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Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem Wolf Pack and Population Size Report

Posted on November 30, 2022

During 2021-2022, we estimated the area of 9 wolf pack home ranges/territories and estimated the size of 14 wolf packs based on an average of 7.3 independent observations of each pack at the estimated size (i.e., the number of wolves we determined were in a given pack.)

Prior to 2019, the estimated size of many packs were based on 1 or 2 independent observations per pack. The lack of repeated observations likely introduced error because 1 or 2 observations might not be representative of actual pack size (Barber-Meyer 2022). Beginning in 2019, we deployed a large remote camera array across the study area to increase the number of independent observations of each pack. This approach has been highly effective and we have averaged 7.4, 9.8, and 7.3 independent observations of each pack at the estimated size in 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022, respectively. For comparison, the average annual number of independent observations per pack at their estimated size during 2012-2018 was 2.5 with a maximum of 3.7 observations per pack in 2013.

DOWNLOAD THE PDF TO READ THE FULL REPORT

Document: VWP-2022-Population-Report.pdf

Author(s): Thomas Gable, Austin Homkes, Joseph Bump

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Wolfwatcher

2 hours ago

Flagstaff Wolf Removal Violates Endangered Species Act, Conservationists Warntinyurl.com/yeyr4h43October 7 releaseThree conservation groups today notified state and federal agencies that ongoing efforts to trap and relocate Mexican gray wolves west of Flagstaff violate the Endangered Species Act. The wolves, known as the Kendrick Peak pack, have been thriving in this area near the Grand Canyon since at least June.Mexican wolves living north of Interstate 40 are fully protected under the Endangered Species Act, including its ban on trapping and other “take.” Today’s notice advises the USDA’s Wildlife Services and Arizona Game and Fish Department that they lack any permission to trap the Kendrick Peak wolf family.The only relevant permit authorizes trapping and translocation of Mexican wolves that have dispersed from what is called the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area (MWEPA). That area encompasses all of Arizona and New Mexico south of I-40 to the Mexico border.It’s entirely possible that these wolves were born to parents who have been living undetected outside of the experimental population area,” said Greta Anderson, deputy director of Western Watersheds Project. ”The vast and wild Grand Canyon ecoregion is perfect habitat for wolves but the agencies insist on keeping wolves south of Interstate 40 for wholly political reasons.” The Kendrick Peak wolf family is being trapped for alleged conflict associated with public lands grazing allotments. No efforts to protect the cattle from predation have been implemented on these allotments, and the cattle are scheduled to be removed from the allotments at the end of October. Livestock owners are compensated for losses due to wolf predation.Breaking the law:These tenacious Mexican wolves belong right where they are, so we’re putting wildlife officials on notice that they’ll be breaking the law if they try to relocate them,” said Michael Robinson, a senior conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Instead of trapping and removing the Kendrick Peak pack, state and federal officials should be doing everything they can to ensure that Mexican wolves recover.Wolves are essential to the ecological health of the Grand Canyon ecoregion and should be allowed to find territories naturally,” said Claire Musser, executive director of the Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project. “Instead of translocation, we should work with communities to prevent conflict and foster a culture of tolerance and respect for these vital predators.”Trapping risks injury to the endangered wolves, even when done by the agencies. At least 17 Mexican gray wolves have died as a direct result of agency trapping and handling since 1999. Moreover, the conservationists have explained that allowing Mexican wolves to expand their range northward into the Grand Canyon ecoregion would further their conservation, as the Endangered Species Act requires.The Center for Biological Diversity, Western Watersheds Project and the Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project filed today’s Notice. The Endangered Species Act requires such a written notice of the violation as a prerequisite to filing a lawsuit.Wolfwatcher would be surprised if theyTry to trap. Southwest representatives are on very this ground and it may be. A day to day situation.It would be. Ice to say the have been put on notice for their behavior, but we shall have to see information coming into our Creator..We are in creator when we begin the posting for any information we put on Wolfwatcher.Photo. Photo: Adobe Stock ... See MoreSee Less

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Wolfwatcher

1 day ago

Development in Ontario limiting wolves’ rangetinyurl.com/5fyjk5edA loss of habitat in southern Canada has made it more difficult for wolves to travel from the Laurentian Mountains to the Adirondack Park.If there were to ever be wolves coming back into New York, the odds of this taking place is getting worse and worse because of the habitat loss in Ontario, and … a little bit in Quebec.Those nice big patches that were in Ontario are gone, and so the dispersal distances are now almost double than they used to be. Without extensive restoration in Ontario, it’s going to be tough, or tougher anyway, for them to get down.As recently as 2000, it was easier to get to New York from Quebec. They could go maybe (12 to 19 miles) and get to a stepping stone patch, then maybe another (12 to 19 miles) to get to another stepping stone patch, then get into New York.Habitat patch areas decreased from 2000 to 2015 by 695 square miles, including by 28% in the Quebec portion, 95% in the Ontario portion and only .3% in New York.New York’s still offers opportunities for migrating animals other than a few pinch points in places such as St. Lawrence County and northern Franklin County.Extensive habitat restoration and protection” needs to happen within the Ontario and Quebec portions of the study area, road development needs to meet certain thresholds, and cross-border cooperation needs to happen to keep habitat intact.But even with restoration efforts, wolves and coyotes need better protection from hunters and trappers in New York and Canada. Several wolves discovered in New York and Northeast in recent decades have been killed by humans, including one shot by a hunter in 2021 in the northern Catskills.Gray wolves are listed as an endangered species in New York, but they resemble coyotes and can be killed mistakenly. In Canada, eastern wolves received additional protections in June when they were listed as threatened. ... See MoreSee Less

Study: Development in Ontario limiting wolves' range

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Study says a loss of habitat in southern Canada has made it more difficult for wolves to travel from the Laurentians to the Adirondacks.

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Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem Wolf Pack and Population Size Report

Document: VWP-2022-Population-Report.pdf

READ MORE: https://www.voyageurswolfproject.org/project-reports

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