Next month will mark the 30th anniversary of a landmark wildlife experiment: the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park. The gray wolf had been nearly extirpated throughout the northern Rockies and had been federally listed as endangered since 1974. Diane Boyd, a wildlife biologist who had started collaring and tracking wolves that entered northern […]
Tag: Wolves
Ethiopian Wolves May Be Surprising Pollinators
Ethiopian wolves, known for their carnivorous diet, have been observed licking nectar from red hot poker flowers in the Bale Mountains. These wolves, with their white snouts dusted yellow by pollen, may play an unexpected role in plant pollination. Sandra Lai, an ecologist from Oxford University, and her team noted this unusual behavior, suggesting that […]
EU votes to weaken protection for European wolves
Wolves across Europe are set to lose their “strictly protected” status. The move is seen as a win for farmers concerned about loss of livestock, but conservationists warn that removing protections will jeopardize stable wolf populations. At a recent meeting of the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, EU countries […]
‘Old’ animals offer wisdom and stability, need protection: Study
In many animal societies, elderly individuals are critical contributors to their species’ survival, a new study has found. That’s why wildlife conservation must account for older animals, researchers say. Keller Kopf, lead author and ecologist at Charles Darwin University, Australia, told Mongabay he wanted to counter the idea that “getting old is always a bad […]
Gray wolves spotted in California National Park for first time in 100 years – here’s everything hikers need to know
A pack of gray wolves has been sighted within the boundaries of California’s Lassen Volcanic National Park for the first time in nearly 100 years of federal protection. In a Facebook post issued by California Wolf Watch, “wolf coordinator” Axel Hunnicutt of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed the pack is roaming the […]
Reward Offered in Case of Endangered Wolf’s Death in Arizona
A reward of $103,500 has been announced as authorities investigate the death of a federally protected Mexican gray wolf in Arizona. The female wolf, identified as F2979, was discovered on November 7, northwest of Flagstaff. While the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Arizona Game and Fish Department confirmed her death, they emphasized […]
Ethiopian Wolf Is First Known Large Predator-Pollinator to Feed on Nectar
Many animals — from bees to bats and lizards to lemurs — are pollinators, but have you ever seen a wolf happily licking the cone of a flower? Ethiopian wolves have been observed foraging for nectar from the Ethiopian red hot poker flower, with some of the canids visiting up to 30 blooms in one […]
Get away, grizzly: why scientists are chasing bears with drones
The first time that Terry Vandenbos watched a bear run from a drone, on a spring day two years ago, he was chasing the animal himself. After he saw the grizzly cross a road near his property, the Montana rancher hopped on his all-terrain vehicle, planning to scare it away from his cattle if needed. […]