At last count, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks estimated the state’s wolf population at 1,087 animals in 181 packs in the western third of the state.
The idea that wolf packs are led by a merciless dictator, or alpha wolf, comes from old studies of captive wolves. In the wild, wolf packs are simply families
As a biology undergraduate, Talia Speaker spent a grueling summer hiking around the mountains near Santa Cruz, California, interning with a team that monitored puma behavior. In one hand she carried a clunky, outdated VHF tracker, trying to get close enough to download data from the cats’ radio collars. In her back pocket was a […]
When a wolf is harvested, another wolf probably wonât join the pack because of its social structure, researchers say.
Scientists working in central Idaho and southwest Alberta, Canada, found immigration does not offset harvest mortality, and that pack density declined after the governments began harvest programs.
Their paper appears in Zoological Society of London journal Animal Conservation.
âOur results indicate immigration did not compensate for harvest mortality,â the researchers found. âWe hypothesize the social structure of wolf groups may limit the potentially compensatory response of immigration in some populations.â
Central Idaho study areas saw wolf density decline, lead researcher Sarah Bassing said. Density declined even more in Alberta.
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Rain and snow showers this morning turning to rain in the afternoon. High 41F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%..
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Rain showers this evening transitioning to snow showers overnight. Low 34F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precip 60%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. Updated: March 24, 2021 @ 7:06 am