| |
Gray Wolf - Canis lupis
Photo by Gary Kramer, USFWS
|
FACT
SHEET
Wolves in Washington
September
2008
The gray wolf
(Canis
lupus) is listed and protected as endangered
under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and by the state
of Washington under state law (RCW
77.15.120).
Wolves were formerly
common throughout most of the state, but declined rapidly because
of trapping, poisoning, and hunting as
ranching and farming by European-American settlers expanded between
1850 and 1900. By the 1930’s, wolves were no longer considered
a breeding species in the state. Infrequent reports of animals
continued in the following decades, suggesting that individuals
continued to disperse into Washington from neighboring states and
British Columbia.
Reliable reports of
wolves have increased since 2005, mostly single animals in Pend
Oreille and Stevens counties in the northeast,
Okanogan County in north-central, and the Blue Mountains in the
southeast. A pack with pups was discovered in July 2008 in western
Okanogan and northern Chelan counties and represents the first
fully documented breeding by wolves in the state since the 1930’s.
There are no federal or state plans to reintroduce wolves into
Washington. With the success of recent federal wolf-recovery efforts
in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, it is likely that wolves will increasingly
disperse into eastern Washington. State and federal wildlife authorities
are monitoring the activity of resident wolves to learn more about
their use of habitat and to reduce potential conflicts.
Wolves are shy by nature
and avoid contact with humans. As with other wildlife, wolves
should never be fed or approached to avoid
habituation to people. Campsites and other areas of human occupation
should be kept free of accessible garbage or food. In the very
rare chance of a close encounter with a wolf, people should take
the same steps as with cougars and bears to avoid problems – stand
tall, act aggressively, raise your voice or shout, don’t
run, and slowly back away while facing the animal.
Wolves usually consider domestic dogs (Canis
lupus familiaris)
as territorial threats and may attack and kill them. Responsible
dog owners need to keep pets safe when recreating or living in
wild country. Dogs should be kept on a leash or kept close by when
walking or hiking in areas with wolves.
Although wild wolves primarily feed on elk, deer, and moose, they
will occasionally prey on domestic livestock. Livestock producers
can prevent or reduce the chance of such attacks in several ways,
including removal of sick, injured, or dead livestock from grazing
areas, use of herders and guard dogs, keeping livestock in pens
or corrals at night, and delay of livestock turnout on grazing
areas with wolves until after calving.
Because wolves are listed as an endangered species, it is illegal
to kill, harm or harass them. Wolf sightings and suspected wolf
depredation on domestic animals should be reported to federal or
state authorities who will investigate incidents and take appropriate
action to resolve problems.
If a livestock depredation by wolves is confirmed, the livestock
owner is eligible to receive compensation for the animal(s) lost
from funding currently provided by the private non-profit group,
Defenders of Wildlife.
To report sightings of a wolf or wolf tracks, or suspected wolf
depredation on livestock, contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(USFWS), the agency responsible for wolf management in Washington.
In eastern Washington, the USFWS office can be reached at 509-891-6839;
in western Washington, call 360-753-9440. Wolf sightings can also
be recorded on the USFWS toll-free hotline, 1-888-584-9038.
Wolf natural
history
Gray wolves are about twice the size of commonly seen coyotes,
measuring up to six feet in length, including tail, around 30 inches
in height at the shoulder, and weighing 70 to 110 pounds. Males
are somewhat larger than females. Compared to coyotes, wolves have
larger, more blocky muzzles, and shorter, more rounded ears. Compared
to wolves, coyotes usually have shorter, bushier tails. Wolves
vary in color, including black, white and shades of gray and brown.
Wolf tracks are about five inches long by four inches wide, with
four symmetrical toes and evident claws, and a single lobe on the
front of the foot pad. Coyote tracks are similar but about half
that size; even the largest dog breeds usually have smaller tracks.
The paths of wolves usually show a direct, energy-efficient or
purposeful route, whereas those of dogs often meander.
Wolves are highly social and live in packs. The pack usually consists
of a dominant breeding pair (an alpha male and alpha female), their
offspring from the previous year, and new pups. Other breeding-age
adults may be present. The pack hunts, feeds, travels, and rests
together. It also shares pup-rearing responsibilities, including
hunting and tending pups. Pack size is highly variable, but commonly
averages 4 -11 animals.
Wolves normally do not breed until two or three years of age.
Mating usually occurs in mid- to late February, followed by the
birth of pups two months later. Litters average four to six pups.
Most packs produce only one litter annually. Dens are often in
underground burrows, but can occur in abandoned beaver lodges,
hollow trees, and shallow rock caves. As pups grow older, they
are taken from the den to a protected location known as a rendezvous
site. One or more rendezvous sites are used over the summer until
the pups are large enough to travel and hunt with the pack.
With their large body size, powerful jaws, large teeth, speed,
endurance, and habit of hunting in packs, wolves are keenly adapted
to hunt large prey. In the central and northern Rocky Mountains
of the United States and Canada, elk are often the favored prey,
but deer and moose are more important in some areas. Despite their
hunting abilities, the majority of wolf hunts are unsuccessful.
Wolves tend to prey mainly on younger, older, and debilitated animals.
This can leave prey herds with more animals of prime age and in
good health, thereby enhancing productivity.
Wolves will also scavenge carrion and eat smaller animals. They
also kill and feed on domestic livestock, especially cattle and
sheep.
A pack establishes a territory and defends it against neighboring
packs. Territory boundaries and sizes can vary from year to year,
but usually average about 140-400 square miles. Territory size
is often smaller when prey is common and other packs live nearby.
Howling is a common behavior in wolves that helps pack members
communicate and stay together. Howls can be heard from as far as
five miles away. The howls of wolves tend to be long and drawn
out compared to the shorter yapping sounds made by coyotes. Wolves
also growl and bark.
Most young wolves leave their birth pack at two to three years
of age to search for a mate and to start a new pack of their own.
Dispersing wolves move about 60 miles on average, but can travel
more than 500 miles.
Few wolves live more than 5 years in the wild, although individuals
have been known to reach 12 years of age.
In the northwestern United States, most wolves die from human
causes such as control efforts to stop livestock depredation or
illegal hunting. However, in areas where wolves are fully protected,
such as large national parks, most wolves die from starvation,
disease, or territorial conflicts with wolves in neighboring packs.
Wolves are highly adaptable and can live in a variety of habitats
as long as sufficient prey is available. In the northwestern United
States and western Canada, wolves are most common in forested areas
with relatively flat, open spaces such as river valleys and basins
where prey are easier to chase and catch. Wolf populations fare
best in areas where conflicts with humans are low. These tend to
be locations with extensive public lands, few or no livestock,
few roads, and low human densities.
Wolves can benefit natural plant and animal communities in a number
of ways. Wolf predation can prevent the overpopulation of prey,
thereby helping maintain the natural occurrence of some plant and
other wildlife species in ecosystems. (For example, in Olympic
National Park where wolves were eliminated, over-browsing by too
many elk during the past 80-100 years has caused substantial changes
in riparian habitats, including severe declines in small and medium-sized
cottonwood and maple trees.)
Increased availability of wolf-killed carcasses can help scavenging
animals, such as black bears, grizzly bears, wolverines, foxes,
mink, ravens, magpies, jays, crows, golden eagles, bald eagles,
and vultures, especially during winter when other foods become
scarce.
For more information
on wolves in Washington, see: http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/diversty/soc/gray_wolf/conservation_plan.htm .
|
