There is a world somewhere between reality and fiction. Although ignored by many, it is very real and so are those living in it. This forum is about the natural world. Here, wild animals will be heard and respected. The forum offers a glimpse into an unknown world as well as a room with a view on the present and the future. Anyone able to speak on behalf of those living in the emerald forest and the deep blue sea is invited to join.
Quote:Canine Parvovirus (CPV) is an infectious disease that was first recognized in dogs in 1978.
In addition to domestic dogs and cats, CPV may also infect many wild species including coyote, fox, wolf, mountain lion, lynx, raccoon and ferret. All wolves tested in Montana during the past two years (100%) have been exposed to CPV and there is no current evidence to suggest that the virus is a significant mortality factor in Montana. Canine parvovirus is of no public health significance to humans.
Canine Parvovirus is a disease that causes diarrhea, vomiting, and, consequently, dehydration. Its origins are unknown, but it may have arisen from a mutation of a similar virus in nature, e.g., a wild carnivore such as the European red fox. CPV was common in dogs by 1980 and first appeared in wild wolves shortly afterwards. Widespread vaccination programs have helped in the control of this disease in domestic animals.
NOTE : CPV is highly contagious and is spread from dog to dog by direct or indirect contact with their feces.
- Canine Distemper (Viral)
Quote:CDV is a widespread, highly contagious disease that affects both domestic and wild carnivores including dog, fox, coyote, wolf, raccoon, ferret and skunk.
Mortality following infection tends to be higher in juveniles than in adults. CDV is very resistant to cold and the majorityof distemper cases in domestic dogs are seen in the fall and winter. In Montana, die-offs of raccoons due to canine distemper occur yearly and since juveniles are more susceptible to infection, the majority of clinical cases are seen in the spring and summer. Canine distemper is of no public health significance to humans.
The usual route of infection is through the upper respiratory tract, following inhalation of infective virus. Occasionally, infection follows ingestion of infective material. Canine distemper affects the skin, eye membranes, intestinal tract, and sometimes the teeth, footpads or brain of susceptible animals. Initial symptoms include fever, loss of appetite and discharge from the eyes or nose. Diarrhea follows, which will usually cause dehydration. Seizures and death may follow.
Distemper in domestic dogs is now relatively uncommon as a result of widespread vaccination programs but remains common in raccoons and skunks in Montana. Despite broad exposure (based on serologic evidence), clinical disease appears to be rare in wild wolves. In the 1980’s the disease was believed to be the cause of pup mortality in northwestern Montana.
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*This image is copyright of its original author
Italian wolf in advanced stage of infection.
From wikipedia. There is a video of the poor wolf. It is very very very hard to watch.
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A dog that survives distemper continues to have both non-life-threatening and life-threatening signs throughout its lifespan. Few survives the systemic phase (which last around 10 days) of the disease.
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In Europe, the first report of canine distemper occurred in Spain in 1761
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The Alpha Male of Lamar Canyon Pack in Yellowstone National Park (Wolf 949M) died of canine distemper. He stayed mostly bedded near a bison carcass from August 14th to 24th 2017.
- Canine Adenovirus
Quote:Canine adenovirus is the cause of infectious canine hepatitis, a severe disease affecting domestic dogs. Other carnivore species including fox, coyote, wolf and bear may be susceptible to infection. Seventy six [76%] percent of wolves tested in Montana during the past two years [2004-2006] show evidence of exposure to this virus but there are no reports that describe clinical disease in wolves as is seen in susceptible dogs. Canine adenovirus is of no public health significance to humans.
Although clinical disease (signs vary from slight fever to death) in domestic dogs is rare as a result of widespread vaccination programs, recovered dogs may serve as a source of infection for up to 6 months post recovery and may shed virus into the environment.
Transmission occurs through ingestion of urine, feces, and saliva however, the virus is stable for long periods of time in the environment and direct contact with a sick animal is not necessary for infection to occur.
- Leptospirosis
Quote:Leptospirosis is a blood infection caused by the bacteria Leptospira.[8] Signs and symptoms can range from none to mild (headaches, muscle pains, and fevers) to severe (bleeding in the lungs or meningitis).[5] Weil's disease, the acute, severe form of leptospirosis, causes the infected individual to become jaundiced (skin and eyes become yellow), develop kidney failure, and bleed.[6] Bleeding from the lungs associated with leptospirosis is known as "severe pulmonary haemorrhage syndrome".[5]
More than ten genetic types of Leptospira cause disease in humans.[12] Both wild and domestic animals can spread the disease, most commonly rodents.[8] The bacteria are spread to humans through animal urine, or water and soil contaminated with animal urine, coming into contact with the eyes, mouth, nose or breaks in the skin.[8]
Leptospirosis is caused by spirochaete bacteria that belong to the genus Leptospira, which are aerobic,[8] right-handed helical,[12] and 6 –20 micrometers long.
The bacteria can be found in ponds, rivers, puddles, sewers, agricultural fields and moist soil.[7] Pathogenic Leptospira have been found in the form of aquatic biofilms, which may aid survival in the environment.[24]
The number of cases of leptospirosis is directly related to the amount of rainfall.
Infected animals can have no, mild, or severe symptoms;[56] the presenting symptoms may vary by the type of animal.[15][56] In some animals the bacteria live in the reproductive tract, leading to transmission during mating.
In dogs, the acute clinical signs include fever, loss of appetite, shivering, muscle pain, weakness, and urinary symptoms. Vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain may also present. Petechiae and ecchymoses may be seen on mucous membranes. Bleeding from the lungs may also be seen in dogs. In chronic presentations, the affected dog may have no symptoms. In animals that have died of leptospirosis, their kidneys may be swollen with grey and white spots, mottling, or scarring. Their liver may be enlarged with areas of cell death. Petechiae and ecchymoses may be found in various organs.[23][57] Inflammation of the blood vessels, inflammation of the heart, meningeal layers covering the brain and spinal cord, and uveitis are also possible.[15] Risk of death or disability in animals varies depending upon the species and age of the animals.
*This image is copyright of its original author
"Lungs of a canine with multiple bleeding spots due to leptospirosis."
Credit : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States
This image depicts the mediastinum and two lungs extracted from a deceased canine, which had succumbed to a case of leptospirosis, caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira.
Note the pinpoint, or petechial hemorrhages, as well as frank pulmonary hemorrhages throughout the lung tissue.
Wikipédia
- Sarcoptic Mange (Sarcoptes scabeii)
Quote:Mange is caused by an external mite that burrows into the wolf’s skin causing, irritation, hair loss, lesions and scabs. In advanced cases, it can be fatal because of a chronically weakened immune system, secondary infections, or even hypothermia due to hair loss.
The mite is spread by direct body contact with an infected animal or by contact with something that an infected animal contaminated.
Quote:Mange is a skin disease of mammals caused by a tissue-burrowing mite. A variety of mange mites exist; the one identified as the cause of mange in Montana wildlife is Sarcoptes scabiei. The mites are too small to be seen with the naked eye, but skin changes brought on by infestation can be dramatic. The skin disease caused by this species of mite is known as sarcoptic mange.
In Montana, sarcoptic mange has been reported in red fox, coyote, and gray wolf. The mites appear to be quite host species-specific and the likelihood of transmission from a wolf to a healthy dog or human appears to be very low. In a 1980 study, attempts to transfer sarcoptic mange from a red fox, four coyotes and a wolf to dogs and dog-coyote hybrids were unsuccessful (Samuel, 1981).
Sarcoptic mange mites spread to new hosts through direct body contact with an infected animal or by contact with something that an infected animal has contaminated such as common den sites. The parasite lives and burrows in the skin layers. Sarcoptic mange is characterized by thinning and loss of hair, thickening and wrinkling of the skin, and scab and crust formation.
Red foxes are the most severely affected, exhibiting a thinning of hair accompanied by accumulations of foul-smelling, wet, crusted exudates about the head, and in severe cases, over much of the trunk and legs. In advanced cases, animals are emaciated and weak. It can be fatal because of a chronically weakened immune system, secondary infections, or even hypothermia due to hair loss.
Several packs in southwest Montana (Montana portion of the GYA) were documented with symptoms associated with Sarcoptic mange (Sarcoptes scabeii) in 2006. However, in the sample of all dead wolves submitted for necropsy in 2006, fewer cases of mange were documented compared to the 2005 necropsied sample.
In 2006, mange was documented in 4 packs in the Montana portion of the Greater Yellowstone Recovery Area. One of the 4 no longer exists because the pair was lethally removed due to livestock conflicts. Of particular interest, one wolf is known to have survived with visible signs of mange for three years. Thus far, mange has been detected in wolf packs living primarily east of the continental divide.
Elimination of mangy wolves to reduce opportunities for transmission of the parasite has been suggested. It has also been suggested that MFWP “treat” clinically affected individual wolves. The effectiveness of either approach is questionable, because the parasite is widely distributed in the environment before infestations become obvious and multiple doses are required for effective treatment. MFWP’s management approach has been to let nature takes its course unless mangy wolves are habitually loitering near human dwellings or livestock.
*This image is copyright of its original author
Yellowstone Wolf 712M [Longtime Alpha Male of The Canyon Pack] (Above) (NPS Picture) showing no signs of mange
Wolf with severe case of mange (below)
*This image is copyright of its original author
- Chronic Skin Disease
Quote:Characterized by varying degrees of hair loss, scaling and crusting.
- Biting Dog Lice (Tricodectes canis)
Quote:Trichodectes canis, also known as canine chewing louse, is a chewing louse found on domesticated dogs and wild canids throughout the world. T. canis is a well-known vector for the dog tapeworm, Dipylidium caninum. T. canis usually does not present any major problems to the host, however, can be very irritating in heavy infestations. In North America and most developed countries, T. canis infestation of domesticated dogs is very uncommon as long as they are properly cared for and healthy. Poorly taken care of dogs are more prone to getting a lice infestation.
T. canis was originally found on domesticated dogs in the Czech Republic in the 1950s. However, this louse has been found on wild canines as well – on gray wolves in Canada (1934), and coyotes in Texas and Kansas (1959). In addition to the domestic dog, T. canis is known to inhabit C. lupus, C. aureus, C. latrans, Dusicyonculpaeus, Cerdocyonthous, Vulpesbengalensis and Viverracivetta as well.
Source : Wikipedia.
- Muscular sarcocystosis (Sarcocytis sp.)
Quote:Rare incidences on canids.
In volunteer studies [On humans i think ?] with infected beef, symptoms appeared 3–6 hours after eating. These included anorexia, nausea, abdominal pain, distension, diarrhea, vomiting, dyspnea, and tachycardia. All symptoms were transient and lasted about 36 hours. In a second series, symptoms—abdominal pain, distension, watery diarrhea, and eosinophilia—appeared at 1 week and resolved after 3 weeks.
Clinical cases have been associated with acute fever, myalgias, bronchospasm, pruritic rashes, lymphadenopathy, subcutaneous nodules associated with eosinophilia, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and elevated creatinine kinase levels. Symptoms may last as long as five years. Segmental necrotizing enteritis has been reported on one occasion.
Wikipédia
- Trichinosis (trichinella larvae found in skeletal muscle)
Quote:It is transmitted by the ingestion of infected muscle tissue from another host. Work in Alaska indicates that trichinella infection has no measurable impact on either individual wolves or the population.
Trichinosis, also known as trichinellosis, is a parasitic disease caused by roundworms of the Trichinella type.[1] During the initial infection, invasion of the intestines can result in diarrhea, abdominal pain, and vomiting.[1] Migration of larvae to muscle, which occurs about a week after being infected, can cause swelling of the face, inflammation of the whites of the eyes, fever, muscle pains, and a rash.[1] Minor infection may be without symptoms.[1] Complications may include inflammation of heart muscle, central nervous system involvement, and inflammation of the lungs.[1]
Trichinosis is mainly spread when undercooked meat containing Trichinella cysts is eaten.[1] Most often this is pork, but infection can also occur from bear and dog meat.
Wikipedia
- Rabies
Quote:In the United States, rabies is primarily a disease that affects and is maintained by wildlife populations. No wolves have been affected or implicated in the transmission of this disease. All mammals are susceptible to rabies but the most frequently reported rabid wildlife remains raccoons (~38% of all animal cases), skunks (~27%), bats (~20%) and foxes (~6%). Rabies infections of terrestrial animals in most areas of the US occur in geographically definable regions where virus transmission is primarily between members of the same species. Rabies in Montana is generally confined to bats and skunks.
Humans are susceptible to rabies but infection from wild animals occurs very rarely in the US.
- Neosporosis (Neospora caninum)
Quote:A microscopic protozoal parasite, is a major cause of abortions, premature births and impaired calves in cattle. First recognized in 1988, and linked to dogs in 1998, this parasite causes an infection called neosporosis. Studies have shown that one or more animals in at least half the dairy and beef herds in the United States have been exposed.
A survey in 2000 of 55 beef herds in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming revealed an average herd prevalence of 24%. In dairy cattle herds, prevalence of Neospora infection can range from 5% - 75% and is not associated with herd size. Cows typically abort between the fourth and seventh months of gestation. If they do not abort, they are likely to pass the infection to their calves. Fetuses may be reabsorbed prior to three months of gestation. Congenitally infected calves are usually born healthy and develop normally, but pass the infection on to their offspring. In this way, Neospora caninum perpetuates itself in lines of cattle.
The second way that cattle become infected is through consuming feed or water contaminated with eggs from the parasite, or grazing on contaminated pastures. Natural cases of neosporosis have been reported in different species of wild deer and deer may play an important role in the epidemiology of this disease. Parasite eggs are shed in the feces of dogs, coyotes and possibly foxes and wolves that become infected by eating infected animals, placentas or fetuses. Scientific studies have proven that dogs and coyotes can spread Neospora through feces.
The evidence is less conclusive that foxes and wolves shed Neospora but serologic evidence indicates that wolves in Montana are at least exposed to the parasite.
Quote:Is a very small tapeworm that resides in the small intestine of domestic dogs and other canids such as wolves.
Gravid tapeworm segments (proglottids) release eggs that are passed in the feces. After accidental ingestion by a suitable intermediate
host (deer, moose and elk, livestock and humans), the egg hatches in the small intestine, penetrates the intestinal wall and migrates through the circulatory system into various organs, especially the liver and lungs where it forms a cyst. The definitive host (dog, coyote, wolf etc.) may become infected by ingesting the cyst-containing organs of an infected intermediate host. Proglottids of this tapeworm species have been collected from a wolf in northwestern Montana. Through a collaborative project with the University of Washington, more detailed surveillance is now underway.
The same life cycle occurs with a second species E. multilocularis, with the following differences: in Montana the definitive hosts are red foxes and coyotes. Wolves are considered potential hosts but in Montana, this has not been documented. In addition, the intermediate hosts are small rodents rather than ungulates and larval growth (in the liver) remains indefinitely in the proliferative stage, resulting in invasion of the surrounding tissues.
Domestic dogs may, under certain conditions, become involved in the otherwise largely wildlife-based transmission, and thereby increase the possibility of infection in humans.
Generally, tapeworms do little harm to wolves and larval infections of the intermediate hosts tend to be more serious. For example, cysts of E. multilocularis produce tumor-like lesions that can eventually destroy the host’s liver and other organs. This condition is known as alveolar echinococcosis whereas the disease caused by E. granulosus is known as cystic echinococcosis.
Humans become infected following the accidental ingestion of eggs. Although widely believed, there is no scientific evidence to suggest that inhalation of eggs found in feces presents a transmission risk in humans. While the eggs can survive at least a year in cool,wet environments they are very vulnerable to high temperatures and desiccation, dying in two hours under these conditions.
- Brucellosis
Quote:A variety of species can become “spillover” hosts of Brucella abortus (the cause of brucellosis in cattle, bison and elk) in areas where brucellosis is endemic such as the Greater Yellowstone Area. In other words, some wildlife species other than bison and elk can become infected. Wolves may potentially be one of these spillover hosts but research indicates that they do not act as vectors of the disease following infection.
Previous studies have found no lesions in naturally infected, free-ranging wolves, coyotes or foxes and scientific evidence suggests that B. abortus has little or no effect on the health of wild canids.
In Montana a single animal (1 of 25; 4%) tested positive on serology but no evidence of actual infection has ever been observed.
A recent study in Canada evaluated the significance of B. abortus in wolves and whether or not wolves might pose a risk of transmitting brucellosis to other wildlife and livestock. The study found that the sporadic excretion of very small numbers of brucellae by wolves was insignificant when compared with the required infective dose for cattle. This led to the conclusion that wolves do not play a significant role in the maintenance and dissemination of B. abortus and pose no obstacle to control or eradication of the disease (Tessaro and Forbes,2004).
08-28-2020, 09:13 PM( This post was last modified: 08-28-2020, 09:14 PM by TheNormalGuy )
Quote:In the northern Wadi Araba (Arava), three wolves were seen one morning chasing a male dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas subsp.) which they caught after a chase of about 1 kilometer. As gazelles are diurnal with poor vision at night, they are easily caught at night by wolves.
^ (Mendelssohn I982, Khalaf-von Jaffa 1990)
Specie info (From Wikipédia)
Quote:
"The dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas), also known as the ariel gazelle, is a small and common gazelle. The dorcas gazelle stands about 55–65 cm (1.8–2.1 feet) at the shoulder, with a head and body length of 90–110 cm (3–3.5 feet) and a weight of 15–20 kg (33–44 pounds). The numerous subspecies survive on vegetation in grassland, steppe, wadis, mountain desert and in semi-desert climates of Africa and Arabia. About 35,000–40,000 exist in the wild. The extinct Saudi gazelle from the Arabian Peninsula has been previously considered as a subspecies of the dorcas gazelle."
*This image is copyright of its original author
Dorcas Gazelle in Ezul, Israel
Photo Credits : מינוזיג - MinoZig
Quote:
Their natural predators include humans, cheetahs, leopards, arabian wolves, and lions.
Quote:She [Female Arabian Wolf] was often seen catching and eating voles (Microtus guentheri) weighing 25-40 g.
^(Mendelssohn I982, Khalaf-von Jaffa 1990).
Microtus guentheri (Gunther's Vole)
Quote:"The Günther's vole (Microtus guentheri) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae, also known by the name Levant vole. It is found in Bulgaria, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, North Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, Syria, Turkey, and Libya. In Libya, its natural habitats are temperate grassland, subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, and arable land. In Israel, it is common in lowland agricultural fields, in peak years becoming a major crop pest."
- Wikipédia
Quote:
*This image is copyright of its original author
(Microtus guentheri) at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo.
08-28-2020, 09:31 PM( This post was last modified: 08-28-2020, 09:39 PM by TheNormalGuy )
Quote:"Wolves [Arabian] feeding on carcasses during daylight may meet vultures. One pair of wolves [2] was feeding on a carcass at a feeding station in the morning. Eight [8] griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus fulvus) from a nearby colony arrived, but did not approach the carcass until the wolves had departed.
In another case, a lone wolf [1] fed one morning on a carcass at another feeding station. Seventeen [17] griffon vultures arrived and tried time and again, to approach the carcass, but were chased away each time by the wolf. They too had to wait until the wolf had departed."
I put this encounter here too since these are always interesting to see and this also was a big pack of wolves, interesting alone. I alreade shared this in Canids interactions thread.
Interesting encounter. A big pack of wolves and a bear. Even though there is some confrontation and chasing I think, that wolves had eaten enough before the bear arrives. That bear doesn´t look a big one so I think, that hungry wolves would have chased it away. Now it looks like more just some fooling around, not real fight for a carcass. Determined bear though, for a young bear that situation is challenging. Maybe this bear had some previous experience how to be with wolves.
2019 : 186 kills that were definitely, probably or possibly made by wolves :
- 111 elk (59.7%)
- 38 bison (20.4%)
- 11 mule deer (5.9%)
- 2 deer of unknown species (1.1%)
- 3 coyotes (1.6%)
- 2 pronghorn (1.1%)
- 2 ravens (1.1%)
- 1 red fox (0.5%)
- 1 moose (0.5%)
- 1 golden eagle (0.5%)
- 1 bald eagle (0.5%)
- 1 mountain lion (0.5%)
- 1 domestic dog (0.5%)
- 11 unidentified animals (5.9%).
Source : Yellowstone Wolf Project Annuals Reports 1995-2019
Total Wolves Kills 1995-2019 [24 years]
6917 (Definite, probable, or possible) wolf kills
Average : 288 Wolf Kills/year
Prey/Inter & Intraspecific competition wolf kills [% of all kills + Best % a year]
- 5450 Elk (78.8 %) [96 % in 1996 & 1997]
- 446 Bison (6.4 %) [20.4 % in 2019]
- 149 Unknown Species of Deer (Mule Deer or White-Tailed Deer) (2.2 %) [7 % in 2015]
- 112 Coyotes (1.6 %) [4 % in 2011]
- 100 Mule Deer (1.4 %) [7.3 % in 2018]
- 86 Wolf (1.2 %) [4 % in 2012]
- 64 Moose (0.9 %) [3.1 % in 1997]
- 45 Pronghorn (0.7 %)
- 15 Bighorn Sheep (0.2 %)
- 12 Badger (0.2 %)
- 11 Raven (0.2 %)
- 7 Grizzly Bears [Cubs] (0.1 %)
- 6 Red Fox (0.09 %)
- 6 Mountain Lion (0.09 %)
- 6 Golden Eagle (0.09 %)
- 5 Beaver (0.07 %)
- 5 Canada Goose (0.07 %)
- 5 Otter (0.07 %)
- 4 White-Tailed Deer (0.06 %)
- 4 Snowshoe Hare (0.06 %)
- 3 Grouse (0.04 %)
- 2 Bald Eagle (0.03 %)
- 2 Porcupine (0.03 %)
- 2 Skunk (0.03 %)
- 2 American Black Bear (0.03 %)
- 1 Sandhill Crane (0.01 %)
- 1 Short-Eared Owl (0.01 %)
- 1 Mountain Goat (0.01 %)
- 1 Jackrabbit (0.01 %)
- 1 Muskrat (0.01 %)
- 1 Long Tailed Weasel (0.01 %)
- 1 Fish (0.01 %) Note : Most time, if not all the time, wolves do not eat coyotes, bears, wolves & cougars. The purpose of their killing are battle at carcasses, getting rid of competitors as much for the pups or for food & Territorial Dispute between packs.
If we do not take in account predators [Wolf, Coyote, Black Bear, Grizzly, Mountain Lion], which counts together as 3.02 % [213 kills out of 6917],
Elk (5450) and Bison (446) counts for respectively 81.3% & 6.7 % of all kills [Out of 6704]
That is a very appreciated comment Kodiak. Thank you. I should note that wolves do not eliminate elk populations and are not vermin. They re-stabilized an ecosystem missing a key predator for 70 years [which was the wolf, exterminated in the 1920s of the yellowstone sadly].
Brown & Black Bears [in a lesser way] gained so much from wolves being reintroduced and nearly all herbivores [as well as small predators as well, since their preys either came back or grew back an healthy population number] populations except elk rose in numbers.
Elk population grew healthier each year because the flaws [sick, genetics, old] were eliminated as well as the competition among the specie decreased with the predation from wolves.
The elk were eating all the vegetation and dying by hundreds each winter due to lack of food. They were their own enemies in fact, since they had to compete for food.
Yes, indeed, it got to that point with an herbivore : Battling amongst its own species for veggies. Bears need an huge amount of food to survive winter by gaining a massive fat %, which help the bear body to stay cool [not to freeze or being cold] during the winter alongside their extraordinary system which can lower the metabolism activity for an minimal energy lost. Without wolves, they wouldn't have relatively free elk or bison carcasses to gorge themselves.
Also, bears eat a lot of fruits, berries and wildflowers. Don't forget that any bear except the polar bear [Almost exclusively carnivore] & The Sloth Bear [Almost Exclusively Insectivore] are omnivorous.
Before wolves regulate the elk population, they overgrazed and destroy the vegetative landscape & even eroding waterbanks. Since elks have a good height & an good neck length, they easily reached for fruits in trees and leaves [Might need to check what i said here but i find highly accurate and logical].
The fact is that they aren't picky grazers, as bison are .
[i]Bears were short on berries, flowers. they were short of high protein meals provided by wolves. [/i] Coyotes prospered and became the dominant predator of the Yellowstone Winter Landscape for 70 years, ruling as the king pin predator alongside the notorious Bald & Golden Eagle
[Bears sleeping winter in a den, shallow tree, hole, big rock, Brobear or nearly every member here know better than i do.]
Bison were fine and in the process of recovering from the near extinction they suffered & didn't need regulation just yet.
Bighorn Sheep & Mountain Goats & White-Tailed & Mule Deer & Pronghorn were all outnumbered by elks and being dominated in the [i]Interspecific Competition for food.
Elk, in the absence of wolf, adapted to new habitats from their usual prairie, plains, valley and forest line. They were everywhere, literally. They didn't avoid any areas they would when wolves are presents, and multiple studies have note, predict, observe, study and proved this behavior. [/i] [i]To make it short, wolves are what the lions are in Africa in term of key species.
@Pckts surely can add or correct me if i'm wrong lmao for the below.[/i]
Remove all lions, what would happen ?
Overpopulation of Giraffe, Elephants, Buffalo, Rhino, Wildebeest, Zebra, Hippo. Since they will grow with just an occasional lost of a calf or an adult [zebra, wildebeest] from time to time from a pack of endangered wild dog, a bold leopard, a very very bold cheetah, hyenas and finally, the nile crocodile.
[i]Hyenas would rule Africa since they are very social animals as opposed to leopards. Hyenas are hunters that are relying on stamina and their bite force. They do not have the power of a lion or a leopard to bring down a wildebeest nor can they grapple it down [because you know a cat claw vs a dog claw ....(Hyenas have their own family, but close enough to canids)]
With that idea and knowledge, they are classified as scavengers and opportunist predators. They have a neat smelling and hearing. Wild Dogs & Cheetahs are cursorial predators that mostly hunts relatively small to medium size antelopes [Impala, Springbok, Thompson Gazelle, etc]. [/i] [i]The upper limit includes in general Topi, Hartebeest and compagny.[/i]
Jackals would probably go extinct in a matters of decades if lions went extinct [feeding on kills] as would maybe the [i]arctic fox if the polar bear had to become extinct.
If did a list, these herbivores would steadily grow nearly exponentially to the capacity limit of their habitats following curves of growth. All these species have fast to very long gestation [time lapse between the mating of an individual and the resulting offspring and then how much time before they become again in oestrus [being receptive to reproducing].
They are too big to be killed in a regular interval or/and have massive horns that are extremely dangerous (Gemsbok, Roan and Sable Antelope) for a leopard to tackle them.
Lions are extremely important. The same responsability of being such a key specie can be attributed to tigers in Southern Asia, Wolves in Europe while the ecosystem of South America got both the cougar and jaguar as key regulators of the big wildlife.
Truth be told, it seems that Oceania [Which consists of nearly Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, and many small islands] is missing that key predator. The Dingo is maybe the only carnivoran predator of Australia weighing over 10 kg, and unfortunately, i might very well be right.
[/i] When a species battles for the same food among its own species, it is called [i]Intraspecific Competition
When a species battles for same food with other species, it is called Interspecific Competition. [For example : A wolf pack & a bear][/i]
1998 : 109 definite and 120 probable wolf kills [229]
- 197 elk (86 %)
- 6 mule deer (3%)
- 7 coyote
It´s nice to see bisons there in statistics. Not because I would like to see them killed, but because when knowing how close to extinction they were and now they seem to be doing better all the time. It´s one iconic species and should really be protected as much as wolves. Both have their place in wildlife.
1998 : 109 definite and 120 probable wolf kills [229]
- 197 elk (86 %)
- 6 mule deer (3%)
- 7 coyote
It´s nice to see bisons there in statistics. Not because I would like to see them killed, but because when knowing how close to extinction they were and now they seem to be doing better all the time. It´s one iconic species and should really be protected as much as wolves. Both have their place in wildlife.
They had become too abundant [bisons] in the park and needed regulation from park authorities. They are very very well established in the park and have an healthy population.
On another note, the wolves introduced in yellowstone in 1995 were elk hunting wolves. The Nez Perce Pack were canadian wolves hunting bison. They were introduced in 1996. Both Crystal Creek (introduced in 1995, Now Mollie's) and The Nez Perce Pack recorded bison kills in 1997 ; The first year were wolves kill bison in YNP since reintroduction.
As you can by the statistic of the post containing all the datas, bison tend to rise in % while elk slighty decreased. Bison is becoming really an important food source of bison, example 1/5 animals killed by wolves in 2019 were bisons.
1998 : 109 definite and 120 probable wolf kills [229]
- 197 elk (86 %)
- 6 mule deer (3%)
- 7 coyote
It´s nice to see bisons there in statistics. Not because I would like to see them killed, but because when knowing how close to extinction they were and now they seem to be doing better all the time. It´s one iconic species and should really be protected as much as wolves. Both have their place in wildlife.
They had become too abundant [bisons] in the park and needed regulation from park authorities. They are very very well established in the park and have an healthy population.
On another note, the wolves introduced in yellowstone in 1995 were elk hunting wolves. The Nez Perce Pack were canadian wolves hunting bison. They were introduced in 1996. Both Crystal Creek (introduced in 1995, Now Mollie's) and The Nez Perce Pack recorded bison kills in 1997 ; The first year were wolves kill bison in YNP since reintroduction.
As you can by the statistic of the post containing all the datas, bison tend to rise in % while elk slighty decreased. Bison is becoming really an important food source of bison, example 1/5 animals killed by wolves in 2019 were bisons.
Yeah, hopefully regulation of bisons is left for natural predators, not by people. At least at this point when they are still far from the numbers what they were in past. Naturally same kind of numbers as 200 years are impossible, but I don´t think, that in reality there would be too many bisons yet. Current population is just a small fraction when comparing to what it once was. And I think, that there would be enough space and everything if people want to see bisons migrating as in past. In my country we have a lot of different kind of solutions to protect traffic and same time allowing wild animals to move. Fences keeping moose off the roads, where most of the cars drive higher speeds and tunnels every now and then so, that animals can cross roads safely by going under. These things have been made especially to have less collisions with moose and deer so, that they still can mix populations. And these things are relatively functional, it´s rare that big animals get there in between of fences.
A little bit off the topic, but when looking at situations filmed or photographed in different countries, it makes to think could things be developed in some places relatively easily to avoid accidents. Less accidents, the more positively people think of wildlife. Naturally it demands thinking and imagination to find out good solutions, some things can be copied but not all.
10-07-2020, 04:20 PM( This post was last modified: 10-08-2020, 12:47 PM by Shadow )
Some interactions with wolverines. Nice to see these authentic videos showing things as they are. In first video two wolves chase a bit a wolverine. Second one is interesting, wolf is sleeping but suddenly alert and then charges a wolverine and takes some food fromit. Might be that the wolf was resting after eating and then the wolverine came to scavenge what was left, but the wolf noticed it and couldn´t resist the urge to go and show who is the boss there :)
This is quite funny video, these guys seem to be quite relaxed, looks like wolverine is more or less fooling around. And even after it snapped the wolf a bit it still looked like just some horseplay, not something serious.
There are some cases of young wolves and bears being together and even playing, maybe something a bit similar here even though usually these species don´t get along at all.
10-07-2020, 10:30 PM( This post was last modified: 10-08-2020, 12:45 PM by Shadow )
Another video of wolf taking food right from mouth of a wolverine. This channel has a lot of videos of wolves and wolverines. Might be same wolverine and wolves in all, in some way seeming to know each others and even though wolf seem to bully this wolverine, still nothing so serious that they would fight to the bitter end. Even though in this video the wolverine wasn´t too happy when wolf took the food.
But kind of funny in some way, I´ve seen a more dominant dog to take food from mouth of another, but seeing a wolf doing it to wolverine like this is astonishing, quite agile move also, speed and accuracy.
MARCH 04, 2007 12:00 AM, UPDATED MARCH 21, 2007 10:12 PM
This story ran Sept. 5 2004
Biologists called him Wolf B2. The Nez Perce named him Chat Chaaht. Admirers knew him as The Old Man. He was the second wolf released in Idaho in 1995 and, at 14, one of the oldest wolves ever recorded in the wild.
B2 was found dead three weeks ago. He was preceded in death by his first mate, B66, killed in 2002 by an elk. He is survived by a mate and four to 11 offspring. His death, like much of his life, was documented by science, giving biologists and citizens a rare opportunity to understand a central character in the controversial program to return wolves to the Rocky Mountains.
B2 began his life as a Canadian, destined to be killed to line the hood of a winter coat. Instead, the trapper who snared him near Jasper National Park in Alberta sold him alive to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for $2,000.
He was packed onto a plane with 11 other wolves and sent to the United States for relocation in Idaho and Yellowstone National Park as part of a federal program to replace wolves exterminated earlier in the century.
He left his mark on Idaho from the time he entered that cage. B2 helped Idaho´s Nez Perce Tribe reconnect with its spiritual past, ate a cow owned by the president of the Idaho Cattle Association and inspired wolf supporters around the world.
Like thousands of newcomers who came to Idaho in the 1990s, B2 and the other wolves helped ignite a debate over changing Western values.
You may find meaning in B2´s mournful search for his dead mate. You may find hope in his remarkable survival. You may see in his story one more example of an arrogant federal government forcing its will on Westerners.
Or you may wish he and the 34 other Canadians who augmented Idaho´s struggling native wolf population would have gone back to where they came from. Today, officials estimate the Idaho wolf population at 375.
B2 died next to a young bull elk, his final kill.
George Kelly, the trapper
’He’s still got lots of relatives up here’
Idaho´s most famous wolf was born in Alberta, Canada, in 1990 or 1991. His pack lived off the elk, deer and moose in the thickly timbered hills of the Hay River Valley, 30 miles east of Jasper National Park.
In December 1994, U.S. Fish and Wildlife authorities contacted outfitter-trapper George Kelly of Hinton and offered to pay $2,000 for every wolf caught and radio-collared.
Kelly and another trapper snared three members of the Hay Pack so American biologists could tranquilize them for transport to the United States.
Kelly thinks he´s the one who trapped B2.
"He was a gray male, I remember," Kelly said one night last week after a day of guiding bear hunters. "He´s still got lots of relatives up here. The pack remains strong."
B2 weighed 76 pounds, a medium-sized wolf for the Rocky Mountains.
U.S. wildlife officials flew him to Hinton, where veterinarians examined, measured and readied him for shipping. They crammed B2 and 11 others into small packing crates and onto a plane Jan. 11, 1995, ready to begin what would later be called one of the greatest environmental success stories of the 20th century.
Events in the United States would make the trip one of the most harrowing of his life.
Chapter 2
Horace Axtell, the tribal elder
’I personally welcomed him back ... as a brother’
While B2´s plane was airborne, a federal appeals court in Denver issued an emergency order halting the reintroduction.
The legal challenge came from the American Farm Bureau, representing Western ranchers. They had successfully delayed reintroduction for more than 10 years until Bill Clinton was elected president, which changed the political leadership of the federal agencies in charge of wolves. The federal courts were the opponents´ last hope.
The wolves´ fate was still in doubt when the plane landed in Great Falls, Mont.
The court lifted its order the next day. Eight wolves were moved to Yellowstone and placed in large kennels. The court´s decision came too late to move the four wolves bound for Idaho; they spent the night cooped up in their crates in Montana. The next day, the Idaho wolves flew to Missoula, where a delegation from the Nez Perce Tribe met them.
Elder Horace Axtell is the leader of Seven Drum, the Nez Perce religion that sees wolves and people tied together in the circle of life. That spiritual connection was broken when wolves were exterminated.
In Missoula, Axtell kneeled down, his long gray braids hanging below his cheeks. He looked into the eyes of B2.
"I personally welcomed him back to our land as a brother," said Axtell.
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game had chosen airstrips in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness for the releases. But overcast skies Jan. 14 made the mountains too dangerous for helicopters.
Ed Bangs , coordinator of wolf recovery in the Rocky Mountains for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, decided to truck the wolves to the Corn Creek boat launch at the end of the icy Salmon River Road. A caravan of reporters, wolf advocates and residents accompanied the wolves on the bumpy, four-hour drive .
Bangs still recoils at the trauma for the humans and the animals.
"What a horror show," he said. "The road was solid glazed ice, the river was raging, the canyon was steep and high."
Despite his 74-hour ordeal, B2 bolted out of his cage and loped west into the wilderness.
Chapter 3
Brett Barsalou, the lawman
’We’re going to have some problems’
Among those watching B2´s release was Lemhi County Sheriff Brett Barsalou, who opposed the reintroduction. He thought the wolves would bring trouble for themselves and the residents of a county where sentiment ran heavily against reintroduction.
"I knew at the time it was going to begin a new chapter in my law enforcement career," Barsalou said. "I can remember thinking we´re going to have some problems evolve out of this."
Within days, another wolf would be killed on a Lemhi County ranch while eating a dead calf. Barsalou stood between residents who saw federal wildlife agents as "jack-booted thugs" and federal authorities who wanted answers about the illegal killing of an endangered species.
Within months, an unrelated court decision threatened to stop logging, mining and grazing -- and wolf reintroduction -- on federal lands. Violence nearly broke out among residents of Lemhi County. The cool-yet-defiant leadership of Barsalou and other local officials helped quiet the situation and lay the groundwork for a decade of tense but peaceful debate over wolves in Idaho.
"I knew we were going to have some problems with depredation to cattle herds, and that it would hurt our elk and deer herds, but you felt we had tried to stop it and now we were going to have to live with it," Barsalou said. "We were going to have to move forward."
Chapter 4
Larry Judd, the teacher
’A couple of kids ... chose that name’
B2´s first two years in Idaho were peaceful, even boring, for the people watching him most closely.
He spent most of 1995 in the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, a wild refuge filled with elk, deer and moose like his home in Canada´s Hay River Valley. Nez Perce tribal biologists monitored his movements under contract with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The tribe got the job when the Idaho Legislature refused to allow state officials any role in managing wolves legislators didn´t want in the state. The tribe lobbied hard to get the wolf program, which would become the nucleus of its ambitious effort to share management of wildlife on its traditional lands.
Tribal leaders made sure a fish and wildlife class at Lapwai High School was part of a "Track a Wolf" program tied to the reintroduction.
The Nez Perce students named B2 Chat Chaaht, which means "older brother" in the Nez Perce language. They painted red and black on the glorified dog collar that carried Chat Chaaht´s radio transmitter. They followed his movements .
"There were a couple of kids who chose that name," said teacher Larry Judd, "but I can´t for the life of me remember who they were."
As the novelty wore off and the wolf didn´t move around much, the reports became rather boring, Judd remembered. One of the few highlights: Biologists watched Chat Chaaht bully a mountain lion off an elk kill.
Chat Chaaht remained in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. By the end of 1996, he seemed to drop off the Earth: For more than a year and a half, biologists recorded no sightings. Scientists thought maybe the radio collar had failed early.
Biologists got one bit of hope: Repeated reports placed a wolf wearing a red and black collar in the Elk River area in north-central Idaho in 1997.
Chapter 5
Carter Niemeyer, the wolf point man
’There were people who said we should have left them where they were’
Suddenly, in 1998, B2 seemed to be everywhere.
He showed up more than 50 miles south of his wilderness haunts in the East Fork of the Salmon River on the east side of the White Cloud Mountains. He moved around Ketchum and Sun Valley, creeping through the back yards of Idaho´s wealthy wilderness lovers.
B2 had another surprise for his watchers: He´d found a mate. She was B66, a young member of the Stanley Basin Pack.
In 1999, B2 was seen in the Trail Creek area that connects Sun Valley to the towering Pioneer Mountains to the south. By the spring of 2000, he and B66 had set up housekeeping in 300,000-acre Copper Basin, a stunning high-mountain valley southeast of Sun Valley.
The pair had a litter of two pups and formed the Wildhorse Pack, named for the Lost River tributary . In 2001, they had five more pups.
Copper Basin was the back yard of Rick Williamson , a federal trapper with U.S. Wildlife Services, the agency that had to control wolves -- and kill them, if necessary. Williamson lived in Arco, east of Copper Basin, killing coyotes and other predators that ate ranchers´ cattle and sheep.
Williamson tracked the Wildhorse Pack and developed a close relationship with B2 and his family.
"I was fond of him," Williamson said. "There was a lot of mystery in B2´s life and that´s what intrigued me about that wolf."
Williamson stepped in when a U.S. forest ranger planned a controlled burn in the drainage where the pack denned. "I told him if he wanted to make front-page news, go start that fire," Williamson said.
Carter Niemeyer worked for the same agency. He had killed hundreds, maybe thousands, of predators in his career, including wolves. By 2001, he´d become the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service´s point man on wolves in Idaho.
Niemeyer was the man who decided whether a wolf would live or die.
In 1995, he had worked with the two Canadian trappers capturing the wolves. He admired B2 for his survival skills.
´"There were people who said we should have left them where they were," said Niemeyer. "If we had done that, B2 would have been made into the lining of a winter coat."
In the winter of 2001, B2 needed a new collar. Niemeyer chased him from a helicopter and shot him with a tranquilizer.
"He just kind of ran down the hill, then reversed himself and made it an easy shot," Niemeyer remembered.
B2 was now at least 10 -- old for a wild wolf. Niemeyer could see cataracts in his eyes.
"He looked like one of those old farm dogs that comes up to you with the droopy eyes," he said.
Yet, said Niemeyer, the old wolf was still lean and strong.
Chapter 6
Dave Nelson, the rancher
’Everybody wanted to coddle the old boy’
Every rancher-wolf conflict after the reintroduction was inherently political. Ranchers would go all the way to Washington, D.C., if necessary to pressure Niemeyer and his superior, Bangs, to act.
Dave Nelson was no ordinary rancher. He was president of the Idaho Cattle Association. He didn´t have to call his congressman to exercise his clout.
When Nelson told Niemeyer in 2001 that he suspected he was losing cattle to wolves, he wanted something done. Immediately.
Niemeyer and Nelson went toe to toe, in a respectful sort of way.
"I told him we´ll kill the wolves around him," Niemeyer said, "but I won´t kill B2."
Like almost every other rancher in Idaho, Nelson had opposed wolf reintroduction. In 2001, he and his association opposed anything but complete removal of wolves.
But that view was evolving. The Farm Bureau´s challenge to reintroduction was resolved. Two federal appeals courts had ruled the wolf program legal.
Williamson, the federal trapper, helicoptered up Fox Creek where B2 and B66 had their den, and saw the pack had just killed one of Nelson´s calves.
B2 had one of the calf´s legs in his mouth as he scurried away. Williamson was 20 feet away with dart gun in hand. Niemeyer was on the radio.
"I told Rick I didn´t want him shot," Niemeyer said.
Trappers caught one of B2´s female offspring and relocated her to Montana. The cattle killings apparently stopped.
"Everybody wanted to coddle the old boy, and I said I could accept that," Nelson said.
The next year, the Cattle Association reversed its position, becoming a major supporter of Idaho´s wolf management plan, which gave ranchers more power to kill wolves that killed their livestock. Nelson wrote newspaper columns calling on other wolf opponents to sign on.
"We can live with the wolves if we can manage the wolves," he said. "And we need to keep them wild so they are afraid of us."
When Nelson brought in his cattle from the range after the 2001 grazing season, he came up 21 head short . He lost four cattle in a normal year. He´s convinced the Wildhorse Pack cost him thousands of dollars that year .
"We don´t hate wolves," Nelson said. "We just don´t want them in our private lives."
Chapter 7
Ralph Maughan, the environmentalist
’They were howling ... above my tent’
Ralph Maughan has welcomed wolves into his life. The political science professor at Idaho State University is one of Idaho´s most prominent environmentalists. A former national Sierra Club board member, he is one of the founders of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, a leading national voice for wolf reintroduction. His Web site provided regular updates on the wolves and the battles swirling in their wake.
He´s skeptical that B2´s kids deserve the blame for all of Nelson´s extra losses.
The year Nelson lost the cattle, Maughan said, he found four calves trapped behind a fence in the area and reported them to federal range managers. Ranchers lose livestock to more than wolves.
Maughan developed his own bond with B2.
In July 2000, he hiked up the East Fork of Fall Creek in the Pioneer Mountains. He found hundreds of antelope, elk, deer and moose in a small, wet canyon largely unaffected by the drought.
The moon lit the valley, shining off the backs of animals. Suddenly, B2 and the Wildhorse Pack came within several hundred yards of Maughan´s lonely camp.
"They were howling on a cliff above my tent," he said. "It went on for about five minutes. It was wonderful."
Chapter 8
B66, the mate
’He never quit looking’
Tragedy visited B2 in the winter of 2001-2002.
He and B66 had moved south out of Copper Basin up Muldoon Creek east of Carey, just north of Craters of the Moon National Monument.
Williamson was flying another darting campaign to radio-collar more of the pack when he picked up B66´s signal.
It was in "mortality mode," a signal triggered by the wolf´s lack of movement.
A federal investigator later concluded B66 had been killed by an elk, Williamson said.
The Wildhorse Pack broke up. B2 began ranging far from his home, heading back to the places where he´d first met B66, the Stanley Basin and the East Fork of the Salmon River.
"When that female got killed, he was in search of where she went," Williamson said. "He never quit looking."
B2 still displayed remarkable stamina. One day Williamson found him in Copper Basin. The next day, Bangs found him in Muldoon Creek. B2 had covered more than 15 miles and climbed over a 10,000-foot mountain range.
Bangs was accompanied by ABC News anchor Peter Jennings and a video crew. The crew wanted to keep shooting, but Bangs ordered the helicopter to move on.
"If I was an old fart," he said, "I wouldn´t want anyone running me up and down the hills too long."
Near the end of 2002, B2 had moved back to the East Fork of the Salmon River.
That was the same area where Niemeyer and Williamson had killed an entire wolf pack, the Whitehawk Pack, because of repeated livestock losses to wolves.
The act triggered protests from all over the world.
Jennings´ special on Idaho´s wolf battles and the controversy over the Whitehawk Pack´s killing helped bring Idaho´s wolves out from the shadow of the Yellowstone wolves, which had dominated media coverage and government funding.
Idaho´s wolf population was 300 and growing. B2 and his counterparts were proving that Idaho -- despite ranchers, hunters and other threats -- was the safest place for wolves in the West.
"All along, Yellowstone politics has overshadowed everything," Bangs said. "I´ve always said Idaho habitat is the best place for reintroduction."
In December, B2 showed up in the corrals of an East Fork rancher. He left the livestock alone and remained the great survivor.
Chapter 9
Curt Mack, the biologist
’We affectionately referred to him as The Old Man’
Incredibly, in 2003 B2 found another mate and that spring had four more pups -- his second litter since Niemeyer had decided to let him live .
B2´s new Castle Peak Pack lived in the White Clouds, part of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area where a federal judge had ordered -- after the Whitehawk Pack´s destruction -- special protection for wolves .
Curt Mack, the biologist who leads the Nez Perce wolf program, saw B2 several times in his frequent flights over the area.
"We affectionately referred to him as The Old Man," Mack said. "We were very careful not to run him. We didn´t want to stress him out."
In February of this year, USA Today called B2 "a Methuselah among wolves" in a story about the death of the last original Yellowstone wolf.
At 14, B2 had outlived all but perhaps one of the four Idaho wolves that spent their first 74 hours in the United States boxed up waiting for a judge to set them free.
Chapter 10
Rick Williamson, the wolf manager
’He lived the way a wolf ought to live’
This past February, tribal biologists were working in the headwater of Herd Creek, east of the East Fork, an area under consideration for wilderness protection by Republican Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson.
The biologists got bad news: B2´s collar was sending a mortality signal.
In April, Williamson tried to hike into Herd Creek to determine B2´s fate. He came within a half mile when a snow and hail storm forced him to return the five miles to his car. On the way back, he picked up a tick bite that sent him to the hospital for five days.
For Williamson, B2 remained a mystery.
"He lived the way a wolf ought to live, I guess," he said.
On April 16, Mack and Jon Trapp, a graduate student working with the tribe, hiked six miles through the rolling hills of Herd Creek. They found B2 in a grove of aspen .
The old wolf lay beside the remains of his last kill, a young fork-horn elk that the Castle Peak Pack had picked clean.
B2 had either been injured in the hunt or, as Mack suggested, just decided he would stay and pick at the carcass until he died.
"He was laying there just like he was taking a nap," Trapp said. "I wouldn´t have been surprised if he had got up and walked away."
Both wolves 2M were awesome reintroduced wolves.
R2M aka Yellowstone Wolf 2M & B2M aka Idaho Wolf 2M were great wolves that lives for a long and extremely long time respectively. R2M was the founder of the Leopold Pack with 7F in 1996. This pack was the pack in Yellowstone to form naturally in over 70 years.
B2M story is above !
Long Lives the 2M's life and legacy ! They will always be remembered as iconic wolves !
"The wolf sighting in northern Colorado was no optical illusion. Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirmed Wednesday the rare beast to be a from the Snake River pack in Wyoming. The wolf was last recorded Feb. 12 by transmission signals, parks and wildlife said."
This is 1082M or 1084M i believe. Both were collared in January 2017 in Yellowstone in the Snake River Pack. Which then moved out of the park by 2018. They were then monitored by The Wyoming Fish & Wildlife Department.
This is my guess from what i know about that pack.
Wolf (Canis lupus)
