Conservation news snapshot January 2004

Alaska: The headlines have got to be the Alaskan outrage. Governor Murkowski has gone ahead with his threatened aerial war on Alaska's wolves and although I receive almost daily reports from Alaska I forward very few because the majority are frankly deeply depressing stories of the most outrageous cruelty, selfishness, callousness and greed by the Alaskan fur-trapping and fun-shooting community. It is literally frightening that human beings anywhere in the 21'st century can still behave in such ways - and get away with it. Murkowski is having to tread carefully and is widening the theatre of war in stages to avoid causing public riot. (Most of the Alaskan public do not approve). In brief, the figures so far are: 114 wolves shot from aircraft this winter. No-holds-barred killing is now encouraged in an area of 20,000 square miles and new areas are being considered or added almost weekly. On March 7'th the Alaska Game Board granted permission for "hunters" to use helicopters to gain access to the most inaccessible areas where they can saturate wolf travel corridors with snares. They will also be allowed to use snowmobiles to chase and shoot wolves.

Romania: In January, the agriculture ministry announced a hunting quota of 370 wolves for 2004. The total population of wolves in Romania is strong and healthy and protected at between 2000 and 3500 and this quota, whatever one's gut reaction to it, will not have any negative impact the species there. Paradoxically, it is the excellent large carnivore management which the country inherited from former dictator and hunter, Nicolae Ceausescu, which has provided such a healthy wolf population. As long as all the figures involved remain in approximately their current ratio, the hunting issue in Romania is a matter of moral and personal preference, not species survival. It is also a very rare example of conservationists and hunters actually managing to agree on vital issues.

Scandinavia: A news item early this year indicated that Scandinavia's wolves had a record number of cubs last summer. Preliminary data show that about 11 females had litters. This is, of course, a totally paltry number but is still thought to be the highest for 100 years. Overall, wolf numbers have stagnated though with illegal hunting and trapping being the main cause. Two packs are now based entirely within Norway.

Yellowstone: The last two of the original 31 wolves re-introduced to the 2.2 million acre Yellowstone Park in 1995-1996, died in February. The park is now home to some 300 wolves where there were none at all before 1995, all having been deliberately wiped out by ranchers, fur-trappers and hunters. The total number of wolves in the Idaho / Wyoming / Montana region which encloses the park, is around 600 - 700 and is sufficiently high for the US government to begin removing protection for the species. The move is being widely opposed though in the light of the vitriolic anti-wolf opinions of the governments of all three states. Interestingly, one of the oldest wild wolves ever monitored is currently living in central Idaho - not far from Yellowstone. Known simply as "B2", he was re-introduced there at the same time as the Yellowstone wolves. He is now 14 years old and has recently shacked up with a new girlfriend and started a new pack. Wild wolves seldom live for much more than about 7 years and the life expectancy of any wolf anywhere in Idaho would normally be about equal to the lifespan of the proverbial snowflake in hell. He obviously knows something other wolves don't.