Monitoring

All Yellowstone wolf packs remain localized within their normal home ranges and 11 groups of pups are being raised. A female #16 was observed limping badly and is believed to have been struck by a vehicle in the Park. The male #34 was observed with her 5 pups and the 5 pups from female #17, which died after being impaled by a stick. He has been joined by female #33 which should help the pups to survive. The Sawtooth yearlings haven't been located lately. Of the 10 Sawtooth yearlings that were released from NW Montana into the Park this spring, 2 were killed by ranchers as they attacked sheep, 1 was hit and killed by a car, one accidentally pulled a M-44 device in SW Montana, and one was just (see control) relocated after it killed sheep north of Pinedale, WY.

Wolves in central Idaho have not been located since early August because funding for radio-telemetry flights has been expended. At last count there were still 6 potential breeding pairs in central Idaho.

Monitoring and trapping in NW Montana continues. On August 16, a yearling male from the Sawtooth pack was captured and radio-collared.

Livestock Depredations & Management (control)

Control efforts on the Boulder wolf pack near Helena, Montana (NW Montana) are on hold. Two pups are still with the adult female in the wild and 2 pups are being held in a pen in central Idaho. There have been no more depredations.

A wolf-like canid was reportedly killing sheep on public land north ofPinedale, WY. Because no known wolves were in the area it was initially suspected that it may be another wolf hybrid or illegally released captive wolf. ADC investigated and confirmed that 38 lambs and 3 ewes had been killed. ADC wolf specialist Niemeyer set 5 traps on August 15 and on the 16th caught a radio-collared Sawtooth yearling female. She was released north of Yellowstone Lake by ADC and the Park Service that afternoon. If she depredates on livestock again she will be killed.

Research

Nothing new to report.

Information, Education & Law Enforcement

Ed Bangs returned from Mongolia on August 14. He assisted with a Partners in Biodiversity Program, a cooperative effort between the Peace Corps. and the Department of Interior. He helped teach a course on wolf ecology, research, and conservation to Mongolian biologists and various international biologists who were working in Mongolia. The course was held at the Hustain Nuruu Natural Reserve where Prezwalski's horse has been reintroduced to the wild by the Dutch Government. To date 5 horses have died from wolf attacks (out of about 60 that are in the wild). Central Mongolia looks a lot like central Montana. The country has about 36 million livestock and 2 million people, many of whom are nomadic herders. Livestock depredations by wolves is preceived as a major problem.

Fontaine and John Oakleaf helped teach a course at the Glacier Institute the week of the 11th. Bangs gave a presentation to a Defenders of Wildlife group in Yellowstone NP on the 22nd.

Job Announcement *

GS-11 Mexican wolf management specialist, New Mexico. Closes Sept 2, 1997. Contact ADC Denver, Co or Dave Parsons 505-248-6656.

The weekly wolf report can now be viewed at the Service's Region 6 web site at www.r6.fws.gov/wolf.

Contact: Ed Bangs (406)449-5225 or Internet - ED_BANGS@FWS.GOV

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