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Wolf Captured For Relocation To Isle Royale National Park Dies

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Published Date

September 28, 2018
This male wolf was transported to Isle Royale National Park on Tuesday/USFWS

This male wolf was successfully transported to Isle Royale National Park this week. A female captured Thursday died in captivity/USFWS, Courtney Celley

A female wolf captured with intent to be released at Isle Royale National Park died before it could be set free. Officials didn't identify the cause of death, but said they were altering field procedures for handling wolves captured for the park's wolf recovery program.

In a brief release Friday evening, park staff said the animal was captured on Thursday, given a quick exam in the field by wildlife biologists, and "deemed fit for transportation." While the wolf was sedated and taken to a holding facility for a more detailed exam, her condition deteriorated and she died. The wolf was transported to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Lab for necropsy and diagnostic evaluation Friday.

"Per the implementation plan, the team and partners immediately reviewed protocols. Adjustments were made to the protocols including the length of time a captured wolf is kept in the field prior to transport, and the sedation procedures used to lower stress during transportation," the release said.

Isle Royale officials could not immediately be reached Friday evening to say how long the wolf was sedated and kept in the field.

On Tuesday, four wolves were captured from different pack territories on the Grand Portage Indian Reservation in northeastern Minnesota. Two of the wolves were deemed too young to be part of the recovery program and set free, while two others -- a 4-year-old female and 5-year-old male -- were successfully released on the island in northern Lake Superior.

Under a plan adopted earlier this year, up to 30 wolves are to be set free at Isle Royale over the next three years under a plan the National Park Service has settled on in a bid to bring genetic diversity back to the park's few remaining wolves. This fall they hope to move six wolves to the island.

Chronic inbreeding has impacted the health of the island's wolf population. There was hope that "ice bridges" that formed between the Lake Superior island and the Canadian mainland during the winter of 2013-14 would enable wolves to arrive from Canada with new genes. But no new wolves reached the island, while one female left and was killed by a gunshot wound in February 2014 near Grand Portage National Monument.

Isle Royale wolves have been in decline for more than a decade. In recent years, park managers have discussed island and wolf management with wildlife managers and geneticists from across the United States and Canada, and have received input during public meetings and from Native American tribes of the area. Those discussions examined the question of whether wolves should be physically transported to Isle Royale, in large part due to concerns that a loss of the predators would lead to a boom in the moose population that likely would over-browse island vegetation.

Late this spring biologists said just two aging wolves remained at Isle Royale, while the park's moose population had swelled to nearly 1,500. Balsam fir forests on Isle Royale are vanishing in large part due to heavy browsing by moose, according to this year's ecological study of the two species at Isle Royale. Without intervention, the biologists who wrote the study -- Rolf O. Peterson, John A. Vucetich, and Sarah R. Hoy -- predicted the park's wolves would vanish and the island ecosystem will suffer.

 

 

Comments

I am saddened to hear that this female wolf died during the relocation attempt, but I think it's important that the plan is continued to helpnthe doomed Isle Royale wolf population. 


Between Rolf Peterson and David Mech, you ought to be able to do this. They are the ones that could do it best.


It is tragic to lose a wolf for the purpose of relocation.  I am nonetheless pleased that protocols are being reviewed and relocating wolves to Isle Royale is still in the plan.  I am very happy to hear that two wolves have already been relocated. I truly hope this project is successful.


I am so sorry that the attempt of releasIngrid the female wolf failed,however Isle Royale National Park still needs the wolves please do not give up on the plan to bring wolf back to Isle Royals,just do an investigation on the cause of her death, so you do not make the same mistake.We learned by our mistakes.I am so sorry for your loss of the wolf,her life mattered. RIP wolf.


"Rolf O. Peterson, John A. Vucetich, and Sarah R. Hoy -- predicted the park's wolves would vanish and the island ecosystem will suffer.  "  In what way?  These same biologist sat back and let the population of moose sour in the 1990's to the point the population of moose (with a hard winter) starved and DIED!  That's right,  the population was 2400 moose and ONLY 400 survived the bad winter!  Look it up!   Todays population is only around 1700!     Who is causing the "suffering"!   A hunt in the 1990 was faught by these type of people!     I officially name this wolf "exploit"    MAN has been part of the ecosystems of North America for at least 12000 years!  Most certainly, to be "natural" back in the 1990's their would have been a hunt .... natives would often move to their food choices.     


One of the programs the park service puts on for visitors of Isle Royale is a talk on unique species.  This is the fact that "island effect" is in full force on the island and creates slightly different species.   This "survival of the fittest" island effect on the island is what has created a huge swath of unique species around the world.   The island of Australia is on the far end of the spectrum BUT small island like Isle Royal do most certainly contribute to those unique species.   The fact that leaving moose, balsam and wolves alone would most certainly create moose that survive on balsam and unique balsam trees that survive over browsing is most certain.   It is disgusting that these so called "scientist" care more about "wolves" then they do scientific discovery and study of the island effect.  PULL the wolf study from Mich Tech and give it to someone and a college that is not so greedy!   


I hope you checked to see that she wasn't raising young before being transported.


I don't know if the island would suffer without wolves, but Rolf Petersen and John Vucetich would. 

Some park management were in favor of extirpating Michigan Tech research biologists from the island in order to save it. Unfortunately those managers are no longer there. 


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