Sunday, July 05, 2009

Call of the Wild: Protection of Wolves

Today we went to a wolf preserve and saw timber wolves, tundra wolves, and arctic wolves. These particular animals were raised in captivity. We learned about their feeding habits (35 pounds of food at one time!), territory, and pack and dominance behavior. We also heard them howl; the haunting sound can carry for several miles.

It was amazing to see these magnificent animals up close and observe their interaction and communication. More importantly, they need to be protected in the wild. Defenders of Wildlife has current information about their population and range, and also their legal status and protection. Gray wolves are listed as endangered throughout the United States except in several states. Certain subspecies of the wolf have been removed from the endangered species list which will allow them to be killed and result in further decline of their population. Please see Defenders of Wildlife for the most current information and what you can do to help protect these vulnerable animals.

Gray Wolf, also known as Timber Wolf

A dark variation of the Timber Wolf

The Arctic Wolf, a subspecies of Gray Wolf

Tundra Wolf, another subspecies of Gray Wolf

We finished out our day by walking along the Paulinskill Valley Trail.

Stream flooded with rain water

A cooling stream

4 Comments:

At 1:36 PM, Blogger o2bhiking said...

I've seen wolves in the wild just once, a pack in Yellowstone a long ways away. It was a sight, even viewed through a 30 power scope from the distance, that I will never forget. They are a beautiful animal and although some of the worse persecution of them is in the past, there are still plenty of negative attitudes towards this amazing creature. Beautiful pictures and post, Anne. I enjoyed reading about this. Art

 
At 1:49 PM, Blogger Anne said...

Thanks Art! I would love to see wolves in the wild, after all, that's where they really belong. I hope we can do enough to protect them and their habitat to help them thrive again.

 
At 9:00 AM, Blogger o2bhiking said...

When I was a young guy I hitch-hiked from where my car broke in Ohio to Northern Minnesota, and from there backpacked on Isle Royale N.P. in Lake Superior for four days before hitching back home to Philly. I really hoped to see wolves during my hiking and camping out, as there was (and still is) a good population on this large island. I did see a number of moose - my first ever - and lots of red foxes but no wolves. Nor did I hear any. But just knowing they were there was a really cool feeling.

I am so glad that the public at large is shifting its attitude and that is what allowed wolf populations to expand in the upper Mid-West, and also to allow the reintroductions in the Yellowstone Area. 30 years ago it never would have happened politically.

I hope you get to see some wolves in the wild someday, Anne. You will never forget it if you do! Happy trails! Art

 
At 7:24 PM, Blogger Anne said...

Hi Art, I'd love to see moose in the wild, they are so fascinating! Yes, I would absolutely love to see or hear wolves in the wild, hopefully at Yellowstone. I would love to see most of the National Parks, and that is definitely high on the list of places I'd like to see!

 

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