. The wolf population included three packs, each containing at least 10 wolves. … read more
Posted in Great Lakes Wolves, News, Regional Wolves
A spatial risk map of gray wolf livestock depredations across the Great Lakes Region
March 31, 2026
Livestock depredations by gray wolves are a source of human-wildlife conflict across their recolonizing range in the midwestern United States of America (USA) which may hinder recovery efforts. Spatial prediction of livestock depredation risk is an important component of preventing … read more
Posted in Conflicts, Resources | Tagged Canis lupus, carnivore, Human–wildlife conflict, livestock depredation, recolonization
Anthropogenic sources dominate gray wolf mortality but leading cause varies with management regime
March 30, 2026
Despite changes in legislation and public attitudes towards large predators, human-caused mortality continues to impact survival and conservation of carnivore species. Understanding the drivers and timing of mortality is critical for informing evidence-based management and policy decisions aimed at improving … read more
Posted in Biology, Resources | Tagged Canis lupus, carnivore, cause-specific mortality, Endangered Species Act, Legal harvest, poaching, survival
Born to die: pack and population level estimates of wolf pup survival and recruitment in the Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem
March 30, 2026
Wolf pup Canis lupus survival is a key driver of wolf population dynamics that remains poorly understood, especially in forested systems, because wolf pups are difficult to monitor. We used a combination of pup counts at dens and remote camera … read more
Posted in Biology, Resources | Tagged Canis lupus, forested ecosystem, litter size, mortality, prey abundance, remote camera


