I was born and raised in northern Wisconsin and respect for nature and
all of its riches was something that was taught to us from a
very young age. To this day I stop
and watch with delight the
simple joys of nature. The ever changing shapes of clouds
and the subtle
light
changes as nature decides to change her mood, the straight
and strong look
of the Pine and Oak stretching to reach up to the God that
created them,
the eerie and lonely sound of the loon and the quiet sound
of a fish jumping in the lake are still things that
create a quiet and peace in my soul and reassure me that
God indeed is
here and watching over all of His creations. "Stop, look
and enjoy was the theme of the lessons,
but DON'T TOUCH!!" I think learning that my picking up
that baby animal
I just found (and they are so adorable!) could risk their very lives was
one of the hardest for me. I was raised to believe an
animal has just as
much right to his way of life as we do ours. I was shocked
to learn that
the wolf who once thrived throughout this country was now
an endangered animal
in many areas!! Once again man can not seem to
exist along WITH the other creatures that inhabit this
earth.
It's sad, but I feel in the 1990s the word "respect" and
its meaning have
been somehow lost in the shuffle of trying to get whatever
WE want out of
this world.
I know in my heart and mind that if somehow we could get back to that simple
practice of respecting the other person--or any living thing--and its
right to their lives this would be a far less violent age. I am only 46
and yet the changes I see
in this world from when I was young till now is not only huge but SCARY!
I am not going to claim to be an authority on wolves--or anything
else for that matter! As I said earlier I roamed the forests of
northern WI until I was a teen. To me wolves were just something
that existed and another that fell on my Grandpas list of "Don't worry-
they're more afraid of you than you are of them!" (I honestly found that
a little hard to believe sometimes!) The fact is that in the many years I
lived up north and the many years my family had been there before me a
"wolf spotting" was something regarded as wonderful and exciting. It was
seldom wolves were spotted--and seemed like never during the day so kids
were pretty much out of luck if hoping to spot one. As far as I remember
the only wolf we found threatening was the one stalking "Little
Red Ridinghood" I could not understand why these animals would be hunted
to extinction. I looked for a logical explanation. So far I have found
none.
I would like to share with you some of the information I did find though,
along with some pictures to show you what a beautiful creature this is. My
hope is that with knowledge may come interest- and often with enough
interest a way is found to access enough power to not only save this valuable animal from
extinction--but rebuild their population in areas in which they have been
totally eliminated.
I believe that wolves are being driven to extinction because
of a great
misconception that the wolf is a vicious blood thirsty killer who
thrives on the killing of livestock or man. The truth, from what I could
determine is that there is not one documented case
of a wolf having attacked a human being (maybe my Grandpa WAS right!)
On the flip side of the coin it is estimated that man has killed over 2
MILLION wolves since coming to this country!! Wherever
they do coexist with domestic animals, however, there are reports of
depredation (when wolves kill domestic animals.) This is rare however
because Wolves
prefer natural prey such as deer and moose. The records kept show
the primary cause of an increase in depredation will be a sudden
decrease in vulnerable wild prey. Most often this is caused by
something such as an unusually severe winter. Under normal circumstances
in a state such as Minnesota or Wisconsin one wolf will eat the average of
15-18 deer annually. The fact is that the reductions
in the deer herd increases habitat quality and rids the heard of genetically
unfit, old, or diseased animals. This results in long term maintenance of a
healthy deer herd. It must be remembered that the deer and wolf have evolved
together. The wolf has played a crucial role in creating the healthy
deer herd you see today. They are great hunters and because
they hunt in packs are capable of bringing down large animals. Wolves can
survive on 2 l/2 pounds of food
per day, but require about 5 pounds daily to reproduce successfully.
Primarily they feed on the
white-tailed deer in the Great Lakes region and they often supplement
their diet with
moose, beaver, hare and other animals. Also, wolves can live in most
areas and historically once occupied every habitat that had sufficient prey
in North America from mid-Mexico to the polar ice pack. A male wolf most generally
weighs about 130 pounds, a female usually a bit less. Their coats range in colors
including white, gray, brown and black and average life span in the wild
ranges from 9-ll years.
It was the social structure of the wolf that was my biggest surprise!!
Wolves mate for life and have a highly developed social structure. They
live in packs and show a strong bond of love for eachother. They are fiercely
loyal to the pack and to eachother. So much so that although non-natives who
came to this continent viewed them as "savage beasts" the native people called
him "brother". The Nez Perce modeled their lives and war after the Timber
wolf for they respected the bravery, loyalty, love and devotion to
their pack (which for humans would be comparable to a family). Within
each pack there is an Alpha Male and an Alpha female. They are the leaders of the pack and are
usually the only couple to reproduce. If prey is abundant, however,
at times there will be more than the one litter born into the pack.
Second in rank is the
Beta and lowest the Omega. Wolves of the same sex will fight each other
for a higher rank. This is most often the Beta challenging the Alpha. I
was amazed to find that the care of the pups is a shared responsibility of not only the parents but the
pack itself. For the first week the mother wolf will stay in the den with her pups
to give them constant care while other members of the pack provide her
with food. As the pups age and are able to eat they will bring food back for them
as well. This will go on for about 2 months. The baby pups are never left alone.
Each pack has a "babysitter" that will stay behind and watch over the pups
leaving the rest of the pack to hunt and provide. These subordinate wolves
are often young animals but occasionally are former Alphas who have lost
their position but chose to remain with the pack. It is felt that the care
and nurturing of these "helpers" may allow more of the pups to survive.
I found a wonderful page all about the pups at at Running Deers Wolf Den. The
address is http://www.runningdeer.com. This site is loaded with information
and I found it fascinating. The pictures following the growth of the pups alone are
well worth your trip!! I have visited so many wonderful sights and will list
more below.
Howling is what the wolf is famous for. They are not, as most believe,
simply howling at the moon however. Howling is just one of the many
ways that wolves "speak" to eachother. Wolves are highly intelligent
creatures
and have many forms of communications but the most used would be
by "postures." For example the posture of a wolf will tell you it's social
rank is, whether it's inclined to submit or be aggressive and even certain
feelings. Barking is sometimes used, but it is used mainly in agression.
The tail height is the main social standing marker. A tail lifted higher than
the rest in both male and female tells you it is a dominant or Alpha member
of the pack. Common members will have a relaxed tail. A tail between the legs
is, obviously, a sign of submission, and is also used to show social rank.
However be aware that a raised wagging tail is a sign of aggression. It will
often be accompanied by bared teeth and/or fur raised on it's neck and
back. It is said by those who truly know wolves that when you look
into their eyes you'll experience an eerie sensation that you can see them
thinking, calculating and planning. It can be a bit unnerving, I imagine,
if you're
one who believes the wolf to be a rather "dumb" creature and yourself to be so
far superior. I honestly think that maybe if we would just take a few lessons
from this glorious animal this world would be a far better place. Children would be
protected at all costs-never abused. Family's would stand shoulder to shoulder and
help eachother through the bad times--not shred into tiny fragments of
family and tear at eachother and attention would be paid to
communication
of feelings reducing the need of actual attacks to resolve an issue.
If only we could learn to respect nature and all creation
and learn from them-not figure out ways to destroy them- there would be so
much more peace to be found for all who walk this great earth!
In conclusion: I have tried desperately to be fair to all sides I found
entwined in the plight of the wolf. Even after reading documented cases
of not only the death but the torture of these animals I tried to keep
an open mind. As I said in the beginning I had not even known there WAS
a danger to the wolves exixtance
prior to this. I started my research with the court cases past
and pending for "removal" of wolves from National Parks where one would think
any species should be safe, and worked from there. In the
end I was left shocked and horrified at what I found. It is sad
but I am left with the conclusion that not only does the wolf NOT
deserve this type of treatment--but I'm thinking we have
labeled the wrong species as the "savage blood thirsty beast."
Harsh words-yes, but heartfelt. I am listing below some of the many
resouces I used
to get my information along with sites that I found truly inspiring as
well as informative. Please feel free to check the sites and the facts and
I would be interested in your conclusions. I can honestly say that this
is one time I would LOVE to be proven wrong!!
Father
I've walked this earth for many years.
I read of torture and cry tears.
Why must the human walk alone?
How big has his selfimage grown?
He destroys Your species one by one
seems he won't stop till all are done!
Our brother wolf is threatened now
and many miss his mighty howl!
Is there no way to stop this "man"
Can he destroy the Fathers plan?
Please help us now the wolf to savefor it was You that life him gave.
URGENT PLEA! HELP THE WOLVES!
