New Exhibit Opens to Rave Reviews Women and Wolves Wolves and Moose Calves in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region My Time with Male 911
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New Exhibit Opens
to Rave Reviews 4
Women and Wolves 8
Wolves and Moose Calves in
Minnesota’s Arrowhead Region 13
My Time with Male 911 16
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VOLUME 29, NO. 3 THE QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FA L L 2 019
Brad Orsted/Horsefeathers Photography
Adobe Stock/RockyGrimes
International Wolf Center
Robert Mysłajek
4 8 13 16
New Exhibit Opens Women and Wolves Wolves and Moose My Time with
to Rave Reviews Calves in Minnesota’s Male 911
These four female biologists
Arrowhead Region
A new experience awaits study different aspects of Veteran wolf researcher
you at the International Wolf wolf behavior and survival. The author explores the Doug Smith reflects on one
Center in Ely! The colorful, In part one, the author looks relationship between wolves of his notable subjects—
sensory-rich new exhibit at their backgrounds and and moose in Minnesota, Wolf M911, a denizen of
combines technology and research topics—and shares where a declining moose Yellowstone and a pack
creativity with sights, sounds fascinating stories about population is not entirely leader in his younger days
and activities to teach and the realities of field research attributable to predators. — and on the ways in which
entertain at the same time. on an apex predator in Minnesota DNR research nature affects wolves, and
the wild. shows how wolf predation wolves affect the humans
Chad Richardson
affects those numbers— who study them.
Debra Mitts-Smith
and how it does not.
Doug Smith
Bill Severud
On the Cover Departments
Photo: Adobe Stock/Dvorakova Veronika 3 From the Board Chair
Did you know?
18 Tracking the Pack
One easy way for you to help us conserve
natural resources is to make sure we have 22 Wild Kids
your email address. Simply email your
address to membership@wolf.org. 24 Personal Encounter
27 Wolves of the World
29 A Look Beyond
Mike Possis
32 Book Review
HOWL
at the MOON
Publications Director
Chad Richardson
Graphics Coordinator
GALA
Carissa L. Winter
Consulting Editor
Kristine Chapin
Technical Editor
Dr. L. David Mech
Graphic Designer
Tricia Austin
International Wolf (1089-683X) is published
quarterly and copyrighted, 2019, by the
2019
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2 Fall 2019 w w w. w o l f . o r g
From the Board Chair
INTERNATIONAL
WOLF CENTER
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Thank you, Lori Schmidt, Nancy jo Tubbs
for 30 years of leadership Chair
I
Dr. L. David Mech
t would be hard to decide, after Lori Schmidt’s three Vice Chair
decades as curator at the International Wolf Center, Debbie Hinchcliffe
whether her strongest talents lay in the skilled Secretary
Ely Echo
observation of the wolves in her care, or her charis- Paul B. Anderson
matic instruction of the humans who come to learn Lori Schmidt (left) and Nancy jo Tubbs Treasurer
about them. Wolf Care staff, volunteers, visitors, web- Cree Bradley
watchers and hundreds of supporters rely on Lori’s logs and commentary, webinars and pup- Cindy Carvelli-Yu
year events as they follow each wolf, its personality and its behaviors. Rick Duncan
Lori is at the top of her game, whether kneeling in the snow at 20 below zero to check a Fitz Fitzgerald
wolf’s injury or keeping an eye on pack dynamics that can change over time—in a month, in Nancy Gibson
a day or in a minute. Judy Hunter
In 2020 Lori will work with a team of volunteers, staff and paid participants to socialize Connie LaFond
and introduce yet one more generation of wolves to the Center’s pack. Deborah Wold Lewis
Lori notes that the introduction of new pups to the International Wolf Center’s resident pack has Aaron Morris
always been a challenge, lightened by the sometimes-surprising behavior of these social carnivores. Mike Phillips
One such moment was the touching welcome of young Shadow and Malik by the pack leader, Debbie Reynolds
MacKenzie, who simply lay on her back in submission to the pups, reaching up to hug Shadow. Jerry Sanders
In another surprising development, the older, experienced Shadow chose the timid, low-ranking Maya Paul Schurke
as a mate—the duo, pair-bonded, often seen walking in parallel step. Alice Silkey
A “lifetime moment,” Lori noted, happened after she removed Luna to the retirement area, Dick Thiel
and then watched Luna’s mate, Aidan, the dominant male of the Exhibit Pack, take a strong Keira Thrasher
role in raising incoming pups, Grayson and Axel.
ADMINISTRATOR
Lori has guided introductions to the pack for most of the Center’s 19 wolves, and handled
Chad Richardson
the departures of those who are “gone but not forgotten.” On one of the hardest days for wolf-
care staff, the beloved white wolf, Shadow, was euthanized after a struggle with cancer. He MISSION
was held in Lori’s lap in the final moments of a profoundly trusting relationship between wolf The International Wolf Center
and curator. advances the survival of wolf
Former Center Executive Director Walter Medwid, who worked with Lori for 14 years, said populations by teaching about
of Lori, “She manages and cares for the Wolf Center’s wolves like the rest of us might ride wolves, their relationship to
a bike. Her display of confidence, supreme knowledge and wisdom while surrounded by wildlands and the human role
in their future.
a few hundred pounds of wolves is a test that Lori passes with flying colors every day. She
navigates with grace the tricky terrain of each wolf expressing its personality toward her and Educational services and
its pack mates. And always, the stakes are high with these most complex of critters.” informational resources
Playing Pied Piper to her many, many human fans, and excelling as wolf expert and wolf are available at:
wrangler requires a compelling combination of character traits. The Center has been gifted with 1396 Highway 169
Ely, MN 55731-8129, USA
Lori’s dedication to her work and her generous sharing of those unique traits. 800-ELY-WOLF
We hope that these 30 years are just a beginning. n 218-365-4695
email address:
internationalwolf@wolf.org
www.wolf.org
Nancy jo Tubbs
Board Chair
I n t e r n a t i o n a l Wo l f Fall 2019 3
New
Exhibit
Opens to
Rave Reviews
4 Fall 2019 w w w. w o l f . o r g
Discover Wolves! debuts
at the International Wolf Center
By CHAD RICHARDSON P h o t o s b y I n t e r n a t i o n a l Wo l f C e n t e r s t a f f
V
isitors to the new Discover Wolves! exhibit at the International Discover Wolves! was funded primarily
by the Legislative-Citizen Commission
Wolf Center have declared it a howling success. on Minnesota Resources, along with a
The immersive and hands-on experience opened to the public major commitment by the Center’s board
of directors and donors.
in mid-May. With both wolf biology and exhibit technology changing, “Planning for this project started four
the Center board knew an update to its Wolves and Humans exhibit was years ago, so to see the wolf den, the sci-
ence lab and artifacts in place at last was
necessary and eventually decided to develop a completely new exhibit. a magical experience,” said the board’s
chairperson, Nancy jo Tubbs. “It’s more
“Visitors today expect a different fun than I could have imagined.”
experience from those in the 1980s
or 1990s,” said Krista Harrington, the Exhibit Features
interpretive center manager. “Here A stunning photo mural leads
they’ll get a hands-on, technology-rich visitors down a ramp and into the new
experience that entertains and educates exhibit space. The mosaic, which looks
kids and adults.” from afar like a wolf resting, is made
“As the first visitors explored the up of thousands of small images. The
exhibit, it was thrilling to see the smiles closer one gets, the less like a wolf the
on their faces,” she continued. “The new mural appears, as individual images
exhibit brings a creative spark to their reveal themselves. Once you step back,
educational adventure in the world of those individual images fade and the
the wolf.” bigger picture of the wolf is again visible.
I n t e r n a t i o n a l Wo l f Fall 2019 5
Learn
how wolves
were important
to various cultures
over time.
Just inside the new wide-open exhibit
hall, a wolf den is built into a rocky
cave. Visitors are able to step up to the
den and look inside to see video of real
wolves in a real den.
In another display, the distance cov-
ered by a wolf on a given day is high-
lighted on a map of the northern United
States. The distance, 30 miles, is but a
small trek across the vast north country.
That illuminated track grows consider-
ably when visitors press the second but-
ton, showing how far a wolf can travel
Take a seat in a
in a month (600 miles). The third and
final track shows what 3,000 miles looks
like on a map of North America—the
distance wolves can travel in a year.
The display also notes wolves
simulated airplane cockpit,
sometimes travel much far-
ther, up to 8,000 miles a year,
push a button, and take off on a
if prey is scarce.
Nearby, a simulated air-
pack-tracking mission over a frozen lake.
plane gives visitors a chance
to see how researchers track wolves research project in the Ely area, explains Outside the howling room, sets of
from the air. Once a guest takes a seat how she uses radio telemetry to track headphones allow visitors to hear a defen-
in the cockpit and pushes a button, the wolves in the wild. Near the end of the sive wolf howl, a lonesome-sounding
adventure begins. Four screens encircle adventure, Barber-Meyer and the visitor wolf call and then a coyote howl. Hearing
the guest, making it appear as though successfully locate the wild pack. them all so clearly shows how wolves
he or she is in the cockpit of a small air- Imagine hearing the rising howl of a communicate vocally and how differ-
plane. The plane takes off from an ice- wolf pack in a northern lights-themed ent coyotes sound compared to wolves.
covered lake in Ely with Dr. Shannon room. Upon stepping inside and clos- The role of wolves as apex predators
Barber-Meyer appearing to ride in the ing the door, visitors simply hit a but- is illustrated in bold detail with a dis-
front seat next to the pilot. Barber-Meyer, ton and the exhibit comes to life with play of taxidermy that includes a deer
a United States Geological Survey wolf surround-sound speakers and the mes- and two wolves. Visitors see how large
biologist with Dave Mech’s wolf and deer merizing colors of the aurora. prey animals like bison and elk are in
6 Fall 2019 w w w. w o l f . o r g
Explore a field exam station where
young and old alike can learn how—
and why— these field
exams are done.
Dr. L. David Mech, who in turn donated
it to the Center for display.
As visitors leave the exhibit, they’re
encouraged to take a quick, 10-question
quiz about wolves to see how much they
learned from the discovery adventure.
Exhibit Creation
The project began in earnest in
February 2018 during a planning meet-
ing in Ely with the designers and center
staff and board members. An additional
meeting was held in Minneapolis for
staff and board to further determine
the overall approach to the exhibit. A
smaller team then worked closely with
the designers, Split Rock Studios in
St. Paul to put ideas on paper. During
the next year, every educational fact and
design detail was pored over until final
approval by the Center team.
Installation of the new exhibit began
in mid-April and was finished by mid-
May. The Center hosted a ceremonial
grand opening on June 28 in an event
that included Ely dignitaries, state
legislators, Ely-area residents and busi-
ness owners, staff and board members,
and Center members and donors
The previous exhibit, Wolves and
Humans, was viewed by hundreds of
thousands of visitors to the Center since
it opened in 1993. Prior to its installa-
comparison to the wolves that must kill screen to address the issue from a sci- tion in Ely, the exhibit, created by the
them for food. entific perspective. Science Museum of Minnesota, was
In another area of the exhibit, At a science lab within the exhibit, on display there and then toured the
three screens depict in videos the var- a microscope allows young and old to United States and Canada, where it was
ied human perceptions about wolves. get a close-up view of wolf, moose, deer, viewed by 2 million people. Many pieces
Visitors hear from a Wisconsin farmer snowshoe hare and beaver fur. of the former exhibit were used in the
who believes farmers should be able to Historic artifacts illustrate how impor- new installation. The former exhibit can
use lethal control to defend their live- tant wolves were to various cultures still be viewed online by visiting www.
stock against wolves. An Oregon rancher over time. Included in the display is bit.ly/wolvesandhumans. n
who operates a predator-friendly farm a stunning hand-beaded mask in the
also shares his family’s values about shape of a wolf’s head. The mask had Chad Richardson is the administrator at the
predators. A biologist then appears on been presented to the Center’s founder, International Wolf Center.
I n t e r n a t i o n a l Wo l f Fall 2019 7
Yolanda Cortés
Courtesy of Diane Boyd
Courtesy of Yolanda Cortés
Diane Boyd
Women
Wolves
A look
at the
lives
of four
Courtesy of Shannon Barber-Meyer
female
wolf
biologists
Shannon Barber-Meyer
By DEBRA MITTS-SMITH
Sabina Nowak
Robert Mysłajek
8 Fall 2019 w w w. w o l f . o r gW Education and work:
olf biology research is often thought
of as a male profession. Yet women Intellectual interest and concern for animals led each of
have played, and continue to play, a these women to become a wildlife biologist. The profession
requires not only a bachelor’s degree in a demanding field, but
leading role in the study of Canis lupus. also advanced degrees. Volunteer work, paid internships, work
To highlight their contributions, International on research projects and independent research provide neces-
Wolf interviewed four female wolf biologists: sary field experience while expanding a scientist’s knowledge
of wolves and wolf conservation.
Diane Boyd, Yolanda Cortés, Sabina Nowak,
and Shannon Barber-Meyer. Although many
women are involved in wolf research, the back- Diane Boyd is one of the female pioneers in wolf
ground and experiences of these women offer a research. Although she grew up in the Twin Cities of
Minnesota, Boyd loved nature, being outdoors and
sample of the kinds of work being done. Each learning about wolves. In the early 1970s, the Como Zoo
of these biologists works for a different type of in Saint Paul opened a new wolf exhibit that provided
a more realistic landscape and living space than was
agency in a different part of the world. Although typical for that time. Boyd remembers going to the zoo
political, geographical, historical and sociologi- and watching those wolves.
cal aspects of their research make parts of their She began college as a pre-veterinary student, but after
working for a veterinarian, decided that she wanted to do
work unique, many activities and challenges more than spay and neuter pets. She switched her major
involved in studying such a controversial species and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a
BS in wildlife conservation.
are similar. Several of these women are pioneers; After graduation, Boyd pursued opportunities to work
not only are they women in a predominantly with wildlife. As a volunteer at a University of Minnesota
captive wolf colony in Forest Lake, she gained experi-
male profession, they also performed some of ence working with captive wolves and learned from
the earliest research on wolves in their respective Dr. Jane Packard, an animal behaviorist who was study-
countries. This first part of a two-part feature ing wolf reproduction. Her next job took her to northern
Minnesota where, under the direction of Dr. L. David
focuses on their educational backgrounds and Mech, she helped live-trap, radio-collar and count the
most memorable work experiences. last viable wild wolf population in the lower 48 states.
In 1979, Boyd headed to Montana to help the Wolf
Ecology Project track Wolf W114, the first radio-col-
lared gray wolf from Canada to recolonize
the western United States. At the same
time, she began graduate studies in wildlife
biology at the University of Montana,
successfully defending her dissertation
Dispersal, Genetic Relationships, and Landscape
Uses by Colonizing Wolves in the Central Rockies
in 1997. Over the next two decades, Boyd
studied and lived among wolves recoloniz-
ing Montana. To this day, when she talks
to Montanans about wolves, she stresses
Chad Richardson
that these wolves are not like the wolves of
Yellowstone. “These wolves came on their
own; nobody brought them here.”
In 2016, after a brief retirement, Boyd
returned to studying and working with wolves as the wolf
management specialist for Montana Fish, Wildlife and
Parks, Region 1. She continues that work today.
I n t e r n a t i o n a l Wo l f Fall 2019 9Yolanda Cortés knew, even as a child growing
up in Madrid, Spain, that she wanted to study animals
and become a zoologist or a veterinarian. “Of all wildlife,
mammals were my favorite, particularly carnivores. And
wolves have always been one of the most fascinating and
attractive species to me,” she says.
Cortés credits Spanish naturalist Felix Rodriguez de la
Fuente’s nature documentary with further inspiring her
interest in wolves. Even before completing her undergradu-
ate degree in biology at the Faculty of Biological Sciences,
Complutense University of Madrid, Cortés was involved
with research projects investigating other carnivore species
such as European badger (Meles meles), Euroasiatic otter
Robert Mysłajek
(Lutra lutra), stone marten (Martes foina), Genet (Genetta
genetta), Euroasiatic wild cat (Felis silvestris), and Iberian
lynx (Lynx pardinus).
Aside from a few scientific papers and books by Spanish
researchers, there was very little research on wolves in Spain
then. In 1997, Dr. Juan Carlos Blanco, a well-known wolf Sabina Nowak grew up in Katowice, in southern
researcher, asked her to work with him on a project to study Poland, an urban area where mining and metallurgy made
wolves in Cantabria, an autonomous region of Spain. This it one of the most industrialized and polluted places in the
marked the beginning of her research on wolves and her country. Resultant damage to wildlife spurred her interest
longstanding collaboration and friendship with Dr. Blanco. in wildlife protection. In the 1980s she earned bachelor’s
In 2001, Cortés earned a Ph.D. in Biology from and master’s degrees in biology from the Faculty of Biology
Complutense University of Madrid. Her dissertation, and Environmental Protection at the University of Silesia.
Ecology and Conservation of Wolves in Agricultural Habitats For most of her career, Nowak has worked indepen-
of Central Spain, was about the radio-collaring of eleven dently, leading local and national conservation efforts
wolves that lived in central Spain, in environments targeting the protection and conservation of large
inhabited and altered by humans—and only the third carnivores. In 1996, she helped found the Association for
thesis about wolves written in Spain. Since then, she has Nature-Wolf, a non-governmental agency that advocates
continued to study wolves and wolf conservation for non- for the protection of the wolf in Poland. During this same
governmental and public agencies. time, Nowak conducted independent research on wolves
in the Bialowieza Primeval Forest and the western-most
edge of the Carpathian Mountains. Wlodzimierz and
Bogumila Jedrzejewski, two of Poland’s top wolf biologists,
encouraged her to pursue a Ph.D., and in 2003 she suc-
cessfully defended her dissertation, Population Dynamics,
Ecology, and Problems of Wolf Canis Lupus Conservation
in the Silesian and Zywiec Beskid Mountains. Today she
continues advocating for wolves through teaching, wolf-
habitat conservation, research, developing methods to
prevent livestock depredation, and helping rescue wolves
injured by traps or vehicles.
Courtesy of Yolanda Cortés
Cortez (left) holds a mastiff pup—one of the livestock-
guarding dogs that help make possible farmers’ coexistence
with wolves.
10 Fall 2019 w w w. w o l f . o r gExpecting the unexpected
A “typical” day in the life of a wildlife biologist is never
typical. Daily work may include tracking radio-collared
wolves, writing a grant proposal or research report, analyzing
data, attending meetings, speaking to a group of students,
Shannon Barber-Meyer majored in biology, talking to a farmer in the aftermath of a wolf attack, per-
with chemistry and mathematics minors, at Eckerd College forming a necropsy on a wolf or its prey, or even searching
in Florida. Although her original goal was to study dol- for an injured wolf in the wild. Still, there are days that are
phins, she became intrigued by the complex social lives of more memorable than others.
wolves during a wolf-ecology course in Minnesota, and a Nowak recalled, “When wolves started to recolonize west-
different dream began. In 2006 she earned her Ph.D. from ern Poland, the first family groups preferred to reproduce
the University of Minnesota, under the direction of Dr. L. on military training campgrounds, which are common in
David Mech, in wildlife conservation with specializations that region—remnants of Communist times and the Cold
in ecology, evolution and behavior. While working on War. For most of the year, the overgrown buffer zones of
her doctorate, Barber-Meyer captured wolves for radio- shooting fields are left undisturbed by people, so the only
collaring and studied summer feeding habits of wolves inconvenience is the occasional noise of tanks and explo-
in Minnesota’s Superior National Forest. Her 2006 dis- sions, which the wolves have learned to ignore.”
sertation, Elk Calf Mortality Following Wolf Restoration to Every spring, Nowak and her team looked for wolf dens
Yellowstone, focused on the predation (by wolves and other on the military bases. When they found one, they mounted
carnivores) of elk (Cervus elaphus) calves in Yellowstone. cameras to monitor the site. On one late-May day, when one
Barber-Meyer’s post-doctorate work included monitor- of the cameras failed to record, Nowak hiked out to check
ing the Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) for the on the den where they had spotted wolf activity in April. As
Scripps Institution of Oceanography and working on expected, the area in front of the den was covered with freshly
tiger (Panthera tigris) conservation for the World Wildlife dug sand, but no wolves were visible. “Suddenly, from a distance
Fund. Her first “real” post-graduate-school, wolf-biolo- of several meters, I saw a heap of tiny bodies—four wolf pups,
gist job was as the Mexican wolf field-team leader at the two-to-three weeks old, napping
Arizona Department of Game and Fish. Barber-Meyer in the heather two meters from
currently serves as a research wildlife biologist with the the den.” Seeing no adult wolves,
U.S. Geological Survey, studying wolves and white-tailed Nowak approached the pups to
deer (Odocoileus virginianus) with Dr. Mech in the Superior photograph them. Three of the
National Forest. pups woke up and sniffed in her
direction. “They were beautiful,
cute and fragile. Seeing them
triggered a flood of affectionate
emotions in my brain.”
Nowak credited this experi-
Robert Mysłajek
ence for giving her insight on
how wolves may have become
domesticated. “Many thousands
of years ago, we lived lives simi-
lar to those of wolves, in groups of kin, roaming through vast
areas, foraging and hunting large prey. The human mothers
collected fruits, bulbs and edible plants for their families.
When they came upon a litter of wolf pups, they probably
had an affectionate reaction similar to mine, which inspired
them to bring some pups back to their camps. Perhaps they
Courtesy of Shannon Barber-Meyer
gave the pups to their children to play with, and the pups
accepted their new families. Those that were calm and tame
survived and likely became ancestors of the dog.”
In 1997, Dr. Blanco offered Cortés the opportunity to work
on a research project on certain bird and mammal species in
the Cantabria, funded by the University of Cantabria. Part
of Cortés’s job would be to determine the status of the wolf
population in the region and evaluate the challenges and risks
they faced. Aware of the value of working with a well-known
I n t e r n a t i o n a l Wo l f Fall 2019 11researcher, she left Madrid and moved to Santander, Spain. Barber-Meyer recalled, “Finally, on hands and knees, I began
On her first day, Dr. Blanco introduced her to Nardo, one scouring the wet dirt of the last location, in what appeared
of the rangers in the Cantabrian Mountains. Nardo showed to be a wolf bed— desperately hoping we had not gone to
Cortés around the area, including the site of a wolf pack’s all this effort for an ‘inconclusive’ entry in the database. And
former den—a site that his father, also a ranger, had shown then I found it—a piece of flesh with fawn fur on it. It was
him. Supposedly the den was no longer in use, since there less than 2x2 cm (about a square inch), but I held it up like
had been no wolves in the area for a long time. a trophy and shouted to the two technicians, ‘I’ve got it!’”
“After some time Prize in hand, the group moved quickly to get out of the
searching below the woods before it became too dark to navigate the wet, rocky
trees and the heather, we terrain. “Our study area is in the famed Iron Range, and our
found the den,” Cortés compasses spun wildly as we crossed over iron deposits.
said. Everything showed Our GPS unit was not reliable if it got wet, so we had it in a
us that it was still in use. plastic sandwich bag, but the rain was so heavy it was hard
When we looked into the to read the screen through the plastic,” Barber-Meyer said.
Courtesy of Yolanda Cortés
opening, we saw six small Finally, they made it back to the road, soaking wet and
pups. I could not believe full of joy.
that on my first day as a It was after 9 p.m. when they got back to the field sta-
wolf biologist, I would tion. Drenched and exhausted, Barber-Meyer triumphantly
have pups in my hands! held up the tiny piece of flesh—that one bit of evidence that
It was an indescribable showed FW845 had eaten a fawn yesterday—to the wildlife
experience. It was also the only time in my career that I biologist in charge of field operations.
caught wild wolf pups, as we never interfere with packs in “Looking up at me from his desk, where he was working
this way, and it tied me forever to this species.” on a manuscript, he said with a wry smile, ‘And you get to
get up and do it all over again tomorrow morning.’”
In 2002, Barber-Meyer experienced first-hand some of
the challenges and triumphs of studying a species as elu- For Boyd, working in in the wild provided a vivid reminder
sive as the wolf. She and two technicians were studying the that humans are not always the top predators. In the sum-
summer feeding habits of wolves in the Superior National mer of 1987, she and Kurt Aluzas, a volunteer, were in the
Forest in northern Minnesota, using GPS collars to track the field drugging, collaring, and checking blood and weights
movements and locations of wolves. Unlike today’s GPS col- on wolves. They had finished their tests and were beginning
lars, which can transmit data to a website accessible from to pack up. The drugged she-wolf asleep on the ground
any computer, most early GPS collars required researchers was beginning to stir. Then they heard it—a twig snapped.
to retrieve the actual collar (and the wolf wearing it) before Looking up, they saw a grizzly bear (Ursus horribilis) run-
they could download data. Barber-Meyer and her team were ning out of the woods toward them. Boyd believes that the
lucky; twelve days earlier, the female wolf FW845 had been smell of blood had attracted the bear.
caught and fitted with a new kind of collar—one that allowed “This was before bear spray, and the only way we knew
them to obtain information about the wolf’s movements from to protect ourselves was to make noise. So I started yelling
a distance. It was still challenging, however, as it required and slapping my hand against my clipboard and stomping
an antenna and a receiver, and researchers had to be within my feet.” The bear retreated.
a half-mile of the collar to download data. This meant that Boyd and Aluzas had resumed gathering their gear— more
they had to hike to where the wolf was, hoping the wolf did quickly this time—when they heard it a second time. A twig
not move before they reached it. The dense forests and few snapped. The bear had returned, looking menacing. They
roads made signals difficult to locate and required arduous grabbed their gear, picked up the now-awakening wolf, an
hikes over rough terrain. Barber-Meyer had programmed the exercise Boyd described as akin to “hauling a six-foot-long,
collar to take location readings every 10 minutes. 80-pound semi-conscious sack of potatoes,” and ran for their
“Each day, we attempted to download her location data, vehicle. Throwing their gear and the wolf on the back seat,
which told us where she had been the previous 24 hours, they drove off, leaving behind one very disappointed bear. n
and we hiked that same day to investigate places she might The second part of this interview will appear in the winter
have killed and eaten her prey.” 2019 issue of International Wolf.
On a late afternoon in June, having downloaded the data,
the team geared up for a backcountry hike. The weather was Debra Mitts-Smith is a School of Information Sciences faculty member
60oF and overcast with thunderstorms. By the time they at the University of Illinois. Her research and teaching focus on visual
reached the locations, deep in the heart of a cedar swamp, the culture, children’s literature, history of the book and storytelling. Her
daylight was quickly fading, and a thick canopy and heavy book, Picturing the Wolf in Children’s Literature, was published by
rain further reduced visibility. They searched the clusters Routledge in 2010. She is currently working on a cultural history
but found no evidence of a kill. of the wolf.
12 Fall 2019 w w w. w o l f . o r gAdobe Stock/ RockyGrimes
By BILL SEVERUD
W olves eat moose calves. That’s
what wolves do. But are
there ways to decrease calf
vulnerability?
Wolves are opportunistic hunt-
from 2006 to 2019, from 8,840 to 4,180.
Over this same period, MNDNR sur-
veys indicated wolf numbers remained
relatively stable state-wide, although U.
S. Geological Survey studies showed
ers. They prey on vulnerable animals, that, in at least part of the moose range,
whether young, old, sick, or other- wolf numbers were greatly increasing
wise most easily captured, killed and as moose numbers declined. But black
consumed. Wolves and moose have bears are also numerous there and
coevolved in boreal forests around the can have an effect on calf mortality.
globe, playing the eternal game of preda- Previous moose research in the same
tor and prey for eons. area (2002–2008) reported low adult
And recently, Minnesota’s moose pop- survival rates, and many collared moose
ulation has been declining. Scientists died of unknown causes.
were unsure why. Could wolves killing In response to the alarming, more
calves have a strong negative effect on recent decline in moose population esti-
the population? A team of researchers mates, MNDNR initiated intense studies
set out to understand the impact of wolf on survival and cause-specific mortality
predation on calf survival and overall of adult and calf moose during 2012–
population growth. 2017. These studies employed GPS col-
According to annual aerial surveys lars, which allowed researchers to track
conducted by the Minnesota Department moose in almost real time. Each collar
of Natural Resources (MNDNR), the sent a text message to researchers when it
moose population in northeastern stopped moving for six hours—a sign that
Minnesota declined about 53 percent the moose had likely died. Researchers
I n t e r n a t i o n a l Wo l f Fall 2019 13could then launch a team to investigate
the collar to find out when, where and
why the moose had died. The adult study,
conducted by MNDNR’s Wildlife Health
Program, observed that about one-third
of collared adult moose were killed by
wolves. Remaining deaths were attributed
to various infections, parasites, undeter-
mined health issues and accidents. Those
moose that were killed by wolves often
had health conditions such as parasitic
infections or previous trauma that made
them more vulnerable to predation.
The calf study was conducted by
MNDNR’s Forest Wildlife Populations
and Research Group. The Moose and Deer
Project Leader, Dr. Glenn DelGiudice,
led a team of graduate students (Tyler
Obermoller and me). The calf study
also used GPS collar technology. In Minnesota DNR volunteers Roberta Ryan and Bradley Smith gather saliva from bite wounds on
northeastern Minnesota, most moose a moose calf carcass. DNA will aid in identification of the predator involved.
calves are born in May; we looked for
adult females whose movement pat- could retrieve fresh evidence. On the used the preponderance of evidence to
terns indicated they were giving birth scene, we spread out to comb the sur- assign cause of death.
(long-distance movement followed by rounding area for clues. Our first job Nearly half of all calves born in
relative stillness for many days). Once was to determine if the calf was killed May were dead by August. Predation
we suspected a mother moose had given by a predator or was already dead due by wolves and bears accounted for
birth, we allowed mother and calf to to another cause and simply scavenged. 84 percent of deaths. Wolves were
bond for several days before capturing To establish this, we looked for signs of responsible for 77 percent of these, out-
and collaring the neonate. (We needed a struggle, bruising under the skin and numbering bear kills 4:1. This finding
to handle the calves before they were blood sprays, all indicating the animal was particular to our study area. Other
too swift for us to catch them!) Mothers was alive when injured. If we found studies in Ontario and nearby Grand
and calves typically stay together from that a predator had killed the calf, we Portage, Minn. recently reported 50:50
birth until the calf is about one year old, looked for species-specific patterns of bear:wolf predation.
when the mother may give birth to a feeding along with other evidence. Bears Why were our moose so much more
new calf and chase off the previous year’s will peel hide from the carcass and then impacted by wolves? In light of the
young. Because we had GPS collars on selectively feed upon organs before cach- high rate of wolf predation on calves,
mothers and calves, we could see how ing leftovers for later. Wolf packs gener- we decided to investigate this further.
closely they stayed together. The collars ally consume all available tissues except We knew what was killing calves and
also allowed us to know more precisely the stomach contents, patches of fur, where it was happening, but we wanted
where, when and how calves died. We or hoof and bone fragments. These are to know why and how.
also could delay investigations until the Some predator-prey research has
mother was away to avoid stressing her. observed that prey will alter their activity
patterns in response to predator activity.
For example, animals may avoid watering
holes during certain times of day when
predators are most active. To investi-
Photo this page: Bill Severud
gate this, we looked at average speeds
of calves and their mothers during May
over a 24-hour cycle. We then compared
the calf activity patterns to wolf move-
generalizations, so we also searched for ments. The wolf movement data were
corroborating evidence such as predator supplied by USGS scientists Dr. Dave
Once we received a text message tracks, hair and scat. In a few instances, Mech and Dr. Shannon Barber-Meyer.
that a calf was likely dead, we launched we were still stymied, so we swabbed bite Calves’ movement peaked in early eve-
an investigation team. These typically wounds for saliva and tested the swabs ning and right after midnight. But dur-
were dispatched within a day so we for DNA to assign predator species. We ing May, they were moving little. Wolves
14 Fall 2019 w w w. w o l f . o r galso showed a peak in movement in early thick stand of small balsam fir, or take a wolves here are presumably “ambush-
evening, but were moving almost twice groomed path? Plow through chest-deep ing” mobile prey such as calves.
as fast as calves. snow or travel on a packed snowmobile When wolves encounter cow-calf
So, if calves and wolves are both trail? We measured distances from wolf groups, it is up to the mother moose to
moving a lot in the early evening, is that kills to features we predicted would be protect the calf. Despite the logical con-
when they likely encounter each other? used by wolves. We did not find that clusion that protecting twin calves from
Contrary to that logic, we found that distance to habitat-edge affected wolf a pack of wolves would be more difficult
most wolf kills happened early in the kills, but wolf-kills occurred farther than protecting a single calf, we did not
morning between 3 a.m. and 8 a.m. It from wetlands, contrary to our predic- observe any differences in the survival
did not seem that calves were trying to tion. We think this can be explained patterns of single versus twin calves. We
avoid moving when wolves were most by cows and calves using wetlands as did observe that calves at birth sites were
active, but overall, wolves were moving escape from predators. relatively safer than when they departed
much more than calves in May. Research Roads told a more nuanced story. from these sites. Birth sites tended to
from Canada reported that wolves moved Roads can be easy routes of travel but have more evergreen cover, and moth-
much more than moose in winter. The can also be hazardous. Minnesota’s ers moved from birth sites to forage
difference in movement helped explain legal wolf harvest occurred while we spots when nursing demands dictated
variation in kill rates. were doing our studies (2012–2014). better nutrition—usually 21 to 31 days
To see how landscape may influence We had assumed that wolf kills would postpartum. Foraging areas also made
calves’ vulnerability to wolf predation, happen closer to roads, but we found detecting approaching predators more
we compared locations of wolf-killed that wolves avoided roads; they appear to difficult, perhaps contributing to wolves
calves to locations of calves that sur- have used fine-scale trails and ATV trails catching mothers off guard.
vived to that same age. Wolves use roads, to gain access to calves. We surmised MNDNR moose research has shown
trails, streams, forest edges and other that wolves were avoiding roads with that wolf predation is a minor threat,
travel corridors to move more efficiently higher human use, perhaps in response compared to health issues, for adult
through the thick woods of the north. to the legal harvest, as documented in moose, but is the major threat to calves.
Think of hiking through the boreal forest; other places. Research from Canada has There are likely complex interactions
would you rather bushwhack through a shown that wolves, bears and moose among nutrition, habitat, disease, cli-
will use roads and trails even mate change, deer density and preda-
Northeast Minnesota Moose Population decades after the trails have been tion acting in concert to influence the
14,000
decommissioned or revegetated. moose population. But as stated at the
The impact of such human-made onset, moose and wolves have coexisted
ESTIMATED NUMBER OF MOOSE
12,000 features has a long-lasting influ- for millennia, and we hope our research
10,000 ence on wildlife. will guide natural-resource management
Our GPS- collar data sug- practices that will allow these popula-
8,000 gested that wolves do not chase tions and this relationship to continue. n
6,000 calves and their mothers when
preying upon them. Rather than Bill Severud is a postdoctoral associate at the
4,000 chasing down prey as they typ- University of Minnesota. He studied moose calf
ically do in open landscapes, survival and causes of mortality in northeast-
2,000
ern Minnesota for his doctoral research with
0 the Minnesota DNR, and beaver ecology in
2005 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Voyageurs National Park and Michigan’s Upper
SURVEY YEAR Peninsula for his master’s research.
Proportion of Calf Mortality, 2013 - 2014
Wolf Predation
Bear Predation
Natural
Abandonment
Photo: Adobe Stock / Gelilewa
Drowning
Graph data: Bill Severud
Abandonment of
Unknown Cause
Unknown
Predation For more information about MNDNR’s moose research:
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 www.dnr.state.mn.us/moose/index.html
I n t e r n a t i o n a l Wo l f Fall 2019 15By DOUG SMITH I was hired to restore wolves to it was a typical litter, several of these
Yellowstone in 1994, after they had pups would die that first summer. 911
been eradicated early in the 20th cen- made it, however, and matured quickly,
tury. I am still at it, although they have as most wolves do. Once grown, most
E very year I sit alone with a wolf.
The wolf doesn’t agree to this, as
I catch it as part of a research pro-
gram on wolves in Yellowstone National
Park. The wolf is sedated, but we still
recovered, and I mostly study them
now. Doing this, I have caught so many
wolves that I cannot remember if I sat
alone with wolf 911. For the purposes
of this story I will say I did. I also can’t
male wolves leave their pack. When
varies. 911 left as a yearling.
Leaving is risky because dispersing
wolves die at a higher rate than others,
but the payoff can be worth it—finding
sit together, alone, looking out at the remember what those eyes said to me, a mate, starting a pack, fathering pups.
great park. but I do remember what happened after- He found a female and formed a pair;
I cherish these moments. The quiet ward. This is his story, probably not he helped start a new pack called the
beauty all around and the wolf’s presence; unlike that of many wolves. Junction Butte pack. We usually name
it almost seems as if the wolf is talking to In one respect, male 911 (they are packs after a geographic feature within
me. A look into wolf eyes will make you numbered sequentially as we catch them their territory.
think deeply about life. The incessant, here and across Wyoming) was lucky. After some back-and-forth (he
drowning-out noise of humanity gets Wolves are heavily persecuted in most returned to his natal pack for unknown
turned off. I strain to understand what places where they live, and 911 was born reasons), he led his pack for several
this life might be like. One time, when in Yellowstone, where he was protected. years, a good run by wolf standards. Most
others were boarding the helicopter to Protected from people, but not necessar- wolves die by age 5 or 6 in Yellowstone,
fly out, leaving me alone with a wolf, I ily from life. But I’ll get to that in a bit. outside of parks even earlier, so two to
said: “If you don’t come back it’s okay. He was born in April 2010 to the three years leading is typical. People
Leave me here forever with the wolf.” Blacktail pack with five other pups. If are surprised by how short a life wolves
Brad Orsted/Horsefeathers Photography
16 Fall 2019 w w w. w o l f . o r ghave, but they evolved this way and off. A small cluster of park visitors had And as we normally do, we sent his
compensate by having many offspring. gathered, and I later watched on film skull to a taxidermist as the park has a
By all appearances, 911 was a strong what happened. People were aghast, wolf skull collection. Then our taxider-
leader. He did not lead alone, however. some were crying. Six times he attacked, mist called. What was it? 911’s jaw was
His mate, female 970, led with him, and resting in between lunges, water pour- broken in two, and it had been like that
he probably deferred to her, as most male ing off him and the elk. Finally, he got for months. You could see that the bone
wolves do. Research suggests that the a fatal hold on her neck. had tried to mend itself; flecks of bone
females ultimately run the show, though One observer, a veteran of thousands around the break made it look swol-
the subtlety of wolf behavior makes it of hours of wolf observation, said 911’s len. The pain all summer must have
hard to know for sure. attack on the elk was the most coura- been awful.
That first year, 911 bred with 970, but geous and heroic thing he had ever So what happened?
two other males also bred with her, a rare witnessed. We surmised that 911 had gotten
event as most wolves are monogamous. Then the unthinkable happened. A kicked by an elk or bison in April, hunt-
Two other females produced pups, and rival pack wandered in—eight wolves. ing for his pack, and this kick broke his
all together they had 12 pups; eight of They saw the meal, and they saw that jaw. Getting kicked is common; we see
them survived. This is a bumper crop only one wolf defended it. Milling it often, but usually the wolf bounces
of pups. Usually, three or four pups per around, assessing the situation, intermit- back. When his skull came back to the
pack survive with one female breeding, tently feeding on the elk 911 had killed, park and I held it in my hand, I was
but with three litters, more pups made the eight wolves took claim of the elk and shaken, overcome by emotion. What
it. It is hard to know whether any of carefully watched the sickly male. Then would it have been like to live with this?
these surviving pups were 911’s, but three of them broke for him—one was What kind of pain was he in? How did
some probably were. a young male and one of the others was he carry on for four months?
The next year he had no surviving the lead female. Then two more joined. So each year I wait, wait for that time
pups. Three females had pups in the I get to sit alone with a wolf.
pack—again rare for wolves—and his A look into wolf eyes Those eyes. What would 911’s have
mate, 970, denned alone away from the said if I had looked into them on his
other females. She died, and all of their will make you think last day? We can never know a thing
pups died, too. This was just the begin- like this. Just another life gone unnoted.
ning of his troubles. deeply about life. The This is all of nature, mostly unnoticed
That April 2016, when 911 was 6, he by humans. In a way, it’s uplifting. Just
began looking bad. He lost weight and incessant, drowning-out go on, get on with things, try hard, work
started to limp. He was not always with hard, and if life does not go well, well it
the pack, and his fur looked ratty. His
noise of humanity gets could go a lot worse with no one pay-
condition worsened over the summer.
By September, he was in terrible
turned off. I strain to ing attention. No one at the end to give
you comfort.
shape. Split off again from his pack, understand what this For us, it’s rarely that bad. I have
he found a cow elk in the Lamar River things pretty good.
that had already been chased by another life might be like. I have looked into a lot of wolf eyes
wolf pack. Elk are in their best shape of and think I know some of their sto-
the year in September and hard to kill, He was clearly outnumbered. Together ries. You should think about them out
usually requiring four or more wolves. they lifted him into the air stretching there—unnoticed by all. n
Commonly when attacked, they run to him in an end-to-end pull.
water; it can rebuff the wolves. There was no living through this. This article appeared in the Washington Post
Why 911 decided to attack this Sixty-six minutes after killing the elk on June 1, 2019
elk, alone, is unknown. He was in no alone, 911 was dead. The rivals dragged
shape to do so, especially then, but no him around, ate the elk and left. No Douglas Smith is a senior wildlife biologist in
matter how much we study animals, looking back, no remorse. They had Yellowstone National Park. He has studied
their thinking will forever be a mys- killed a competitor and gotten a meal. wolves for 40 years, working at Wolf Park,
tery. Driven by forces that have evolved As we always do, we hiked in to on Isle Royale, in Northeast Minnesota and
over eons, he only knew forward—keep necropsy him. He had lost 35 pounds in Yellowstone, beginning with the 1995
wolf reintroduction there.
fighting. Survive. since we had captured him. His condi-
Painfully, he went at the elk in the tion indicated he was starving. His radio
water. Soaked, he attacked her, grabbed collar slipped off over his head. He had
at her hindquarters, neck. She threw him many wounds, old and new.
I n t e r n a t i o n a l Wo l f Fall 2019 17Tracking the Pack
Balancing the Pack
by Lori J Schmidt
I n the spring of 2020, the International
Wolf Center will again introduce
a pair of pups into the existing
exhibit pack according to our Wolf Care
Management Plan. We have successfully
integrated pups every four years for the
Kelly Godfrey
last two decades, and we have learned
from every positive and negative factor
of each previous introduction.
The first option we consider
is the subspecies*. The Center’s
exhibit currently maintains three Above: In 2005, dominant male Shadow selected
of the five subspecies of North Maya over Nyssa and the two displayed a
American wolves, with Grayson bonding behavior called parallel gait.
and Axel representing arctic Left: Aidan and Denali, the last set of
wolves, Boltz representing the northwestern subspecies added to the
International Wolf Center
Great Plains wolf and Denali exhibit pack, were adopted in 2008.
representing the northwestern
wolves. While behaviorally, these The pup plan is not a document
wolves have similar ways of inter- that gets dusted off every four years, but
acting, their physical character- is a plan rich in reflection and applied
istics align with wolves in the experience that helps us ensure the
geographical areas of their natural sub- status. Two pups can be distracted by most socially cohesive, well-balanced
species locations. By selecting unique the adults from status-seeking behavior; group of resident wolves.
subspecies, we increase understanding with more than two pups, the status- To learn more about the wolf care
of wolves in places outside Minnesota, focus can be more intense. program, consider visiting the online
like Yellowstone National Park and the The third component to look at is Wolf Den Store at www.wolf.org to pur-
Canadian arctic. Our wish to educate gender. The current exhibit pack con- chase a Highlights DVD, where you’ll
about various subspecies led to a decision sists of four male wolves. In 2020, we find a review of the Center’s wolf care
to not breed the wolves on site, and to plan to balance the pack gender roles history. n
implement, instead, a spay-and-neuter by adopting at least one, if not two,
program. In 2020, we plan to adopt two females. With a female in the pack, *Subspecies are very subjective divisions of wolves
into local geographic varieties. For example,
pups representing the northwestern gray the pack leadership is shared by two
scientists recognized 24 North American wolf
wolf subspecies. wolves—a dominant male and a domi- subspecies until 1995. Then science lumped those
The second component to contem- nant female—which in our experience 24 into just five subspecies. Some researchers
plate is number of pups. To maintain creates a calmer, more balanced pack think the five should be lumped into four.
quality vegetation in our exhibit and structure. We are still pondering the
avoid overpopulating the enclosures, question of two females versus a female Lori Schmidt is the wolf curator at the International
we find it best to introduce two pups and a male pup. Two females would Wolf Center and an Environmental Studies
every four years. In our non-natural, allow the dominant male of the pack instructor at Vermillion Community College.
non-breeding pack, where the domi- a choice to select a female, and may She received the VCC Foundation’s 2019 Lifetime
nant wolves are not the parents, pups initiate a stronger pair-bond, as witnessed Achievement Award for her outstanding accom-
plishments in the field of natural resources.
mature to yearlings and often test for in 2005 with Shadow and Maya.
18 Fall 2019 w w w. w o l f . o r gINTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER
Member Profile
“For the strength of the pack is the wolf,
and the strength of the wolf
is the pack.” – Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book
By Susan Ricci
W olves hold a special place in
the hearts of our International
Wolf Center supporters, but
one young member has found an even
deeper connection.
Center’s communications depart-
ment) came to visit us. Even though
Jiena had hardly any energy, she
was thrilled that representatives
from the International Wolf Center
Twelve-year-old Jiena Lee has fanconi actually came to see her.”
anemia, also known as FA, a rare and After that visit, Jiena made her
Ely Echo
life-threatening genetic disorder that can mother promise that when her
lead to leukemia and many cancers. The transplant was complete, she would
disease took the life of her little brother, take her to the Center.
Mason, three years ago. While Jiena has “It was risky because of the recovery Jiena and her family sat through
spent many long months in the hospital process,” Maly said. “She was on multi- all of the programs and asked Lori
undergoing tests and procedures, one ple medications, and she was depressed Schmidt, the Center’s wolf curator, lots
thing has remained constant through it from being inside for so many months. of questions.
all—her passion for wolves. A possible trip to International Wolf “She had always wanted to be a vet-
Jiena’s mom, Maly, said her daughter Center was a light at the end of the erinarian, but now she wants to be a wolf
has always loved animals but she really, tunnel for her. It really helped her get researcher,” Maly said. “Or she may want
truly loves wolves. “She had to have through her ordeal.” to have Lori’s job someday. Right now,
everything with wolves—wolf this and During her hospital stay, Jiena started Aidan is Jiena’s favorite wolf. She tells
wolf that. She wanted to know every- following the ambassador wolves on the me, ‘Mom, I think Aidan was grooming
thing about them.” webcams and webinars. Grayson to take over for him.’”
When Jiena needed a bone-marrow “There were some days she didn’t Since the marrow transplant, Jiena
transplant, she was not allowed to have want to take her medications,” Maly’s has been transformed. She will be 13 in
many visitors, and her family wanted voice fills with emotion. “It was so December. She is healthy and doing well,
to make her hospital room more com- hard. Jiena struggled to go on. But the but she will need to be closely monitored
fortable, so they filled her room with wolves…they really helped push her for the rest of her life. She loves school,
everything she loved. “Jiena had a wolf through all of that.” After six months being with her friends and family, and
blanket, wolf pajamas, wolf socks,” Maly her family got the doctor’s okay, and creating beautiful artwork. Jiena’s inspi-
says. “Her whole room was decked out they started to make their plans. rational story is rewarding for all of us
in wolves.” When they arrived at the International who love and support wolves, and made
At the time, the Lee family did not Wolf Center, Jiena raced past her family possible by the help and support of an
know about the International Wolf and headed straight to the front door. entire “pack” of family, friends, doctors
Center, but Jiena’s uncle found the Center Maly said, “I think she had it in her and, of course—the wolves! n
online and contacted the office. head that it may never happen—that
“Jiena was so excited!” Maly remem- she wasn’t going to make it. She lost
bers. “She was in the midst of her trans- her brother Mason to this disease, and
plant, chemotherapy and radiation; she I think she was shocked that she was
was so sick she couldn’t eat. And Carissa actually there.”
and Chad (from the International Wolf
I n t e r n a t i o n a l Wo l f Fall 2019 19You can also read
