Latest news with #graywolves
Daily Mail
09-08-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
'Once-in-a-lifetime' sighting of dangerous apex predators caught on camera after after state's vexed move
Colorado 's controversial plan to reintroduce gray wolves has seen the arrival of the first litters of pups. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) have released trail camera footage showing three tiny wolf pups tumbling through the grass in Routt County. While staff have spotted young wolves at some dens, CPW says the total number of pups across all packs is still being confirmed. 'Successful pack formation is vital to our wolf restoration plan - not just for bolstering Colorado's wolf population, but also for developing pack territories,' a CPW spokesperson said. The department defines a wolf pack as one in which a breeding pair has produced pups. After an 80-year absence in the state, voters approved the wolf reintroduction measure in 2020, and the first release - 10 wolves imported from Oregon - took place in December 2023. Another release of 15 wolves took place in January. Experts hope their return will deliver the same ecological benefits seen in Yellowstone in the 1990s, where the reappearance of wolves restored balance to overpopulated elk herds, triggered vegetation regrowth, and boosted biodiversity. Joanna Lambert, a professor of wildlife ecology at the University of Colorado Boulder, explained: 'Denser vegetation can provide nesting areas for certain bird species and ideal conditions for beavers to set up dams, which can shift the hydrology of rivers and streams.' Gray wolves were wiped out in Colorado in the 1940s through aggressive hunting programs designed to protect livestock. The wolf pups' debut is a public relations win for CPW, which says the trail cameras have been essential for monitoring the animals without disturbing them. Officials hope the heartwarming images will help sway skeptics who remain fiercely opposed to the program. The milestone comes amid fierce criticism over how Colorado has handled the reintroduction. Ranchers in Garfield, Eagle, and Pitkin counties accuse the state of being 'secretive' about exactly where the predators are being released. In January, the 15 wolves from British Columbia were flown into Eagle County Airport under a shroud of secrecy. CPW said the locations of their release were withheld to protect both the wolves and staff. Garfield County Commissioner Perry Will told Cowboy State Daily: 'People are more upset about them being so secretive about it than they are about the wolves being here.' Howard Cooper, a Meeker rancher and member of the Colorado Conservation Alliance, said he cannot understand why the state won't be more transparent. Wolves in Colorado are federally protected, but those protections vanish if they cross into Wyoming's vast 'predator zone,' where they can be shot on sight. The animals are capable of traveling up to 140 miles from their release point, according to CPW's own data. Already, wolves have been spotted just 20 miles from the Wyoming state line, and at least one has reportedly been killed after crossing over - though Wyoming officials refuse to confirm it, citing privacy rules for legal hunters. Sheep rancher Jim Magagna was blunt when he told Cowboy State Daily: 'If any of those wolves cross over into Wyoming, they're no longer protected. They're classified as predators and they can be removed.' Despite the backlash, CPW says it is committed to fulfilling Proposition 114, the voter-approved initiative that mandates restoring a self-sustaining wolf population. The plan calls for introducing 10 to 15 wolves per year for up to five years. Each is examined by veterinarians, vaccinated, treated for parasites, fitted with GPS collars, and released at least 60 miles from the nearest state or tribal border. Officials specifically select animals from regions without histories of livestock conflict to reduce the risk of immediate clashes. 'This new source population... will provide additional genetic diversity to Colorado's wolf population,' said CPW Wolf Conservation Program Manager Eric Odell. For Lambert and other ecologists, the pup footage is proof the program is on track - and a rare source of optimism in a time of biodiversity loss. 'This is a moment of re-wilding,' she said. 'And moreover, this is a source of hope not only for all of us standing here but for our younger generations as well.'
E&E News
06-08-2025
- Politics
- E&E News
Judge orders another do-over for gray wolf ESA status
A Montana-based federal judge on Tuesday sided with a broad coalition of environmental groups and blocked the Fish and Wildlife Service's effort to remove gray wolves from Endangered Species Act protections. In a lengthy and much-awaited opinion, U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy directed the federal agency to reassess the iconic canine in light of various threats. Molloy cited what he called 'serious and pervasive' deficiencies in parts of the agency's work, including a failure to take into account the gray wolf's expansive historical range. 'It also made numerous unfounded assumptions regarding the future condition of the wolf despite recognizing limitations in those conditions or bias in the population estimates utilized,' Molloy wrote in the 105-page opinion. Advertisement Citing the 'pervasiveness' of the Fish and Wildlife Service's errors, Molloy struck down the agency's rule that removed the gray wolf population from its listing status under the ESA. The decision by the Clinton administration appointee stirred applause from the myriad organizations that have fought to retain the gray wolf's status.
E&E News
24-06-2025
- Business
- E&E News
Safari Club kick-starts new legal center
Safari Club International, a hunting advocacy group, has launched a new legal branch. The Center for Conservation Law and Education, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, was created to consolidate the organization's eight attorneys under one umbrella while creating an avenue for tax-deductible donations to help pay for litigation. 'Hunting heritage and sustainable-use conservation are under constant siege,' W. Laird Hamberlin, CEO of SCI, said in a news release. 'Hunters are the ultimate conservationists, and this Center is our frontline defense for the future of hunting.' Advertisement The Safari Club, which was founded in 1971, focuses on preserving hunting and fishing access. In particular, the club has recently battled to delist gray wolves and Louisiana black bears from endangered species list and against a proposal in Senate Republicans' tax cut megabill that would mandate the sale of some federal public lands.
CBS News
10-06-2025
- General
- CBS News
California launches new strike team to help stop wolves from killing livestock
The number of gray wolves in California continues to grow, and ranchers say they're to blame for a number of attacks against livestock. Wolves are a protected species, and it's illegal to intentionally kill them unless someone's life is in danger. Now, there is a new tactic being deployed in California to help prevent any more conflicts. California's Department of Fish and Wildlife is launching a new strike team to help stop wolves from killing cattle and other farm animals. Wolves are native to California but had been missing from the state for nearly a century. Today, there are now ten established packs, with an estimated 70 individual wolves, predominantly in the northern state. "You've got wolves constantly leaving the pack, and you've got pups coming in every year," said Patrick Griffin, Siskiyou County's wolf liaison. The growing number of wolves is causing concern for livestock owners "There have been over 80 cattle killed by the wolves, so that has been kind of hard for the ranchers to take," Griffin said. But just a small fraction of overall deaths are caused by wolves. Amaroq Weiss, a senior wolf advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity, estimates that "90 to 95 percent of cattle losses are due to causes that have nothing to do with any predator of any kind." The state's new wolf strike team will monitor sightings and use GPS collars to track the animals. Team members can then respond when wolves approach livestock. "The wardens that are providing the assistance might be able to do something like use rubber bullets or cracker shells or beanbag shells," Weiss said. "These are munitions which are not designed to kill. It is possible that the game wardens might also be using drones to scare wolves away." This pilot project is scheduled to last through the summer and it's voluntary for ranchers to participate. "The problem is there's still some concern among ranchers about having California Fish and Wildlife present on their properties, so in places that might work, there will be places that it won't work," Griffin said. State wildlife officials say they've also paid out more than $3 million to help ranchers deter wolves and compensate those who have lost animals in a wolf attack.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
CDFW Releases New Wolf Map
( — The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has released a new map that tracks the movement of collared gray wolves. 'Our main goal was to help support our livestock producers in northeastern California,' said Peter Tira, spokesperson for CDFW. 'Knowledge is power.' The system tracks and collects the approximate location of 14 GPS-collared wolves four times a day, though CDFW said there are dozens of wolves in the area. Amaroq Weiss with the Center for Biological Diversity said this new coexistence tool is helpful for all Californians. Woman pleaded guilty to multiple felony counts in Grand Theft case 'Wolf conflicts are rare in any state with wolves, but both ranchers and wolves will benefit if we can make those conflicts even more rare by giving a heads-up when wolves are in the area,' Weiss said. When viewing the map, not all 14 trackers may appear. CDFW explains this may be due to collars falling off, malfunctions, animals moving beyond the range of active cells, or even crossing state borders. But for ranchers and officials dealing with gray wolves on a daily basis, these maps confirm what they already know. 'The map is a good start- it's got some bugs, but I want to say that Fish and Wildlife is trying to put something out there,' said Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue. Rayno Nel becomes first South African to win World's Strongest Man Sheriff LaRue and Sierra County Sheriff Mike Fisher, who have been at the forefront of the issue, say fewer than a handful of wolves in their counties are currently being tracked. 'If there isn't a GPS reading on a particular ranch, that doesn't mean wolves aren't present—it just means that one of the three collared wolves isn't on that ranch,' Sheriff Fisher told FOX40. 'We've estimated 70-plus wolves in our community,' Sheriff LaRue added. The Sheriffs from Plumas and Lassen counties have joined them in meeting with the California Natural Resources Secretary and the Director of CDFW on Wednesday in Sacramento to discuss wolf management. They said the meeting brought hope. 'We discussed various options today on, you know, hazing, and various plans,' Sheriff Fisher said. 'I felt refreshed a little bit and reassured that we are going to be heading in the right direction,' said Sheriff LaRue. The Sheriffs are scheduled to meet with state officials again next week to discuss next steps. 'What I would like [residents] to know is that their local representatives, both their Board of Supervisors and their elected Sheriffs, are down here in Sacramento meeting with those who have the ability to effect change on the management,' Sheriff Fisher concludes. ' It was a very productive meeting.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
