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The Annual Cycle of Aggression between Wolf Packs PA G E 4 Sharing the Landscape: Wolves and Humans in Abruzzo PA G E 8 Wolf and Dog Cognition: The Human Factor PA G E 1 1
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VOLUME 28, NO. 2 THE QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER SUMMER 2018
Adobe Stock / ??????????
Felicity Robinson
4 8 11
Kira Cassidy
The Annual Cycle of Aggression Sharing the Landscape: Wolves Wolf and Dog Cognition:
between Wolf Packs and Humans in Abruzzo The Human Factor
There’s a stark contrast between Dr. Paolo Ciucci of the University of Scientists can learn much from
the gentle respect wolves show their Rome travelled with students to study the domestic dog’s closest genetic
pack mates and the aggressive way wolves in Italy’s Abruzzo National relatives; by studying wolves and
they react to other packs. The author Park, where Dr. David Mech began dogs, they discover some effects of
describes the effects of seasonal field work in the 1970s. His research domestication on “man’s best friend.”
hormones on pack aggression— into the wolves’ progress revealed This Austrian study looked at the
including a few surprises about gender several packs thriving and adapting to way human-socialized animals of
differences, pack size, coat colors a dramatically changed habitat there. both species use information to solve
and the “old wolf” advantage. problems, and the results are not
B y Pa o l o C i u c c i a n d
what you might expect.
By Kira A. Cassidy Sara Mancinelli
by Debra Mitts-Smith
On the Cover Departments
Photo: Zita Quentin / zitasphotos.com 3 From the
Executive Director
Did you know? 18 Tracking the Pack
One easy way for you to help us conserve 22 Wild Kids
natural resources is to make sure
we have your email address.
24 Wolves of the World
Simply email your address to 28 Personal Encounter
membership@wolf.org. 30 A Look Beyond
Mike Possis
32 Book Review
Tax Law Changes Bring Some New Opportunities
Dear International Wolf Center Donors:
This year’s new tax law and its potential impact on my favorite charity, The
Publications Director
Chad Richardson International Wolf Center, concerns me. With the changes come some chal-
lenges— but possibly, many opportunities. To find out, I enrolled in a course
Graphics Coordinator
Carissa L. Winter called, “New Tax Law— what it means for your nonprofit and your donors”.
Consulting Editor What is clear is that most donors, like me, fund their passion based on
Kristine Chapin
how to help wolves, not for the tax incentives. As a co-founder and head
Technical Editor of the Center’s Development Committee, I strive to learn the best methods to
Dr. L. David Mech
reach those who want to align the fate of wolves and the Center far into the
Graphic Designer future. I tried to align my biology background with the accountants teaching
Tricia Austin
the course, and I found parallel goals with long-term, planned giving that will
International Wolf (1089-683X) is published sustain our wolves and wildlands.
quarterly and copyrighted, 2018, by the
International Wolf Center, 7100 Northland Circle N,
Suite 205, Minneapolis, MN 55428, USA. However, it would be naïve for The International Wolf Center to ignore the
email: internationalwolf@wolf.org. consequences of the tax law changes, especially in high-tax states. I decided
All rights reserved.
to take advantage of some new strategies to ensure The International Wolf
Publications agreement no. 1536338 Center will be the premier wolf-education facility for my grandkids and beyond.
Membership in the International Wolf Center includes
a subscription to International Wolf magazine, free While each donor is unique, there are a variety of giving options that are
admission to the Center and discounts on programs beneficial to donors. Should I donate my minimum required distribution from
and merchandise.
my IRA account and reduce my adjusted gross income? Does bunching gifts
Membership Levels: (in U.S. dollars)
• Wolf Pup $25 (students • Wolf Associate $125 in a single tax year or a donor-advised fund make sense? Should I donate
age 21 and under) • Wolf Tracker $250 highly appreciated stock and not pay capital gains tax? Should I designate
• Lone Wolf $45 • Wolf Sponsor $500
(individual) • Alpha Wolf $1,000
the International Wolf Center as a beneficiary of my retirement account or
• Wolf Pack $75 leave a bequest in my will? These options can be overwhelming to contem-
(family at same address) plate, but try to keep the end goal in mind. Support what you love and keep
Outside the United States, please add an additional wolves running in our woods and fields for future generations.
$15 to Wolf Pup, Lone Wolf, Wolf Pack and Wolf
Associate memberships.
The Center is training our team to help donors understand these new strate-
Please mail membership payment to: International
gies and can assist with some of these critical decisions.
Wolf Center Administrative Office, Attn: Membership,
7100 Northland Circle N, Suite 205, Minneapolis,
MN 55428, USA. Contact the membership department With low interest rates, high stock prices and other good economic news, this
with questions: 763-560-7374 ext. 230 or could be the perfect time to shape the future for wolves. The need for science-
membership@wolf.org.
based information is on the increase while habitat for wolves and wildlands
International Wolf is a forum for airing perspectives, are being compromised.
science-based information and personal experiences
about wolves. Articles and materials printed in
International Wolf do not necessarily reflect the I co-founded the Center more than 30 years ago and I have witnessed many
viewpoint of the International Wolf Center or its economic peaks and valleys, but the fortune of wolves lies in the benevolence
board of directors.
of humans, and I plan to do my part. I hope you will join me.
International Wolf welcomes submissions of personal
adventures with wolves and wolf photographs. Prior Regards,
to submission of other types of manuscripts, address
queries to Chad Richardson, publications director.
PHOTOS: Unless otherwise noted, or obvious from the
caption or article text, photos are of captive wolves. Nancy Gibson
International Wolf is printed entirely with soy ink. Paper
use is offset with a donation from the Center through
Print Releaf. We encourage you to recycle this magazine.
2 Summer 2018 w w w. w o l f . o r g
From the Executive Director
INTERNATIONAL
WOLF CENTER
Celebrating the Success—and Expansion—of BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Wolves at Our Door Nancy jo Tubbs
Chair
I
t’s been nearly four years since the International Wolf Center introduced Wolves at Our Dr. L. David Mech
Vice Chair
Door to provide wolf education programs to school children in Minnesota. In that time, an
impressive 1,729 in-classroom presentations have been made to 42,746 school children. Debbie Hinchcliffe
To understand the program’s impact on kids, our staff took before-and-after surveys Secretary
to gauge how much children knew about wolves and what they learned in the classes. We Paul B. Anderson
also measured the attitudes that young people had about wolves before and after the program, Treasurer
and the results have been nothing short of impressive.
Cree Bradley
Take, for example, what we learned about students in grades 2-4 in
Cindy Carvelli-Yu
Minnesota: The number of students who think that most wolves are
not dangerous to humans increased by 27 percent from pre-program to Rick Duncan
post-program. Fitz Fitzgerald
To put that into context, consider this: We presented programs to almost Nancy Gibson
15,000 students in the past year alone. That means more than 4,000 Judy Hunter
students changed their minds about wolves being a danger to humans in Connie LaFond
just the past year! Deborah Wold Lewis
A lot has changed while we’ve been offering this classroom experience. Aaron Morris
Rob Schultz Wolves have been returned to a protected status in many parts of the U.S., Mike Phillips
wolf hunting in the Great Lakes region has subsequently been halted, and Debbie Reynolds
wolves have been slowly expanding into areas they have not inhabited for decades, such as Jerry Sanders
Oregon and California. Paul Schurke
The success we’ve had with Wolves At Our Door in Minnesota has laid the groundwork for Keira Thrasher
expanding it to western states, where wolf education is desperately needed amidst the advances
wolves are making in returning to their historic range. We believe that education is critical in EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
teaching the next generation of citizens how to co-exist with wolves.
Rob Schultz
In February, we hired long-time Wisconsin wildlife biologist Dick Thiel to lead the charge
on this important effort. He is in the process of identifying prominent environmental educa-
tion organizations in eight western states, with the goal of establishing partnership agreements MISSION
to deliver the Wolves at Our Door program to schools in their service areas. In September, The International Wolf Center
representatives from our partner organizations will be trained to administer the program, with advances the survival of wolf
populations by teaching about
classroom presentations expected to start by late fall.
wolves, their relationship to
Expanding the Wolves at Our Door program is wildlands and the human role
a critical part of solidifying public support for the in their future.
return of wolves to their historic habitat. By spread-
ing our world-class wolf education westward, we’re Educational services and
ensuring students there grow up knowing facts about informational resources
wolves—not myths. We’re certain that informing a are available at:
new generation will help wolf populations advance, 1396 Highway 169
which is the very core of our mission. n Ely, MN 55731-8129, USA
800-ELY-WOLF
Sincerely, 218-365-4695
email address:
internationalwolf@wolf.org
www.wolf.org
Rob Schultz
Executive Director Dick Thiel
I n t e r n a t i o n a l Wo l f Summer 2018 3
The Annual
Cycle of Aggression
between Wolf
Te x t a n d p h o t o s b y
KIRA A. CASSIDY
I t’s mid-February and minus 20 degrees in
northern Yellowstone National Park. Most of
the park’s wildlife is in energy-saving mode;
elk and bison browse for hours and then find
sunny places to rest, their chewing jaws the
only moving parts of their bodies, eyes mostly
closed against the frigid wind. Waterfowl dip
in and out of a river that
measures below freezing,
yet is still liquid because of
the friction caused by the
rushing downstream flow.
In stark contrast,
wolves are at their most
4 Summer 2018 w w w. w o l f . o r g
Packs
active. It’s breeding season, and many mates and the often intense aggression
wolves over the age of one-and-a-half they show toward non-related wolves
are feeling that ancient, evolutionary in neighboring packs. Especially in a
urge to find a partner and pass on their protected area like Yellowstone, where
genes. This impulse comes with risks, human-caused mortality is low, the most
as it results in more encounters between dangerous thing a wolf can do is run into
strangers—and encounters between another pack. These conflicts account for
strange wolves can be deadly. more than half the mortalities of collared
For 10 years I’ve collected data on wolves (71 of 137 deaths), and nearly
Yellowstone wolves—everything from two-thirds of all natural mortalities (71
prey selection to pack composition to of 109 deaths).
behavioral interactions—adding to a
wealth of information amassed by biolo-
gists since the first wolves were reintro- Like being thrown into the
duced to the park in 1995 and 1996. climax of an action movie, we
The aspect of wolf life most fascinating begin with the chaotic, mid-
to me is the contrast between the gentle, winter push-and-pull as wolves
affectionate way wolves treat their pack alternate searching for an unre-
lated wolf as a potential mate
with fighting unrelated wolves
in rival packs. Hormones are at
an annual peak, intensifying the
contrast between potential-mate
wooing behavior and competitive
confrontations.
When a wolf pack encounters a lone
wolf (that has usually left its own natal
pack to find a breeding partner), males
are most aggressive overall; females are
mostly aggressive toward intruding
females. Being a lone wolf in another
pack’s territory is a dangerous situation,
but wolves must weigh the rewards of
finding a mate and producing offspring
against the risk of injury or death. Many
of them take the gamble—and some-
times it works.
I n t e r n a t i o n a l Wo l f Summer 2018 5
By mid-March the sun reaches higher Pups that live through their first few
in the sky. Even though it is still solidly months and transition from milk to solid
winter in the high valleys of Yellowstone, foods go exploring farther and farther
the lowest elevations are losing snow. from the den area. For most pups, every
Bits of new grass attract ungulates, and adult wolf they know is a doting fam-
some of the larger, cold-resilient raptors ily member, carrying or regurgitating
begin choosing nesting sites. In the lull food, sometimes even bringing a bone
after the wolf breeding season, aggres- or antler as a toy. Not until fall arrives
sive encounters between packs drop off and pups start to follow adults to nearby
sharply. This dip coincides with a decrease kills or carcasses do they increase their
in howling between packs—probably an chances of encountering the scent of
attempt by heavily pregnant females to other wolves—strange wolves.
keep secret the locations of their dens, Wolf pups grow quickly, and by six
and eventually, the pack’s newborn pups. months of age they travel with adults
Most wolf pups are born in mid-April, full-time. October snows start with a
when low gullies turn bright green and few inches of heavy, wet flakes that melt
bison calves dot the landscape—one within days below the highest eleva-
orange speck following each shaggy, tions. Later the snow turns powdery
brown mother. At this point, the preg- and cold as the snowline creeps down
nant wolf’s choice of a den site can make from 10,000-foot peaks, over the hills
the difference between successfully rais- and then into valleys closer to 7,000 feet.
ing pups and losing an entire year of Elk follow ancient migration routes to
reproductive effort. wintering grounds where the forage is
In Yellowstone we have recorded easiest to reach.
pack attacks on other packs’ den sites After six months of relative isola-
seven times in 23 years. Often these tion from other wolves, packs are now
encounters occur when one pack has mobile—a united force with their new-
pups earlier than neighboring packs, est, mostly-grown pack members. If two
tying them to one place and putting packs run into each other now, when
them at a disadvantage if the rival pack
happens to travel nearby. Sometimes
the denning pack is able to fight off the
attackers, but in each of five cases, one
adult wolf was killed while protecting
the den. In four cases, an entire litter
of pups was killed. Even though these
fights are rare, the vulnerability of pups
and the increased risks adults will take
to protect them leads to fights that are
more likely to be deadly than in any
other season.
The old wolves are past
their physical prime, but their
experience and years of accumulated
knowledge can help guide their
pack through the chaos of a
fight’s first few moments.
6 Summer 2018 w w w. w o l f . o r g
Smaller numbers of wolves can
sometimes defeat larger packs if they
have more adult males (the biggest,
strongest wolves in the pack) or even
an old wolf—a male or female over the
age of six. The old wolves are past their
physical prime, but their experience
and years of accumulated knowledge
can help guide their pack through the
chaos of a fight’s first few moments. If
their pack can stick together and keep
their more numerous opponents broken
up into small groups, they often win
the day. The “old wolf” is so valuable,
in fact, it appears more beneficial for a
pack of five encountering another pack
of five to have one older member than
it would be to have a sixth wolf.
On the winter solstice in Yellowstone
the sun hangs low, grazing mountain
ridges and peaks before falling below
a jagged horizon. Ravens find their
nightly roosts in a blue hour that, after
solstice, will inch backward each day for
the next half-year. The wolf pups, now
lanky and sporting thick winter coats,
Being a lone wolf in another pack’s follow the adults in single file through
the snow—at least until they can goad
territory is a dangerous situation, but some of the adults to play. It isn’t often,
wolves must weigh the rewards of but when they can convince their mother
to join the games, they seem giddy as
finding a mate and producing offspring she whirls and spins and weaves around
against the risk of injury or death. them, their clumsy moves no match for
her physical prowess.
I can’t help but compare this affec-
there is territory to protect and resources mones like cortisol. Group dynamics tionate family scene to the intensely
to claim, the fights can be deadly. In shape behavior, too. During their first aggressive fights I’ve observed, in which
Yellowstone we’ve recorded nearly 300 of encounter with a rival pack the pups rival wolves are killed without hesita-
these conflicts and measured each wolf’s are often scared and confused, but they tion. That dichotomy is what draws me
behavior to see if different sexes or ages quickly pick up the mindset of the adults. to this beautiful aspect of wolf behavior
have different responsibilities; or at least Statistics prove that their behavior is and ecology—two behaviors that have
different levels of risk they are willing influenced by confidence in numbers— evolved together. Raise the family. Protect
to take during a fight. Male wolves are the more their own pack outnumbers the family. Repeat for millennia.n
more likely than females to chase a rival the opponents’, the more likely they are
pack; that aggression increases with age, to participate in chasing rivals. Kira Cassidy is a research associate
probably because males need to defeat Battle outcomes are heavily reliant on with the Yellowstone Wolf Project, where
opponents in order to remove the breed- relative pack-size differences. The larger she started as a volunteer in 2007 and
ing competition. Females still participate pack is normally at an advantage, and today specializes in wolf aggression
and behavior. She completed her master’s
in fights, but not as often; their behavior this is where the pups really shine. As
degree at the University of Minnesota,
appears to be more about self-preserva- they lend their voices to big group-howls studying wolf territoriality under
tion into the next breeding season. that tell other packs to keep out, they Dr. L. David Mech.
In a surprising discovery, gray-colored appear from a distance to be the same
wolves are more aggressive than black size as the adults, and their behavioral
wolves, probably because the gene that default—even when frightened—is to
codes for coat color also affects hor- stick close to other pack members.
I n t e r n a t i o n a l Wo l f Summer 2018 7
Sharing
the Landscape:
PNALM archive
Wolves and Den site of female wolf
F23 in the very core of the
Humans in
National Park of Abruzzo,
Lazio and Molise. The den
was excavated beneath
Abruzzo
large boulders in a dense,
mature beech forest
at high altitudes, not
easily accessible by
humans.
P. Ciucci
By
PA O L O C I U C C I
A
s we crawled into the den of GPS-collared wolf F23 after the pack had left
and SARA the site, we knew we were entering a secret world of ancient traditions. Pair-
MANCINELLI bonded in fall 2009, wolves F23 and M26 carved out their territory in
Abruzzo National Park in Italy, and whelped their first litter in spring 2010. Through
thousands of generations, these wolves had learned, at a genetic level, how to survive
in human-modified landscapes. Atavistic wisdom urged F23 to place her natal den
in a remote area of the park, so we hiked for three hours through steep, mountain-
ous terrain to find it—and only then with the aid of the GPS collar.
Located in central Italy two hours radio collars on wolves in Italy. Their
from Rome, Abruzzo National Park data were critical to shape and launch
encompasses 540 square miles includ- the first educational campaigns and
ing the external buffer area. Abruzzo conservation strategies nationwide, and
was established in 1923 to save the last largely facilitated the legal protection of
remaining Apennine brown bears and Italian wolves since 1976. That is why
chamois; it is the oldest national park we were thrilled when, more than 30
in Italy, and its importance to wolf con- years later, a private U.S. donor granted
servation cannot be overstated. funds to conduct wolf and bear research
This is where the fieldwork project in the same place, offering us a truly
started in the early 1970s, with young unique opportunity.
researchers Dave Mech, Luigi Boitani Ecological and cultural conditions
and Eric Zimen putting the first-ever had changed dramatically beginning in
8 Summer 2018 w w w. w o l f . o r gthe earlier research—most notably the adapt to close quarters Permanent occurence
presence of diverse, wild ungulates that with humans; we hoped Sporadic occurrence
today live in the park. Since reintroduc- to learn something from
Recent sightings
tion conducted in the 1970s, numerous the wolves living in this
wild boar, red deer and roe deer now historical, protected area.
thrive and constitute the main prey of We were also inter-
wolves. Through a natural, ongoing ested in understanding
recolonization process, wolf populations the dynamics of wolf-
long protected throughout Italy’s central human coexistence in
and southern Apennines have facilitated the area. Different from
the gradual but consistent recovery of reserves in less densely
wolves on a national scale. populated countries and
On the verge of extinction in the more pristine ecosys-
early1970s (about 100 wolves survived tems, Italy’s national
across remote mountain ranges in central parks aim to maintain
and southern Italy), Italian wolves cur- sustainable land-use
rently number more than 1,000 across practices and economic
the whole Apennines, plus about 100 development of local
in rapid expansion through the Alpine populations—not easy
range. From the Apennines, wolves have where dense popula-
recolonized the Alps since 1992—and tions of large carnivores
then France, Switzerland and Germany, live. How can live-
where they had been extirpated more stock production survive amid wolves
than 100 years ago. Over decades, wolves and bears?
in Abruzzo were—and still are—an In addition to large-scale surveys we
important source of dispersers that facili- conducted in and around the park by
tated species recovery. snow tracking and (in summer) wolf
Unfortunately, following the early howling, we GPS-collared 11 wolves in
1970s, no additional research had been six packs over 5 years, and studied their
conducted locally, despite the importance spatial patterns, activity, habitat selection,
L. Grottoli).
of acquiring new information on this criti- feeding habits, relationships with prey
cal wolf population. How would wolves and impact on livestock. We found a
live under ecological conditions so dif- wolf population at relatively high density A happy field crew that in October 2009 GPS-
collared Wolf F25, an adult, non-reproducing
ferent from the 1970s? And how would (5-6 wolves per 38 square miles) and a female of the Villa pack in the Abruzzo, Lazio
their movements, activity and behavior saturated wolf-territorial mosaic extend- and Molise National Park.
be affected by a significant human pres- ing well beyond the park, with practically
ence? Wolves in a country with an aver- no interstices among territories. segregate from humans, and that local
age of 523 people per square mile must Based on 7 to 8 packs each year, environmental conditions allow land and
minimum pack size ranged from 2 to resource sharing between wolves and
9 in winter. All monitored packs suc- humans. Wolves avoided roads during
cessfully reproduced annually, reflecting summer, but during winter they clus-
good ecological conditions and an ade- tered near main roads, often attracted
quate food supply. Each pack’s territory by large prey killed by vehicles.
was about 38 square miles, but smaller Segregation from humans is most
in summer and during daylight, when apparent when wolves chose their natal
human presence was highest. In this dens and rendezvous sites— a critical
season the areas most frequently used period when pups and the entire pack
by wolves were at higher elevations, are most vulnerable to disturbance by
heavily forested and devoid of roads and humans. Wolves locate these sites far
settlements. Those with more roads and from settlements and linear features such
settlements had territories on average 35 as roads and trails, in densely forested
percent larger compared to more remote areas at high elevations surrounded by
L. Boitani
packs, probably compensating for more rough terrain.
Pioneer wolf researchers Erik Zimen (standing)
fragmented, poorer habitat. Food habits of Abruzzo National Park
and L. D. Mech initiated live-trapping wolves These patterns reveal that wolves wolves varied by pack, but to our sur-
for research and conservation purposes in the co-adapt to human presence through a prise, wild prey rarely outnumbered live-
Abruzzo National Park in 1973. habitat-mediated tendency to spatially stock. Wild boar and, to a lesser extent,
I n t e r n a t i o n a l Wo l f Summer 2018 9roe and red deer were primary prey in 2 In the early 1970s, traditional husbandry
of 4 intensively studied packs. Especially in Abruzzo involved a small flock of sheep
(200-300 maximum) continuously surveilled
in one pack, juvenile cattle and horses by a shepherd accompanied by trained livestock-
(free-ranging most of the year) strongly guarding dogs.
prevailed over wild prey. This inter-pack
variation illustrates the opportunistic Paradoxically, in our study area, most
behavior of wolves even at the local level, people share positive attitudes toward
as well as how poor livestock manage- wolves, and poachers are few. To address
ment may negatively affect wolf ecology emerging challenges, the park has inten-
and the potential role of wolves within sified anti-poaching efforts, incentivized
the ecosystem. For example, imagine effective husbandry and prevention mea-
L. Boitani
how any trophic cascade wolves initiate sures, and limited compensation to farms
in Yellowstone might be diminished by adopting measures such as guard dogs
availability of cattle and horses. This may seem contrary to tradi- and electric fences. Much remains to be
Although wolves easily prey on un- tional coexistence between wolves and done, but monitoring the situation will
attended calves and foals, they rarely shepherds in Abruzzo. However, old help us understand how better manage-
attacked adult cattle and horses; in the husbandry traditions are increasingly ment can reduce conflict and enhance
park area, discarded cattle and horse being replaced. Today, fewer shepherds the ecological and cultural value of Italian
carcasses were most often scavenged by with guard dogs attend sheep flocks in wolves. To this aim, we hope that research
wolves. Despite a large, diverse commu- mountain pastures. Instead, large herds on large carnivores will improve their
nity of wild prey, the substantial avail- of free ranging, uncontrolled cattle and conservation and ecological value to
ability of cattle and horses significantly horses are becoming common, and pre- people and ecosystems. n
altered wolves’ ecological role and exac- venting the impact of predators under
erbated conflict with livestock owners. these conditions is difficult, requiring Paolo Ciucci is a research scientist at the
The park area encompasses 870 farms coordination among authorities and Dept. of Biology and Biotechnologies of
with cattle, horses, sheep and goats; on agencies not accustomed to cooperating. the University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy,
Conflict with humans in the park where he also teaches zoology and wildlife
average, each wolf territory hosted about
ecology. He earned a master’s in Wildlife
67 active farms, similar to Italy’s other does not seem to be sufficiently miti-
Ecology and Conservation at the
national parks and reserves. However, gated, which can result in retaliatory University of Minnesota in 1990 with
with wolves and other predators around, killing of wolves. We retrieved 37 dead Dr. L. David Mech, and a Ph.D. in Animal
livestock owners and administrators wolves (a minimum), most acciden- Ecology at the University of Rome in
should better protect livestock—at least tally or illegally killed by humans. At 1994. He has conducted research on
within protected areas. During our study, least 14 were poisoned. Including the large carnivores in Italy and abroad
about 34 percent of livestock farms in the undocumented mortality, this may con- (U.S., Central African Republic, Jordan,
park area suffered losses to wolves each servatively exceed 15 to 20 percent of Israel), and authored several academic
year, and on average, 390 depredation the park’s wolf population. This mortal- and popular articles on ecology and
events were verified. Consequently, the ity could be easily tolerated by a wolf conservation of wolves and brown bears.
park paid an average of 130,496 euros population with good productivity, such
Sara Mancinelli just finished her Ph.D.
annually to compensate for losses to as ours. However, this situation seems
in Animal Ecology at the University of
wolves. These costs increased from 2005 egregious inside a national park. Law Rome La Sapienza, studying wolves in the
(91,082 €) to 2008 (194,385 €). We enforcement is an issue; especially for central Apennines of Italy. Her interest
did not detect any corresponding wolf wolf packs whose territories extend and expertise focuses on spatial and
population increase, so the increased beyond the park, it is difficult to pre- movement ecology of large mammals
costs may reflect persistently poor hus- vent or prosecute poaching. in human-altered landscapes.
bandry and protection.
Adobe Stock / Valerio Mei
10 Summer 2018 w w w. w o l f . o r gWolf and Dog
Cognition:
The Human Factor
By DEBRA MITTS-SMITH
C omparisons between wolves and
dogs, ranging from physical char-
acteristics to behavioral traits,
are common in popular books about
each species. In books about wolves, the
comparisons help render a wild, unfamil-
iar animal more understandable—and
perhaps more sympathetic. In books
about dogs, the comparison to wolves
raises the stature of the dog, lending it
a kind of wild nobility while helping to
explain some of a dog’s behaviors. And
similarities are, of course, understand-
able, since the wolf is the dog’s closest
genetic relative.
But popular works are not the only
place in which differences between
wolves and dogs are considered.
Evolutionary biologists, anthropologists,
Cynthia de Jong
veterinary scientists and cognitive scien-
tists are just some of the researchers who Asali pack: P
ack dogs Asali, Banzai and
study these canines to better understand Bora together with trainer Christina.
the effects of domestication on dogs. One
recent study is “The effects of domes-
tication and ontogeny on cognition in the wolves and dogs are socialized with ferent kinds of experiences from living
dogs and wolves” by Michelle Lampe, humans. Human handlers bottle-feed the with human families might have an effect
Juliane Brauer, Julianne Kaminski and pups, and continue providing regular on the dogs’ social learning and prob-
Zsofia Viranyi, an international group of physical contact and social interaction lem-solving abilities when compared to
researchers from a range of disciplines. throughout their adulthood. the dogs living in packs. As Dr. Viranyi
The investigators conducted their The near-identical living conditions explained, a range of test subjects, from
research at the Wolf Science Center and upbringing help ensure that wolves human-socialized wolves to pack dogs
(WSC) in Austria (see Summer 2014 and dogs have similar backgrounds, and pet dogs, helped researchers “tease
International Wolf magazine). The WSC which in turn helps researchers distin- apart the influence of domestication from
offers researchers the unique opportu- guish between traits rooted in evolution- raising and living conditions.”
nity to study wolves and dogs raised in ary changes and traits due to differences The test consisted of six trials. The
near-identical ways; each species lives in life experience. Researchers included participants included 12 of WSC wolves,
in packs (of their own kind) in a large, pet dogs in trials, as well. Pet dogs vol- 14 WSC pack dogs and 14 volunteered
fenced enclosure. In addition to being unteered by their human families were pet dogs from human families. Each
socialized with others of their own kind, included to help researchers learn if dif- animal was tested individually.
I n t e r n a t i o n a l Wo l f Summer 2018 11For each trial, canine participants ing eye contact, nodding, looking at and the cue, the animal indicated its choice
were placed behind a fence facing the pointing at the food-filled container. by touching one of two containers.
human test administrator who sat behind The wolf or dog indicated its choice The trials included tests to compare
a table pushed against the fence. Two by touching one of the two containers. the wolves’ and dogs’ physical cogni-
containers were placed on the table. One The researchers also tested each tion—their ability to identify the food-
contained food; one was empty. canine’s ability to understand and follow filled container based on causal cues
Four of the trials tested the canines’ behavioral cues. In one trial, the human (sounds and shape). For these trials
social cognition (their ability to pay researcher glanced at the empty container the human researcher hid under the
attention to and use information pro- and then “desperately” reached out for table, invisible to the canine partici-
vided by the researcher to choose the the one containing the food. In another, pants. With the aid of a fishing line
container with food). the researcher picked up and sniffed the attached to each of the two containers,
Two trials tested the canines’ ability empty container, replaced it, picked up the researcher, from under the table,
to correctly interpret human-provided the full one, sniffed it “excitedly” and shook each of the containers. The one
communicative cues. Cues included tried to open it before placing it back containing food made noise while the
attracting the animal’s attention by mak- on the table. After the human provided empty one remained silent, leaving the
Michelle Lampe
Caroline Ritter
Kelly Godfrey
Lampe performs the look cue (communicative cue)
for pet dog Tuukka.
Above: Researcher Michelle
Lampe performs the reach animals to investigate and select
cue (behavioral cue) in the one that had food in it. The
front of wolf Chitto. second test required the dogs
and wolves to choose between
differently shaped containers;
the empty one was flat while
the one containing food pro-
truded outward.
Trial results held a few sur-
prises. Prior to the tests, Lampe
and her team had expected
Felicity Robinson
communicative cues (nodding,
looking, pointing) to benefit
pet dogs more than pack dogs
While Lampe is hiding underneath the testing table, or wolves. They reasoned that
she shakes a food-filled and an empty container to since pet dogs live in human families,
give wolf Chitto an audible clue (causal cue) about they would be more used to, and there-
the location of the hidden food. fore more responsive to, human com-
munication in a variety of situations.
12 Summer 2018 w w w. w o l f . o r gThe results showed something different. ences—noise equals food and bulging Lampe concludes by proposing the
The WSC human-socialized wolves and shape equals food—to find the food. “social canine, causal wolf” hypothesis,
pack dogs were just as capable as the pet Their failure to solve the task revealed which argues that “socialized canines
dogs in following such human prompts several things: are sensitive to human communica-
as nodding, looking or pointing at the • Dogs, whether human-socialized but tive cues, and that the skills underlying
food-filled container. Further, although living in packs or living with humans this comprehension likely facilitated
other studies have demonstrated that as pets, benefit from cues provided domestication.”
adult wolves can follow a human “point” by humans. In addition, domestication may have
to find food, this is the first study to show • Even though the WSC pack dogs had diminished the dog’s ability to under-
that they can also follow a human’s gaze similar life experiences and upbring- stand and solve cause-and-effect type
to find food. ing as the WSC wolves, the dogs failed problems. n
Since earlier studies showed that to complete the task of finding the
wolves were more attentive than dogs food without human help. Additional Reading and Resources
to the behavior of their pack mates and • Although pet dogs and pack dogs had For more information on Austria’s Wolf
human partners, the researchers antici- different life experiences, they both Science Center, see the 2014 summer
fared poorly, implying that domestica- issue of International Wolf.
tion may impair a dog’s physical cogni-
tion or ability to make causal inferences. Lampe, Michelle, J. Brauer, J. Kaminski
and Zsofia Viranyi. “The effects of
The Wolf So what are we to make of these
results? According to Lampe and her domestication and ontogeny in dogs
and wolves.” Scientific Reports 7:11690
Science Center researchers, the wolves’ ability to make (15 September 2017): 1-6.
use of information provided by humans
offers researchers confirms “…that wolves can adapt their “Wolves understand cause and effect
the unique social cognitive abilities to their social
environment, in this case to humans
better than dogs.” Biology/Plants &
Animals (September 15, 2017). https://
opportunity to and human communication.” phys.org/news/2017-09-wolves-effect-
Since all human-socialized canines dogs.html
study wolves (dogs and wolves) were able to follow the Debra Mitts-Smith is a School of
and dogs raised researcher’s prompts, tests suggest that
domestication has had no effect on how
Information Sciences faculty member at
the University of Illinois. Her research
in near-identical dogs use human-provided cues. Instead, and teaching focus is on visual culture,
as Dr. Brauer noted, “The wolves’ ability children’s literature, history of the book
ways. to understand human communicative and storytelling. Her book, Picturing the
cues after being socialized with humans Wolf in Children’s Literature, was
may have made it possible to become published by Routledge in 2010.
domesticated.”
pated that the wolves would be better However, the success of the wolves in
at observing and acting upon such ges- solving the cause-and-effect tasks, and
tures as reaching for, sniffing or trying the failure of the dogs to do so, suggests
to open the correct container. However, that domestication may have diminished
neither wolves nor dogs did well in these the dog’s problem solving skills. The
tests. Lampe, the principle investigator, authors state that more research is nec-
suggests that perhaps the cues were too essary to determine whether the wolves
human-oriented or human-specific for succeeded in finding the food because
the animal participants to take note of their wild heritage has rendered them
or understand. more curious and persistent in search-
In the cause-and-effect trials where ing for food, or whether domestication
the human researcher was not visible, may have left the dogs more dependent
the wolves outshone both the pet and on humans for help in obtaining food.
pack dogs in identifying and selecting
the food-filled container by either noise
or shape. Further, there was no differ-
ence between the performance of pet Lampe interacts with pack
and pack dogs. Lacking human help, dog Bora during
Cynthia de Jong
both failed to make the necessary infer- a pack visit.
I n t e r n a t i o n a l Wo l f Summer 2018 13at the
International
Wolf Center
Moose is a word from the Algonquin that means “twig eater.” These big ungulates are
Moose photos: Heidi Pinkerton
one of Minnesota’s iconic species, and their declining population has put them in the news,
increasing public awareness of their plight. The complexities of moose biology and the
moose-wolf relationship have made it a challenging not only to determine the cause of
this decline, but also to find a solution.
Moose are the largest wild animals in Minnesota and the focus of the International Wolf
Center’s 2018 temporary exhibit. The display will provide visitors an opportunity to stand
next to an impressive, full-grown moose mount—nearly 6 feet high at the shoulder
and close to 10 feet long—the sheer mass of which makes sense of the fact that
these animals graze on vegetation for nearly eight hours every day.
“Moose of the Bold North” will provide visitors with insight into research
occurring on Michigan’s Isle Royale and in Minnesota.
As prey and predators in coexistence, moose and wolves on Isle Royale in Lake
Superior are the subjects of one of the most fascinating, longest-running research
projects in the world. Moose arrived on Isle Royale in the early 1900s; wolves
arrived almost a half-century later in 1949. For nearly 60 years, researchers have
studied their population fluctuations and other aspects of their coexistence, seeking
a better understanding of the ecology of predation. The new exhibit highlights this
research and hints at what might happen next in the ongoing Isle Royale story.
Research on likely causes of moose population decline in Minnesota began in 2012, with data collection focused on
environmental factors, calf mortality and winter survival. The results have surprised some people, as brain worms, ticks
and predation have each played a role in moose population fluctuations.
Between now and May 2019, plan to visit the International Wolf Center to experience the “Moose of the Bold North”
exhibit—and the stunning photography by Heidi Pinkerton that accompanies it. You’ll come to understand a long-running
drama that continues as biologists search for answers to long-standing questions.
14 Summer 2018 w w w. w o l f . o r gILY PR O G RA MS SPECIA LTY
2018 DA PROG RAMS
Additional
Fees Required
Wolves in Wildlands Wolf Enrichment Wolf Explorers
What role do wolves play in their Looking for the wolves? Wolves typically try Learn about wolves through interactive games
ecosystem? How do they interact and impact to conserve energy and avoid the heat of the and fun activities. This hands-on program is
the other organisms where they live? Join us day. During this special program, our wolf designed for kids 4-12 years old. Parents must
for a look at these relationships and discover care staff will encourage our ambassador remain on-site and with their child.
the importance of wildlands. wolves to actively investigate their enclosure.
Howling Safari
Ambassadors to the Wild The Canidae Family Did you hear that?! Learn about wolf
Want to know more about our Exhibit Pack? It’s more than their looks that make vocalizations before practicing your own
Join this program to learn about each of wolves, coyotes, foxes and dogs different. howl and venturing into the nearby forest to
our ambassador wolves, their histories and Behaviors, diets and even vocalizations try howling to a local wolf pack. Don’t be
behaviors. Then step into the world of wolf vary between members of the dog family. surprised if they howl back!
biology and gain a better understanding Come find out what makes each one unique! August: Wednesday and Friday at 8:00 pm;
of wolf behavior and pack dynamics! September and October: Saturday at 8:30 pm
Moose!
Arctic Wolves How can a moose tower in size and What’s for Dinner?
As arctic wolves, Axel and Grayson are still be so difficult to see in the wild? Learn Learn about the fascinating feeding behavior
unique. Find out what characteristics arctic about this iconic Minnesota animal during of wolves as you watch our Exhibit Pack dine,
wolves have that help them survive in such this program about moose biology, current cache, hide or lay on a variety of prey.
a harsh climate and learn how they differ research and Minnesota’s changing Saturdays at 7:00 pm
from other wolves in North America. population.
2 018 Visit
ADMISSION FEES
Members. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FREE!
Adults. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 13.00
Seniors (60+). . . . . . . . . . . $ 11.00
Children* (4 – 12). . . . . . . . $ 7.00
to learn more!
Children* (3 and under) . . . . . Free
* Children must be accompanied
by a paid adult.
Hours
May 14 – June 10
Sunday – Friday . . . . . . . . . 10 - 5
Saturday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 - 5
June 11 – August 12
Open daily . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 - 6
August 13 – October 15
Don Gossett
Sunday – Friday . . . . . . . . . 10 - 5
Saturday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 - 5
I n t e r n a t i o n a l Wo l f Summer 2018 15Wolf
Gifts & Gear Plush
Clockwise from front center
4” Baby Wolf #1350 • $5.00
8” Gray Wolf #7268 • $ 7.95
from the 12” Gray Wolf #7273 • $15.95
11” Timber Wolf #7267 • $9.95
Wolf Den Store
Together, We Are Family
Summer 2018 #1439 • $20.00
The Last Stand
of the Pack
#2071 • $17.50
Wild Wolves
TO ORDER: We Have Known
ONLINE shop.wolf.org #6668 • $18.95
PH O N E 1.800.ELY.WOLF
Your purchases
help support
the mission of
the International Howling
Wolf Center. Wolf
Suncatcher
Glass
Soap Dish
Northern Lights
Fused Glass
#7415 • $7.95 #7414 • $14.95 # 7408 • $24.95
16 Summer 2018 w w w. w o l f . o r gLong Sleeve
Raglan T-Shirt
#2252 • $13.95
Wolf Map T-Shirt
Bay #2073p • $19.95
Khaki #3080p • $19.95
Logo T-Shirt
Overdyed Blue, Black, Heather Heliconia
#269P • $10.00
Necktie
Wolf Face #1846 • $15.00
Native Wolf #1847 • $15.00
Full Zip Raglan Hoodie
Burgundy #2155p • $33.95
Denim #2146p • $33.95
Children’s Cartoon
Wolf Sweatshirt
Maroon #2207p • $28.95
Pink #2211p • $28.95
Pearle Jewelry
Embroidered
Moose Pin Wolf Necklace Wolf Pin Logo Cap
#1580 • $13.95 #3099 • $14.95 #1579 • $13.95 #211P • $19.95
I n t e r n a t i o n a l Wo l f Summer 2018 17Tracking the Pack
Coming of Age — A Story of Transition last, Aidan was wary about leaving the
secure confines of the lower enclosure.
At the time of this publication, Aidan
By Lori Schmidt is still a member of the Exhibit Pack,
but the likelihood of him regaining his
D uring the winter of 2017-18,
arctic pups Grayson and Axel,
International Wolf Center ambas-
sador wolves, were in transition from
yearlings to adults. The pair engaged in
In the Center’s Exhibit Pack, staff
members documented an increase in
frequency and intensity of rank-order
behaviors as Axel and Grayson transi-
tioned from pups to yearlings to full-
leadership role is uncertain. Staff mem-
bers continue to observe interactions by
day and scan the nighttime surveillance
video to document Aiden’s likely transi-
tion from Exhibit Pack leader to Retired
wrestling, scruff bites and tail-pulling fledged adults. One common behavior Pack member.
behaviors as young as three weeks of age. during this transition was Axel’s tendency Wolf Center exhibit packs have
A casual observer might think the pups to pull the tails of fellow pack members. played out this scenario in the past
were displaying play behavior, but from Staff members have fond memories of with other social groups responding to
an ethologist who studies wolf behavior, three-week-old Axel pulling Grayson’s the same tenacity from yearlings as they
you’ll hear a different interpretation. tail— but not-so-fond memories of one- come of age. Stay tuned to the Center’s
The difference starts with the meaning and-a-half-year-old Axel pulling the tail YouTube channel and Wolf Logs posted
of “play”, which the Oxford Dictionary of our dominant pack member, Aidan. at www.wolf.org to keep current on the
defines as “…activity for enjoyment and Axel began testing Aidan for rank situation. n
recreation rather than a serious or prac- in September 2017. Initially,
tical purpose.” And though the pups’ the juvenile behavior merely
wrestling, scruff bites and tail pulls look warranted a threat display
like fun, the same behaviors can be effec- from the pack leader. It didn’t
tive strategies applied to the practical take long, however, before
purpose of catching prey or establish- the pack leader’s confidence
ing rank order within a wolf pack. In began to wane. Once the pack
fact, establishment of rank order was the saw that Aidan’s leadership
Heidi Pinkerton
topic of many International Wolf Center status was diminishing, Axel
YouTube videos last winter. steadily gained support from
the rest of the pack until, at
Don Gossett
18 Summer 2018 w w w. w o l f . o r gINTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER
Member Profile
Loup, Lupo, Lobo, Ōkami—Wolf the decline of wolves and changes in
ecosystems, has resonated with Japanese
audiences.
by Madison McHugh Isabelle loves wolves for “their beauty,
strength and resilience,” and just like
F rom Paris to Tokyo, from the
Rocky Mountains to the Kremlin,
Isabelle Dee knows how to travel
the world—and everywhere she goes, her
excitement for wolves travels with her.
Isabelle traveled to the western United
States with a Japanese film crew in 2000
to document the effects of the reintroduc-
tion of wolves to Yellowstone National
Park. The same crew later traveled with
the International Wolf Center, she has
devoted a lot of time to teaching the
world about wolves.
International members like Isabelle
remind us that wolves have friends all
Born in France, Isabelle grew up her to Mongolia in order to record the over the world! n
in the French countryside, where she lives of a female wolf and her
learned to love animals. Even as an pups in the wild. They also inter-
11-year-old, she had a wide variety of viewed wolf biologist and famed
interests—a fact reflected clearly in her conservationist Tungalagtuya
answer to the classic question, “What Khuukhenduu there.
do you want to be when you grow up?” Isabelle now lives in Japan,
Her reply at that time was, “A fashion where wolves were eradicated
model or an undersea explorer.” more than 100 years ago, but dis-
Isabelle never outgrew her desire cussions on reintroduction con-
for adventure. To prepare, she studied tinue. While she believes there
linguistics and philosophy at Sorbonne would be many obstacles to rein-
University in Paris. Her mastery of five troduction in Japan, she explains
languages allowed her to travel com- that the story of Yellowstone, with
fortably around the world, interact with its strong correlation between of
various cultures and finally, to live in the Isabelle Dee with
United States and in Japan. Dr. David Mech
When she moved to the United States
in the late 1980s, her fascination for
wolves ignited into a passion. She learned
about the cultural significance of the wolf
from the Nez Perce tribe during a trip
to Winchester, Idaho. During this visit,
she was mesmerized by the green-golden
eyes of one member of the Sawtooth
pack, and that’s the moment she marks
as the beginning of her “wolf journey.”
Isabelle connected with the
International Wolf Center in the 1990s
when she learned that two wolves from
Italy had journeyed through the Alps
and into France, and she wanted to stay
Photos courtesy of Isabelle Dee
informed on how wolves were faring
around the world.
Isabelle Dee
I n t e r n a t i o n a l Wo l f Summer 2018 19INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER
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