Conservation news snapshot March 2002

ALASKA

Despite the fact that Alaska is home to some of the most entrenched, selfish and destructive 'hunting' extremists in the USA, there are still over 1000 wolf packs there, the most famous of which is the Toklat pack in Denali National Park. (About 20,000 people visit Denali national park every year to see the Toklat wolves). All are under continuous threat from the hunting lobby and game-count figures and estimates are routinely misinterpreted and misused in an effort to persuade the state government to kill more wolves. In November 2001, a census of moose around the McGrath area revealed that the moose population was, contrary to predictions the previous year, doing very nicely thank you and that there were actually twice as many moose in the area as had been predicted. This news removed the pressure on governor Tony Knowles to sanction a "lethal predator control" program to protect the moose for Alaska's hunters. However, Alaska Board Of Game member and anti-wolf activist, Mike Fleagle responded to the news by claiming that the apparent health of the moose population was obviously a) chance and b) due to the quantity of wolves already being killed and immediately called for a lethal predator control program to improve the moose population still further. Heads, Mr. Fleagle wins; Tails, Mr. Fleagle wins. Biologists in October counted 1,800 moose within a 5,200-square-mile area close to McGrath. Last year they counted 830 moose in the same area but the survey was severely hampered by bad weather conditions. Alaska does not have records of moose populations before 1996 and it is not possible to say for sure whether moose numbers there are declining or not. Anecdotal evidence, endorsed by Mr. Fleagle as fact, suggests that there may have been as many as 6000 moose in the area previously. (See http://www.adn.com/alaska/story/734774p-782690c.html)

Wolf-killers indicted: In December the Anchorage Daily News carried an account of the indictment of a professional hunt outfitter, two assistants and a hunter client for a variety of offences in connection with illegal hunting methods in the three years from 1996 to 1999. Kurt Lepping, 46, of Wasilla owner of the "Alaska Brown Bear Safaris & Trophy" outfitters faces 14 charges including the use of Aldicarb (Temik) to poison carcasses specifically to kill wild wolves. His son, Kyle who worked as an assistant guide for his father's hunting business faces four charges including transporting and/or selling illegally taken game and misuse of pesticides. Other activities under investigation include the illegal use of a light aircraft to hunt bears and wolves. (See http://www.adn.com/front/story/740652p-788805c.html)

In early January, Defenders of Wildlife released the following appeal referring to proposal #46, presented to the state government by hunting extremists:
"Hunters on snow machines are chasing down and killing wolves in the central interior of Alaska. Like hunting wolves from airplanes, hunting wolves from snow machines is unsportsmanlike and shouldn't be permitted. The use of snow machines to hunt wolves has been legal for the past two years on 27,500 square miles in Alaska - land equal to the size of Maine - and now hunters are pressuring the state Board of Game to greatly expand that hunting zone (proposal #46). Help us protect wolves from hunters riding snow machines."

The Anglian Wolf Society registered its disapproval of this proposal with margaret_edens@fishgame.state.ak.us. No response was received.

GERMANY

Wolves have been effectively extinct in all parts of Germany for about 150 years. They had disappeared from Bavaria by 1846 and vanished from what is now Eastern Germany shortly afterwards. The few that may have remained were deliberately and quickly eradicated in a frenzy of fear and superstition. Since then, any which have dared to stray across the border from Poland have been met with a hale of gunfire. Things are set to change for the Germans though. By ratifying the Bern convention in 1979 Germany agreed to afford protection to wolves and must compensate farmers for livestock losses. The true test of their resolve will be their reaction to the arrival of a pack in a remote corner of Saxony, in a wildlife reserve called Muskauer Heide which, strangely enough, is also used as a military training area. The pack is thought to have arrived from the Carpathians or north-western Poland as much as two years ago and was seen to have had three cubs last spring. The pack is still there and, by all accounts, is doing well. Matthias Meisch, vice president of the german wolf association, will be among a group of delegates invited to discussions with Herr Gruschwitz ,the Saxony state government's Envornment Minister in February. Christoph Promberger has also been invited but it is unclear whether he will be able to attend. So far, the attitude of the government, the farmers and the hunters has all been very positive. According to Meisch, they are all confident that the situation can be properly managed to the benefit of all concerned. At present the local forestry authority is keeping an eye on the whole situation and the Minister is thought to be satisfied that the matter is already being dealt with responsibly. No one is quite sure how many animals there are in the pack. When the pack was first observed, last year, there were nine animals but since then biologists claim that they have deliberately avoided getting too close for fear of disturbing them. Current indications are that the pack may have split last year and that there may now be two packs.

POLAND

Success: In January 2001, the governor of the Podkarpacie region of Poland, a hunter and anti-wolf activist, self-approved a program to kill what amounted to every wolf in that part of Poland. In the face of mass protest and representations from biologists and conservation groups from around the world, his decision was over-ruled in February. Better than that, the Governor was dismissed from his post for his actions by the Polish Ministry of the Environment shortly afterward. Thanks to those of you who responded to our e-mail protest campaign by sending protests to an asssortment of Polish government officials. Poland is one of the last places in Europe with a full range of original and almost undisturbed forest habitats and is home to many wolves, bears and Lynx. Although all of these species are now protected throughout Poland (by a law passed in May 1998), illegal killing of large carnivores is still a major concern. For example, in the Bialowieza Primeval Forest (NE Poland) four wolves, out of a forest population of eighteen, were recently snared in only three months The Polish Association for Nature "WOLF" is working hard to address concerns over depredation and poaching and they have recently compiled a book for livestock owners about methods of livestock protection against wolf attacks. They are also promoting the use of special guarding dogs and have created a support group called "Wolfnet" - a network of people and local groups which work together to stop the thoughtless persecution of wolves.

YELLOWSTONE

Nothing very exciting to report. Yellowstone has 226 wolves and 14 breeding pairs; central Idaho has 266 wolves and 14 breeding pairs and the Northwestern Montana recovery area has just 80 wolves and seven breeding pairs. As of mid-October 2001, Yellowstone's wolves are known to have produced about 70 pups.

The two biggest packs in the park are the enormous Druid Peak pack, which occupies the Lamar Valley and has 37 members, including pups. Next is the Nez Perce pack, which has 22 animals not including pups born in 2001. A number of packs have established themselves in Wyoming, outside the park and although controversy and panic are never far below the surface, livestock losses have been small and mostly well compensated. In a novel move, Riverton rancher Dan Ingalls, wants to give up running his conventional cattle in the upper Gros Ventre and switch to farming bison. Ingalls puts in regular and large claims for losses of cattle to grizzly bears and receives compensation from Wyoming Game and Fish. The amounts paid, even though they are less than the amounts claimed, generally exceed all other claims for wolf depredation put together in the whole Northern Rockies. The proposal has raised some concerns over interference with elk migration in the area.