Howl of the last wolf…

In an era of species extinctions, working to save the wild wolf is vital! Big bad wolf stories going back to earliest recorded histories of folk tales could influence public reactions regarding the near extinction and attempted recovery efforts for the American grey wolf as well as inflame emotions of fear and hatred in the current battle to protect the species. While no one will deny the differences between our domesticated pets and their wild cousins, the genetic differences between wolf and dog should shed light on reality, allowing us to let go of our old fears.

From Howling for Wolves

 

Dog from the Wolf

“The domestic dog is an extremely close relative of the gray wolf, differing from it by at most 0.2% of mtDNA sequence….

In comparison, the gray wolf differs from its closest wild relative, the coyote, by about 4% of mitochondrial DNA sequence.”

Robert K. Wayne, Ph.D.

“Molecular evolution of the dog family”
Theoretical and Applied Genetics

“The dog is a striking example of variation under domestication, yet the evolutionary processes underlying the genesis of this diversity are poorly understood. To understand the geographic and evolutionary context for phenotypic diversification better, we analysed more than 48,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) typed in a panel of 912 dogs from 85 breeds as well as an extensive sample of 225 grey wolves (the ancestor of the domestic dog) from 11 globally distributed populations.” ¹⁾1 Leonard, J. A., Wayne, R. K., Wheeler,
J., Valadez, R., & al, e. (2002).
Ancient DNA evidence for old world
origin of new world dogs. Science,
298(5598), 1613-6. Retrieved from
https://search-proquest-
com.ezproxy2.apus.edu/docview/21360632
6?accountid=8289

Learn more about Dr. Wayne and his research here and here.

How old is man’s relationship with wolves?

March 7, 2013

Past Horizons, adventures in archaeology reported studies of DNA from the skull, mandibles, and teeth of a 33,000 year old domesticated dog, found in 2011 in a cave in the Siberian mountains. Though there is no doubt that the ancestor of today’s dog is the grey wolf, this research tells us the domestication of the wolf began earlier than commonly believed and quite logically and reasonably, from multiple events and in multiple regions.

 

This fossil is more closely related to modern dogs and prehistoric canids found on the American continents than it is to wolves and supports a 2009 research paper describing a 36,000 year old dog skull found in Belgium. The distance of thousands of kilometers between different finds confirms that dog domestication was mufti-regional. The closest modern dog to this archeological find is the Siberian Samoyed.

 

 

Teachings of the wolf

“We understand wolves to be educators, teaching us about hunting and working together in extended family units,” said James Zorn, executive administrator for the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, which represents 11 Ojibwe tribes in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. The commission opposes wolf hunts. “Wolves exemplify perseverance, guardianship, intelligence and wisdom,” Zorn said. …read more

 

Rather than allowing special interests and bad politics to decide the fate of American wild wolves, listen to the scientists who specialize in this specific area of ecology. Learn exactly how a healthy wolf population makes it possible for other necessary wild creatures to thrive and how wolves actually help maintain a healthy population of prey animals for hunters. It’s past time to rely on science and facts rather than be manipulated by those few voices speaking with their own ecologically damaging agenda.

 

Saving America’s wolves benefits America!

 

 

Wolf Patrol

Working to document and prevent wolf hunts in the face of the removal of federal protection for these important and vital predators in North America.  Connect on Facebook.

 

Check out this ROUGH CUT of a short doc on Wolf Patrol’s summer in WI! 9/9/2015 marks the beginning of bear hounding season in WI and wolves will be impacted by the number of dogs on the ground.

 

Follow the film on FB at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Operation-Wolf-Patrol-Documentary-Film/1145990045427904

 

And check out the website here: ​www.wolfpatrolfilm.com

 

 

California Wolf Center

Find on Facebook

The California Wolf Center is a one-of-a-kind, conservation, education, and research center dedicated to wolf recovery in the wild. Our physical location is 50 miles east of San Diego, near the town of Julian, California. We are a state-wide organization with  staff and volunteers also working in Northern California striving to pave the way for the return of wolves in our state. Founded in 1977 to educate the public about wildlife and ecology, the Center is currently home to several packs of gray wolves, some of which play an important role in our educational programs. These wolves serve as ambassadors representing wolves in the wild. We also host highly endangered Mexican gray wolves, now being reintroduced into the southwestern United States. A visit to the Center provides a unique experience involving one of the most charismatic and controversial species in North American history.

 

Don’t Fund the Wolf Massacre States

Join this Facebook community.
Mission: The best way to voice our anger and hurt over the current massacre of wolves, is to not allow our money to get to these people’s pockets.

 

It may seem a daunting task to avoid buying products of states whose wolf policies are detrimental. Idaho potatoes? – you’ll find it easy to choose potatoes from other sources. Wisconsin jerky and cheeses? – very easy to choose alternative producers. Your local grocer’s produce and meat managers are happy to help you make better choices. Tourist dollars? – very easy to manage. Choose one of the many wonders in our nation to visit. Not one thin dime need be spent supporting states that work so hard to destroy what should be conserved for the good of all.

 

 Howling for Wolves

Mission: A non-profit public benefit corporation which exists to rescue and nurture wolves and wolf-hybrids that have been abused or abandoned, and to educate the public of the myths and poor treatment of these beautiful animals.

 

About the founder: “People wake up one day and think how cool it would be to have a wolf. In a very short amount of time, however, they are kicking themselves for getting one for a variety of reasons. The most common reasons are: They find out they’re illegal to own where they live; they are expecting the wolf to act like a dog.

 

Wolves do not act like dogs. If you’re going horseback riding, don’t use a zebra!

 

When people fail, they blame the wolf. So what do the people do at that point, drive it into the hills of California and turn it loose. Why? Because the people think this is the best course of action when, in actuality, it is nothing short of a death sentence for a wolf that has been born and raised in captivity.

 

Once the animal comes into our care, we nurse it back to health and socialize it. The rescues become very people-friendly, and it’s at that point, NCWR then adopts them out to private homes that can care for them. Releasing them back into the wild is not a viable option; they must live in captivity or die.

 

This why I say, ‘The more I know man, the better I like wolves.’”

 

 

 

Protecting Yellowstone Wolves on Facebook

Mission: Dedicated to raising awareness about the threats affecting the wolf population throughout the United States. In addition to losing their habitat, the most detrimental threats come from government bills that allow hunting, trapping, and snaring an indiscriminate number of wolves, even though the latter two methods are considered inhumane. Illegal hunting and trapping have also caused a high mortality in wolves. Hatred-driven wolf groups have been known to use brutal killing methods such as deliberate gut-shot and poisoning.

 

The masses need to know and our government needs to listen so we can proactively change current legislations and offer protection to this species. Coexisting through adaption is the key to success in this matter. Join us as an organizer or as a participant and howl with us.

 

 

 

The National Wolfwatcher Coalition

The National Wolfwatcher Coalition is a 501c3 nonprofit, all volunteer organization. We ‘educate, advocate, and participate’ for the long term recovery and the preservation of wolves based on the best available science and the principles of democracy. We educate the public, advocate for science-based decision making at every level of government and participate in activities that promote citizens’ awareness and participation in the decision-making process about wolves. We are a moderate organization that seeks to (1) find common ground among all stakeholders and (2) encourage solutions to roadblocks that challenge wolf recovery.

We:

• teach the public about the important role that wolves play in maintaining healthy ecosystems via programs and presentations, materials, social media campaigns, eco-tourism opportunities, etc.
• inform the public about the social and political challenges to wolf recovery
• support measures that promote peaceful coexistence with wolves on the landscape
• educate the public about the issues in all regions and ways it can effectively participate in the democratic process to promote science-based decision-making about wolves.
• nurture the NWC Junior Advisory and NWC University Outreach Advisory to encourage children and young adults to take an active role in conservation advocacy.
• partner with the Wolf Conservation Center to design, promote and implement wolf education curricula that addresses the common core standards for elementary, intermediate and middle schools across the nation;
• participate in conferences, seminars, and consultation with other professionals in the field of wolf biology, research, conservation, peaceful coexistence programs and environmental law.

 

 

The Wolf Army

 

Join the Wolf Army Mission: The Wolf Army aims to save the Wolf from further persecution and extinction by establishing a vast network of people, pooling skills, knowledge, contacts, economic and political power to reach our aim.

The Wolf Army mål och syfte är att rädda vargarna från fortsatt förföljelse och utrotning genom att grunda ett nätverk av människor, stärka oppositionen, kunskapen, kontakterna och de ekonomiska och politiska krafterna för att nå vårt mål.

Interact with The Wolf Army on Facebook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wolf Education and Rescue Center (WERC)

Follow WERC on Facebook

 

Wolf Education & Research Center in Winchester, Idaho, historical home of the Sawtooth Pack and present home of the Owyhee Pack.

 

Mission: Our mission is to provide advocacy for wild wolf recovery and cultivate a greater collaboration between human industries and lifestyles that intersect with recovery efforts.

 

Our vision is a growing community of wilderness advocates who work toward the benefit of all protected and endangered species.Our mission is to provide advocacy for wild wolf recovery and cultivate a greater collaboration between human industries and lifestyles that intersect with recovery efforts.

 

WERC accomplishes this mission through on and off-site education programs, public orientation to endangered species, building awareness of benefits and threats to apex predators, producing informative and engaging publications & media campaigns, and visitor and internet visitor based community building – all in a fashion that outlives the lives of the wolves that made this effort possible.WERC is presently a staff of three people who procure funds and resources, teach, host guests, and most importantly, care for six living wolves on our 300 acre wilderness sanctuary.

 

The wolves consist of the remaining Sawtooth Pack: Wolves of the Nez Perce member, Piyip, who is 15 at the time this is written, and the Owyhee Pack. The Owyhees were rescued from a facility in 2008 and provided restorative care while finding new residency at what we call Wolf Camp. Our purpose is to present consistent information and news that engages readers to think critically and respectfully about the issues related the implications of wolf recovery. WERC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that exists solely on the private donations from individuals, companies, and non-governmental sources.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lobos of the Southwest

Find on Facebook

The Mexican gray wolf, or “lobo”, roamed throughout southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico, and western Texas through the early 1900s, and south into northern Mexico until the 1980s. Today, around 75 wolves live in the wild.

 

Mexicanwolves.org is a collaborative effort of local, regional, and national conservation, scientific and sportsmen’s organizations using the Internet to help save the endangered Mexican gray wolf.

 

 

 

 

Mission: Wolf

Mission: Wolf on Facebook

Through volunteer internships and national traveling education programs, we inspire individuals to become stewards of the earth. While providing a home for rescued wolves and horses, we create opportunities for growth through community service and personal interactions with animals. We value education, sustainability, and improving relationships between people, animals, and the world around them.

 

EDUCATION VS. EXTINCTION

Education is our purpose. We currently care for up to 40 captive-born wolves and wolf-dog crosses and several horses. The refuge supports a primitive visitor center that provides visitors and volunteers with hands-on working experience. Socialized ambassador wolves travel nationally, offering public education while stimulating people to care about and respect nature.

 

Our first priority is the needs of the animals–food, water, living space, companionship, privacy. Fence building is a year round project. The second task is to provide education. Intimate wolf programs are offered at the refuge to visitors. In the fall and spring, the traveling ambassador wolves reach thousands of people, from coast to coast. Our message stimulates and encourages people to connect with wildlife. When people look into the wild, yellow eyes of a live wolf, respect is gained, along with an inspiration to get involved in the struggle to sustain and enhance wild ecosystems.

 

 

 

 

Wolf Central

Wolf Central on Facebook

Wolf Central was originally created to be “the place” to find information on the Mission: Wolf Ambassador Wolf Program for central CT. That was in 2008.

 

Year after year, the program has grown. It has gotten so much larger, so much further reaching, so much anticipated by so many! So after much thought and research, we decided to become an official non profit organization. This allows us to be instrumental in bringing other wildlife conservation/education programs to Connecticut, to even further teach the public that our wildlife is important to all of us.

 

“The best all of you could do for us, and for the wolves, is to help spread the word!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wild Earth Guardians

Values statement: We believe in nature’s right to exist and thrive. We act on this belief with compassion and courage by preserving the wild world. We defend wildness, empower life, end injustice, and stand for healthy, sustainable ecosystems and human communities. We embrace conflict, and cooperate without compromising our values. We execute the campaigns strategically and decisively, we mobilize, inform and inspire others, and we work to heal wounded landscapes. Our enduring and fierce advocacy leads us to success. We are A FORCE FOR NATURE.

 

Mission: We work to protect and restore wildlife, wild places, and wild rivers in the American West.

 

Vision: WildEarth Guardians envisions a world where wildlife and wild places are respected and valued and our world is sustainable for all beings.

 

 

 

 

UPDATE:

Thanks to many voices speaking quickly and in unison, Animal Planet has pulled this damaging, misinformed segment! Good job! Take a moment for a victory howl!

 

Why do I leave this petition after its success? To show you that the Voices of the People can prompt change for the better!