Wolf update

Questions regarding the Flora and Fauna on the island.

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Wolf update

Post by johnhens »

From the International Wolf Center page:
Earlier this afternoon, we received an update from Isle Royale National Park on how the wolves recently moved there are doing.
Here's what we know:
• The seven wolves moved to Isle Royale on the weekend of March 23 are all moving around and apparently doing well - each is showing large movements around the island.
• A female wolf that was moved to the island last fall appears to be traveling with 007, the first Michipicoten male that was moved in February.
• The breeding male from Michipicoten (009), moved March 1, is spending the bulk of his time on the west end of the island. Prior to the March 23 translocation, he was primarily on the east end of the island.
• The black wolf known as 016, moved from the Canadian mainland on March 23, has circumnavigated the island in his first week there.
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Re: Wolf update

Post by Midwest Ed »

Here is a link to their website - International Wolf Center.

I am wondering what these new wolves are eating. No mention yet. In following up on my reading about this I stumbled across this interesting National Geographic article about rare coastal wolves of Vancouver Island in British Columbia that do a lot of swimming and whose diet consists of 90% seafood. Who knew? :shock:
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Re: Wolf update

Post by torpified »

I was wondering why a mainland Ontario wolf had been added to the team transported a few weeks ago. It might be a clue that 016 is a black wolf. Rolf Peterson provided the on-board entertainment on the Ranger when we took it from RH to Houghton last June. One thing he said was that there was some interest in including black wolves in the reintroduction. (Maybe for genetic diversity? I don't really know what there is to being a black wolf beyond being black and a wolf.)
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Re: Wolf update

Post by treeplanter »

Midwest Ed wrote: Sat Apr 06, 2019 12:18 am......I am wondering what these new wolves are eating. No mention yet.
I read this elsewhere (NPS news release?). The newly released wolves were eating "provisioned" food (which I gather were dead moose supplied by the NPS), and moose that died of natural causes.
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Re: Wolf update

Post by Midwest Ed »

treeplanter wrote: Sun Apr 07, 2019 8:02 am
Midwest Ed wrote: Sat Apr 06, 2019 12:18 am......I am wondering what these new wolves are eating. No mention yet.
I read this elsewhere (NPS news release?). The newly released wolves were eating "provisioned" food (which I gather were dead moose supplied by the NPS), and moose that died of natural causes.
I had also read that news about the provisioned moose carcasses, but I thought that was a short term effort, just to get a good and easy meal or two after recovering from the anesthesia and transport. I had read there was some real concern regarding new packs' or individuals' ability to shift hunting skills from caribou or deer to moose. My laymen logic tells me that if a wolf is hungry enough they would adapt to what's available, although I do know the original IR wolves ate more than just moose, beaver in particular, probably squirrels and mice too. It would seem there are not enough beaver to sustain that sort of ecosystem.

What really threw me for a loop was reading about the BC wolves that have adapted to be sustained almost completely on a diet of seafood (fish and shell fish) and swam great distances.

There have been surprises (at least to me) such as new IR wolves attempting and succeeding in returning to the mainland. I'm waiting for Disney's remake of "The Incredible Journey." I expect more surprises to come along.
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Re: Wolf update

Post by treeplanter »

Midwest Ed wrote: Sun Apr 07, 2019 1:56 pm.....I had also read that news about the provisioned moose carcasses, but I thought that was a short term effort, just to get a good and easy meal or two after recovering from the anesthesia and transport. I had read there was some real concern regarding new packs' or individuals' ability to shift hunting skills from caribou or deer to moose. My laymen logic tells me that if a wolf is hungry enough they would adapt to what's available, although I do know the original IR wolves ate more than just moose, beaver in particular, probably squirrels and mice too. It would seem there are not enough beaver to sustain that sort of ecosystem......
At some point, probably has already happened, the wolves will be on their own. No more provisioned food. Beaver will be easy pickings for awhile. I seem to recall reading, that because of the lack of wolves on the Island, the beaver have no fear, venturing far way from the safety of their lodges while searching for food. But sooner or later, the wolves have to turn to moose. Maybe we'll learn something soon from those watching these radio-collared wolves. At least I hope so.
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Re: Wolf update

Post by treeplanter »

From the Isle Royale Facebook page. April 19th:

"P is for Possible Pairs?

As the resource management team has been tracking the new wolves, it's been interesting to see where they go, and with whom. We can't be certain of anything yet, but here is what we know.

The Michipicoten alpha male 009, released in February, headed to the east end of the island into the territory of the two original wolves, finding Minnesota female 001 for several days. Shortly before that time, Minnesota female 001 was running with Minnesota female 004.

Minnesota female 004 has been all over, but mostly around Siskiwit Bay where she was released. She and Ontario black male 006, released in February, bedded down together for a few nights.

Gray wolf mating season can be anywhere from January to April. Time will tell if these short meetings will bring wolf pup prints to the island trails once again."
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