Wolves are fresh off the endangered species list, and officials are wasting no time in culling their populations
Ranchers and conservationists have long been at odds over how to manage the populations of predators at the top of the food chain. Now that wolves have been recently delisted from the Federal Endangered Species Act, state governments in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming are wasting no time organizing hunts to reduce the animals’ numbers, citing increased attacks on cattle as the reason for the culls. Conservationists are planning to respond with lawsuits against the federal government to attempt to bring the wolves back on the endangered list.
At the center of the argument is whether or not the animals have recovered substantially enough to absorb a sudden decline. By delisting the wolves, the federal government has acknowledged the successful stabilization of the population, but conservationists argue the numbers have to increase by twofold before there are enough breeding pairs to insure continued genetic success. State officials plan to reduce the overall western population by up to a third, a number Earthjustice—a nonprofit environmental law firm taking up the question in the courts—says is too low, too soon.
To study wolf populations, researchers enlist an innovative new call-and-respond system
Researchers use a range of digital technologies in the field to study animal populations. GPS collars and tags track range and migration; motion-sensitive cameras snap candid photos; pre-recorded calls and songs attract individuals so the scientists can get a closer look. Now a new tool has been added to the field arsenal for University of Montana biologists studying wolves in Idaho: the Howlbox.
The Howlbox takes the concept of attracting animals with recorded calls a few steps further. Programmed to “wake” and “sleep” with the animals, it broadcasts an audible wolf call when the wolves are active and then records their replies. Later, the researchers use audio software to identify the frequencies of each wolf’s call on the recordings, allowing them to count individuals in a population.
The study comes at a critical time for the wolf populations of the West. They are scheduled to be delisted from the Federal Endangered Species Act later this month, which means funding for more involved aerial surveillance and collared tracking will be ending as well.
Via NY Times
