What?! More Than 11,000 People Line Up to Hunt 16 of the 30 Remaining Wolves in Norway. They say that dogs are descendants of wolves – but you would never know that there was any relationship between pups and wolves based on how people treat the two so differently. As a dog, I enjoy all the luxuries of a warm home, tons of treats, snuggles from nearly everyone I meet, and many more awesome things. But, it seems like my wolf cousins aren’t even shown ONE of these kind gestures. Rather, they’re being systematically hunted into extinction. That’s right … EXTINCTION.
I just heard the news that there are over 11,571 people in Norway who are registering to hunt 16 wolves. Meaning there could potentially be over 732 people looking to kill one single wolf. In total, there are only about 30 wild wolves left in the country and although they have a designated habitat, it’s not unusual for them to wander out of the protection zone (after all, they’re not exactly told where they can and can’t go). Talk about the odds being forever out of your favor…
Now, you might be wondering why Norway would even think of allowing this to happen … and sadly, according to a report in The Guardian, “decisions to hand out hunting licenses are made to protect livestock.” That’s right, those 16 wolves are really posing a “dangerous” threat to the thousands of livestock that occupy land in the country. I imagine that to do any real damage, those must be Terminator wolves – but hey, what do I know, I’m just a dog…
Wolves are apex predators that play a HUGE role in maintaining a balanced ecosystem. When they hunted wolves into oblivion in Yellowstone National Park, small animal populations grew out of control and overgrazed local shrubbery which eventually lead to soil erosion and other serious problems. It’s called a domino effect for a reason, it all ends with everything collapsing! While livestock might be more “valuable” in the short-term, in the long run, wolves hold the ecosystem together.
So Norway, you can devalue the remaining wolf population, but just think of the actual cost that can result from doing that. If you ask me … not too smart.
Green Monsters, if you think this is as ridiculous as I do, share this post! Wolves all over the world desperately need our help. The more people who know about how much we NEED wolves, the more likely that this nonsense will end! Lead image source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services/Flickr
Wyoming Wolves under Fire in CongressWyoming Senator Barrasso recently introduced a bill in the Senate to remove federal protections for wolves in Wyoming. This bill – nearly identical to a bill introduced earlier this year in the House by Representative Lummis, and a policy rider that could be included in a final bill to fund the government – would not only take protections away from wolves in Wyoming, it would also delist wolves in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. These bills come after courts set aside rules last year that delisted wolves in both regions, keeping wolves protected under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). At Defenders, we strongly believe Congress has no place meddling in wildlife management decisions, which should be left to biologists and wildlife managers. But, Congress has a bad track record of doing just that. We’ll keep you updated here as we learn more, but for now, you can help us by telling Congress to stop attacking the ESA.
New Wolf Pack in WashingtonThere’s a new wolf pack in north-central Washington! The “Loup Loup” pack was identified by wildlife officials after the public’s continued reports of wolf sightings prompted wildlife officials to confirm their presence in the Methow Valley through surveys. Because this pack is in the western two-thirds of Washington, the animals are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. Wildlife officials say they already have plans to outfit at least one of the pack members with a radio collar so they’re able to closely monitor and thus understand the pack’s movements. Although this isn’t the first time wolves have lived in Washington’s Methow Valley, we’re thrilled to see Washington’s wolf population continue to grow and reestablish in this area. At last count there were 68 wolves statewide.
Help Save the World's Only Red Wolf Population -- Take
Action
There's only one population of red wolves left
on the planet -- and we need your help to save them. Red wolves were
reintroduced onto 1.7 million acres of federal, private and state lands in
northeast North Carolina in 1987 after predator-control programs decimated their
wild populations. The recovery program has been a success so far, but now the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to abandon it based on misinformation from
a select few opponents.There are only 50 to 75 red wolves in existence, and shooting by hunters is still the leading cause of their deaths.
The Center has cosponsored a campaign and website to correct misinformation about red wolves and educate the public about the economic and ecological benefits they bring to locals within the recovery area. We're urging those who live and work within the five counties where red wolves live to sign a petition supporting having them on their lands; supporters in other parts of the country should also write to the Service speaking up for the wolves.
These special wolves deserve a chance to thrive and survive in the wilds of North Carolina. Learn the truth about red wolves and take action at our new site.
Sometimes, friendship comes in the strangest package. Take for example these unlikely friends: a donkey and a wolf who have become best friends. The wolf was captured from the mountains of Patok, Albania, in 2007, after being held in a cage by a villager. Knowing the wolf would need to eat, the villager brought in a donkey and left the two alone in the wolf’s cage. Thinking the wolf would make the donkey his dinner, the villager was certainly surprised to see what happened next.
The donkey and wolf became best friends, cohabiting the cage in complete peace. The pair quickly gained media attention, which lead Care2 to develop a petition for the wolf’s release. The petition asked the Albanian government to intervene in the village and arrange for the wolf to be transported back to his natural home in the mountains.
The Albanian government obliged and returned the wolf to his native habitat. The donkey was also released to an open pasture where he can roam free. It is said that the wolf comes to visit his friend every now and then. It is true that friendship knows no bounds of species, and these two certainly show us that!
We need your help to turn back the tide of violence against carnivores that is occurring all across the American West.
This summer, the New Mexico Game Commission opened over nine million acres of public lands to cougar trapping and increased bear hunting by over twenty-five percent!
In Oregon, the Department of Fish and Wildlife stripped wolves of state Endangered Species Act protections, opening the door to allow them to be hunted, poisoned, and killed.
And at the federal level, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s heinous wildlife killing program, Wildlife Services, continues its large-scale slaughter and torture of wildlife in the name of resolving conflicts between humans and wildlife.
With your support, WildEarth Guardians is leading the charge to end these senseless, cruel deaths.
In the last few months alone, Guardians won two major lawsuits that rein in trapping and that put the federal animal damage control program on notice that its days of freewheeling slaughter are numbered.
But wildlife still needs you.
The
20th anniversary year of gray wolf reintroduction to the Northern
Rockies is drawing to a close. And to mark this special occasion, we’re offering
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Load up your shopping cart and use promo
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Every
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Wishing
you a bright and merry holiday season!
