Breaking: New Public Records Expose Idaho’s War on Wolves

 

 

Dear Terry,  Idaho’s extermination of wolves is threatening the entire Yellowstone and Northern Rockies wolf recovery effort.   The state of Idaho proudly boasts the greatest percentage of contiguous national forest land in the northern Rockies of the continental United States. Nearly 40% of its total area is dedicated to national forest public land totaling almost 21 million acres (about the area of Kentucky). This makes Idaho one of the most important states for biodiversity protection in the nation, which is why wolves were restored in Idaho as part of the Yellowstone/Northern Rockies wolf reintroduction program. However, alarming new information obtained from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game sheds light on the state’s hidden war on wolves.   A note of warning: the information we share below is deeply disturbing. If you prefer, you can skip reading this by clicking here to sign the petition to protect wolves, if desired you can also add your comments.

 

 

 

Recently obtained public records reveal numerous wolves being left dying in traps longer than the three day required check period, pregnant wolf mothers killed while their unborn pups were removed presumably for bounty, and even newborn pups being crushed or poisoned. Many wolves were found with injuries including shattered teeth from struggling to free themselves, fractured feet, and missing limbs. Others were found with festering wounds from snares still embedded in their necks. No other protected species is allowed to be managed in this way. Nontarget animals maimed or killed in wolf traps and snares included wolverine, fisher, mountain lions, bobcats, and even pet dogs.

 

This is happening RIGHT NOW in our national forests: public land that belongs to all of us. In 2009, Idaho agreed to manage wolves as a valued game species according to their delisting plan with the federal government. What is happening is not fair chase hunting. This is brutal and inexcusable persecution. The Biden Administration must uphold their promise to stop this ruthless destruction of the northern Rockies wolf population by providing emergency protection and holding the state to reasonable standards in their management of this essential species.   Please join us in asking Secretary Haaland to end this nightmare today by signing an emergency listing for wolves in the US northern Rockies. It is completely within her power and responsibility to save the wolf reintroduction effort paid for and supported by the American public.

 

For the Wild Ones,

 

Suzanne Asha Stone Executive Director International Wildlife Coexistence Network

"Enough is enough. Let’s not let Idaho get away with hiding this slaughter."

 

The International Wildlife Coexistence Network

Breaking News: New Public Records Expose Idaho’s War on Wolves!

SIGN THE PETITION: https://actionnetwork.org/.../sign-the-emergency.../

Idaho’s extermination of wolves threatens the entire Yellowstone and Northern Rockies wolf recovery effort.

The state of Idaho proudly boasts the largest contiguous national forest land in the western continental United States. Nearly 40% of its total area is dedicated to national forest public land totaling almost 21 million acres (about the area of Kentucky). This makes Idaho one of the most important states for biodiversity protection in the nation, which is why wolves were restored in Idaho as part of the Yellowstone/Northern Rockies wolf reintroduction program. However, alarming new information obtained from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game sheds light on the state’s hidden war on wolves.

A note of warning: the information we share below is deeply disturbing. You can skip this to sign the petition.

Recently obtained public records reveal numerous wolves being left dying in traps longer than the three day required check period, pregnant wolf mothers killed while their unborn pups were removed presumably for bounty, and even newborn pups being crushed or poisoned. Many wolves were found with injuries including shattered teeth from struggling to free themselves, fractured feet, and missing limbs. Others were found with festering wounds from snares still embedded in their necks.

No other protected species is allowed to be managed in this way.

Nontarget animals maimed or killed in wolf traps and snares included wolverine, fisher, mountain lions, bobcats, and even pet dogs.

This is happening RIGHT NOW in our national forests: public land that belongs to all of us.

Please join us in asking Secretary Haaland to end this nightmare today by signing an emergency listing for wolves in the US northern Rockies. It is completely within her power and responsibility to save the wolf reintroduction effort paid for and supported by the American public.

UK: ONE QUARTER OF A MILLION 'PROTECTED' BADGERS "LEGALLY" KILLED

 

In 20 years time we may only have urban badgers and that is no exaggeration. 

These cull deaths are on top of the 65,000+ killed on roads each year (44 in the Bristol area so far this year (reported to us). Along with fox number dropping dramatically our two main large mammals will be found only in isolated pockets in urban areas. And people are sitting back and shrugging through lack of interest.

To Clarify The Situation

 There seems to be some confusion so allow me to clarify the situation. I resigned from the British Canid Historical Society some time ago. I no longer have any connection with it. 

All of my continuing research and any finding whether on wild canids, wild cats or other wildlife will be posted here as the main site and at my WordPress blog.

30th Coming Up

 

After Five Decades I Really Feel Like Retiring

  Not our usual subject but worth noting. Someone in North Bristol Rescue posted this:

"Hello, can anyone help please. There is pigeon with an injured wing BS3 area. I was unable to stop at the time as had 3 dogs in the car. But did give bird food and water and pigeon ate this straight away. It looks as if a mass cull of pigeons has taken place as there are lots of dead pigeons on the road side (It is beneath an underbridge which is usually full of roosting pigeons but is now empty). I am happy to go back to the location, but unable to keep the poor soul at mine due to the dogs. Thank you so very much"

My response:

"Unfortunately every year I get reports of this. These are Bristol City Council contracted shooters and they always operate on a Sunday because they do not want people interfering with their shooting spree. Last year a man reported how he, his wife and two children had to step through 'culled' pigeons with a shooter laughing and telling them "They won't bite". In 2021 people reported shooters acting like they were grouse hunting and not caring who was going by.

"Bristol City Council is not the 'environmental' champion it claims and if you feel mass culls of nesting birds is wrong (young are also killed) then make a complaint to the Mayor's office. There are no pigeon rescues in Bristol so handed to a vet the pigeon in question will be put to sleep."

I have witnessed the destruction of bird nests and other wildlife inhabited areas by Bristol City Council and on intervening been told to "**** off!" Reported to the Council I get the response that their contractors have strict guidelines on behaviour and will always consider any habitat under threat. Basically: "We don't care"

Even a flock of former racing pigeons I had treated for injuries and ailments were killed by the Council and they admitted it (their contractors even knocked over the makeshift dovecote (leaning over the fence to do so) They actually waited until I went out to do this and a neighbour gave me the council van number and when I phoned the council I was told they had been reported as a nuisance but when I said racing pigeons suddenly the admission was followed by denial 🙄🙄🙄

There is even consideration for bringing back yearly culls of seagulls.

This is why I do not register any badger locations with Avon Wildlife, Bristol Environmental Records or any body with Council connections. If you think the City Council would protect Bristol badgers if a cull was organised you need a reality kick.

Every year wildlife groups have "photographers" suddenly start asking to join and asking where they can film or photograph badgers and foxes. Someone on one group said this was odd and it is. Why is a photographer in Glasgow, London or Norfolk interested in knowing where they can find badgers and fox dens to photograph _London has more foxes than Bristol. Glasgow has foxes as does Norfolk. Badgers also.

Odd that none of these photographers post the results of their filming or photo shoots. I ought to note that I am always suspicious as running the Exotic Animals Register (EAR) since 1977 I was often asked by 'photographers' where the best areas were for a chance to film a certain animal. Luckily, police wildlife officers back then were more about wildlife and on two occasions the photographer was found to be an employee of MAFF/DEFRA and were mapping sightings.

Until we get a City Council that is strong on wildlife and environment protection we will continue to see them turn a blind eye and contract out bird culls and use of rodenticides.

With an increasing number of hawks and buzzards in and around Bristol the damage to the food chain for wildlife is clear.

Apologies for the rant but it is a war out there to save wildlife as well as the environment and until people understand, complain or start challenging the local authority it will be a losing battle.

Read How a lone 'immigrant' wolf revived a forest ecosystem

 https://uk.yahoo.com/news/lone-immigrant-wolf-revived-forest-000954657.html

The wolf M93, nicknamed 'Old Gray Guy' by researchers, stands out amid other pack members with his distinctive lighter color (John Vucetich)

In 1997, a lone wolf crossed an ice bridge that briefly connected Canada with the remote Isle Royale, which lies off the coast of Michigan in Lake Superior and is renowned for its rich biodiversity.

His arrival revived the flagging fortunes of the wider wolf population, which had been hit by disease and inbreeding, and triggered cascading effects that improved the health of the overall forest ecosystem, a study in Science Advances showed Wednesday.

"Issues like inbreeding and low genetic diversity are an important concern for scientists," first author Sarah Hoy, an ecologist at Michigan Technological University told AFP.

"But this is the first study that shows when you have these genetic issues, they don't just impact the particular population and increase the risk that they will go extinct: they also have these really big knock on effects on all the other species."

- 'Old Gray Guy' -

The first wolves arrived on the island in the late 1940s, and their main prey are moose -- giving rise to the longest running study of a predator-prey system anywhere in the world.

But by the 1980s, the wolves were in trouble due to the arrival of canine parvovirus which drove their numbers down from a high of 50 to around 12.

Though the disease eventually disappeared, the population didn't recover right away. The reason was severe inbreeding, which caused lower reproductive success, as well as poorer health outcomes such as spinal deformities of the kind often seen in purebred dogs.

"If you're a wild wolf and you're having to take down prey like a moose that's eight times your size, that can make life in the wild really tough for you," Hoy said.

Enter the immigrant, identified as "M93" by scientists, but affectionately nicknamed "The Old Gray Guy."

M93 was unrelated to the existing population, and also had the advantage of being unusually large -- a big benefit when defending turf from rivals or taking down 800 pound ungulates.

He quickly became the breeding male in one of the island's three wolf packs and went on to sire 34 pups, greatly improving the genetic health of the population and the kill rate of its prey.

- Restoring balance -

Moose are voracious herbivores, consuming up to 30 pounds (14 kilograms) of vegetation a day. By reducing their numbers, the wolves helped bring the forest back into balance, which was most notable in the effects on balsam firs -- the species commonly used as Christmas trees.

With fewer moose, the trees began growing at rates not seen in decades, which is vital for the renewal of the forest and the myriad plant and animal species that depend on it.

The benefits brought by M93's arrival lasted around a decade, then the situation deteriorated once more -- ironically as a result of his extreme reproductive success.

By 2008, two years after his death, 60 percent of the wolf population's gene pool was inherited from M93, which led to a return of genetic deterioration.

M93 himself began breeding with his daughter after his mate died, and simultaneous inbreeding by other members triggered a rapid population decline until 2015, when there were just two wolves left: a father-daughter pair who were also half siblings.

Fortunately, a restoration program beginning in 2018 has once more brought balance to the system, and there are currently around 30 wolves and just under a thousand moose on the island.

For Hoy, a key takeaway is that the same principle of inserting just a small number of individuals could be applied to other imperiled predator populations that suffer from the harmful effects of inbreeding, such as lions or cheetahs, to similarly improve their ecosystems.

William Ripple, a professor of ecology at Oregon State University who was not part of the research, told AFP it was an "important study" that advances understanding "by showing that genetic processes may limit the ecological effects of a keystone species, the gray wolf."

There is no recognition for wildlife work...seriously

 I should not laugh really but at times I think people have great expectations beyond reality.

Someone asked whether I get recognition in some way (officially) for the work I have done regarding British wildlife?  Okay, so here is my serious response and please wait for the punchline at the end.

I got interested in foxes in 1974 but only decided to study them in 1976 when I set up the British Fox Study. From accepting dogma that the "little red dog" we see today I decided as an historian to look at all of the historical research I could. I found none. I then started studying newspaper archives and the old newspapers and journals. A brief mention led me in one direction where I found an item referring to something else I had never heard of. I questioned what I read and found a true history of foxes in the UK and Ireland and how we really did have three old types of fox. 

What I uncovered was described by the late David Bellamy (sadly he passed away before he could write a foreword for The Red Paper (2010)  which was described a "explosive" in how it tore apart what we have been told about foxes and the actual facts. In 2022 The Red Paper 2022 Vol. I: Canids was published and pushed our knowledge of foxes and other canids in the UK far beyond what the 2010 book did. 

I have also looked at fox welfare issues, the treatments available to foxes as well as mange in the UK. Educating people interested in foxes has at least turned some around to taking a more serious approach to fox watching and feeding as well as treatment of injuries, etc.

It was a very long and hard fight but I eventually got the approval to officially have post mortems carried out on certain foxes and what we have found out has been eye opening at times. The Bristol Fox Deaths Project is drawing to a conclusion after two years and was the first and only project in the UK.

I also maintain the Bristol Fox Deaths Register which contains reports of every fox found deceased within the City and County of Bristol so that we can assess the actual death toll along with cause of death.

The historical research is still not concluded and my colleague and Linnaen Society member, ML, has also contributed a great deal to this work by getting her hands on actual Old fox specimens. This study will continue as will my ongoing study of other canids world wide.

There is a lot more obviously including corresponding with naturalists/zoologists and museums in and outside  the UK - I have even discovered that Western Europe had its own Old fox type before the Red fox arrived. 

Since 1980s I also researched and studied wild cats not just in the UK but beyond and several of my hypothesese on certain island cats made in 2000 have recently been scientifically verified.

Again, the history of the wild cat in the UK and Ireland is complex. I found that what we are told today are Felis silvestris are not the original wild cats but imports and imports that were also released by 'sportsmen' in England. By the 1860s the true wild cat was gone in Scotland and that has been proven from decades of research and a declaration by Scottish zoologists in 1897. 

Museums, newspaper archives and much much were consulted and, again, my colleague ML managed to find some Old wild cat taxidermy. Much of this work is in my other 2022 book The Rede Paper 2022 Vol. II: Felids.

When the old Bristol Badger Group became defunct in the 1990s I took over and although Health and Safety in the UK will not allow post mortems of badgers I set up The Bristol Badger Death Register to record all deaths. Documenting badgers in Bristol as well as educating many both in the City and nationally on badger welfare and history has been a hard task. How badgers survived when foxes and wild cats did not because of persecution is another discovery that took years of work to find out.

I regularly post, often quite long and windy, items on foxes, badgers, wild cats and British wildlife and try to educate and push aside the dogma taught. 

Apart from this in 1976 I was, as a young naturalist, almost pushed into looking at reports of "British Big Cats" and in 1977 I set up the Exotic Animals Register (EAR) and became an exotic wildlife advisor to UK police forces and became a  member of PAWS (partners against wildlife crime). The EAR is still consulted today both by the public and press and police.

I now need to add that none of this was paid work. All expense4s were from my own pocket and often left me "financially embarrassed". 1976-2023 is a long time and, no, you do not get recognition for the work -I was once warned by an old naturalist that "being a naturalist will never make you financially well off" and he was right. I have carried out the field work and more research on wildlife than most zoologists and I do often wonder what a "normal" day would be like -perhaps get 6 hours sleep a day!

Here is where I show how little regard true naturalists are held in. Some 50 years of no-stop research and wildlife work and not even a pat on the head (but plenty of battles). Lavatory attendants (still an important job) have been awarded MBEs for 20 years work. That I think puts things into perspective 😂😂

UK Badger Extinction Very Possible

 

The following article from The Economist is very well worth reading

For those unaware in this 'nation of animal lovers' (hopefully the sarcasm can be detected there) good old Brits enjoyed several past times and also earned money for having 'fun'.

Felidide -the killinbg of any and every wild cat that could be found whether adult or kitten. By the 1860s that had wiped out the Old (true) wild cat across the UK.

Lucipide -same thing but here wiping out every and any wolf whether adult or cub. By the 17th/18th century wolves were wiped out.

Vulpicide -a term also used by widely: the killing of every and any fox whether adult or cub and as with lucipide and felicide this included pregnant females. The hunts knew and the famous hunters of the time wrote that the Old British foxes were headed for were headed for extinction and took action -by hunting them into extinction by the 1850s/1860s.

Red Squirrels were hunted to extinction by the 1860s but more were imported and released to continue the fun. Since that time they have faced several near extinction threats and the grey squirrel has become the scape goat for that.

Then we have (leaving aside all of the other species this 'nation of animal lovers' wiped out) there was melecide: any and every badger from male, female and cubs were killed and in a lot of the North of England badgers were wiped out and everyone commended the "good work" done. Why badgers -which 'sportsmen' hunters all declared to be harmless- survived is something I have researched and found the reason for and it is almost unbelievable. It is why, today, no one is calling for badgers to be "re-introduced".

Wildlife is still being wiped out in various ways in the UK -England is the only country practicing badger culling in the UK- from the greatest killer cars (well, humans are driving those so let's not blame the car ). 

Snaring  which is still going on and despite the Welsh Government banning it no one appears to be going out looking for snares and finding the culprits because no snarer making a lot of money is going to say "Oh well, it was fun while it lasted" and destroy his/her snares. Snares are inhumane and indiscriminate and kill foxes, badgers, hedgehogs, domestic pets as well as cause serious injuries to larger animals that can break free (lost feet, legs etc).

Above: A Bristol fox that probably lost its lower leg to a snare (it did survive)

Below;despite media alerts that a pet silver fox was in Barry, Wales (the snaring capitol of the UK) and that rescuers were attempting to trap it -someone laid out snares and this puet lost its leg.

Shooting. Despite there being supposed strict gun control in the UK every night there are many 'sportsmen' who simply go out to enjoy killing things because they like to. Foxes and even domestic pets such as cats have been shot (by 'mistake' of course) -"I got a big fox last night disguised as a pet cat!" (lots of chuckles from his mates). 

Above: the work of one 'sportsman' -so why are fox populations declining?

Even sheep and other animals are shot and injured or killed but in the countryside you can hide a lot of things.  Badgers are being "illegally" killed and shooters/'sport' sites online show this clearly. Incidentally, foxes can only be "taken care of" if they are a threat to livestock and as they are not in the habit of taking down cows or calves or horses there is no threat so hundreds (by shooters own statistics) are killed across the UK every week.  

Above: So proud

Below:in a war zone people fire back so dress for the part and go out to shoot a domestic cat sized fox.

And as for badgers -I make no apologies if this upsets anyone because people who do not sign petitions, complain to their MPs or harass DEFRA over things like badgers culls are actually allowing this to continue.

There is no doubt that badgers are killed by shooters as I have spoken to farmers (poultry not dairy so where is the BTB angle) over the years who know "a chap locally will take care of foxes and badgers" and, yes, I did report these conversations to Police Wildlife Crime Officers and nothing happened. I also know that private estates "get rid of nuisances" like badgers, foxes and red squirrels. Nothing happens.

https://theecologist.org/2016/oct/11/fate-badger-great-badger-scapegoating-conspiracy

Leaving aside the (natural) emotive language:

This is why people at Wildlife trusts will tell you to keep badger locations "to yourself":

quote

ALMOST 7,500 BADGERS MURDERED IN AVON OVER FOUR YEARS

Despite substantial efforts by activists trying to prevent the cull, Avon’s badger population has suffered terribly since the cull began in the region in 2019. The number of badgers culled in Avon so far are:

2022: 1,521

2021: 2,095

2020: 2,751

2019: 1,084

AVON TOTAL: 7,451

This figure will, no doubt, increase substantially, as Avon’s first zone will enter its supplementary licence phase, and its second zone will enter its fourth year of intensive culling in September 2023.

Protect The Wild spoke to Avon Against The Badger Cull (AABC), a group which works year-round to try to prevent the murder of badgers in its area. It surveys setts to locate where badgers have survived, and then puts huge effort into trying to protect them during the cull itself. The group said:

“Well over half of England’s badgers have been killed now, although the number of badgers in England is a guesstimate, so the figure might even be much greater. The government says that the object of the cull is to reduce the spread of bovine TB. But after ten years of killing badgers, there has been very little impact on the number of cows having to be killed each year, which is still in the region of 9,500. Killing badgers is a depressing waste of money and anybody can see that it’s a failure.”

EXPANDING ONE OF AVON’S ZONES BY 136KM²

AABC’s hard work has been severely hampered by Natural England, which works on behalf of Defra to issue cull licences and decide upon the parameters of each cull zone. Natural England recently admitted in FOI responses that it had expanded one Avon zone by a massive 136km² in 2021. The decision was made covertly, with no public consultation. Environmental journalist Tracy Keeling argued that expanded cull zones this huge “are clearly large enough to qualify as cull zones in their own right.”

Keeling went on to say:

“This indicates that larger extension areas are operating in some respects as if they are separate badger culls. This includes apparently aiming to kill badgers more intensely than the cull areas they are attached to, due to the reduced number of years of operation.”

Natural England, on behalf of the government, has made a concerted effort – seemingly more so than in other areas of the country – to wipe out Avon’s badgers. 7,500 means that the old Avon (it has been the City and County of Bristol for a long time now) badger population is seriously at risk of getting to the point of being unable to sustain a population.

Many badgers die yearly on roads in and around Bristol (I only accept reports where someone has stopped and can clearly state the animal seen was a badger) and to date 2023 has seen 43 killed.  We have no idea how many are killed by shooters at night or via snares and there is a brisk trade with taxidermists who take the word of the supplier that "the badger was killed by a car". 

I was actually kicked off of one Face Book taxidermy group after asking too many questions. One member stated that he took photos of all his badgers on the roadside (to 'prove' that they were killed by a car) and there were up to 4-6 on a small stretch of country road every week and he could sell them on if anyone was interested. I asked what stretch of road as that was a high weekly number and I could contact the Badger Watch people and alert them so they could look into it to stop badgers being killed. That got me kicked off.

According to Badger watch over 210,000 -half of Britain's badger population (in fact estimates go as high as 230,000) has been wiped out and it has not made the slightest difference when it comes to bovine TB. In fact:

To Stamp Out “So Terrible a Malady”: Bovine Tuberculosis and Tuberculin Testing in Britain, 1890–1939

KEIR WADDINGTON, PhD*

"Local and national attempts to limit infection from bovine tuberculosis were fuelled by fears about the prevalence of the disease in cattle. A transition in the nature of agriculture, with a shift from arable to livestock and dairy farming, combined with farmers' apparent unwillingness to stamp out bovine tuberculosis, ensured that levels of infection remained high until the 1950s."

Bad animal husbandry is nothing new in the UK. I knew two German farmers who came to the UK to see how British farmers worked and were shocked "Do they know nothing about taking care of livestock?" one asked me.  While foxes were blamed for lamb and sheep deaths work carried out by hunts (of all people) found that bad animal husbandry was to blame and the fox was the scapegoat. No one seems to see just how weird that sounds.

People are actively going out and searching for badger traps and smashing them. I cannot really condemn them for this because they are carrying on a fight to try to save a species from extinction. A species that was simply chosen as a scapegoat and based on non-science. In twenty years time it is possible that urban badgers are all we will have left if we are lucky. Centuries of melecide was endured and badgers survived. Now, Natural England is "legally" succeeding in what past generations failed to do.

If you really care about badgers or wildlife then get off your asses and start complaining to your MP, to DEFRA and the Natural England and if needed spam them with as many emails and phone calls as you can.

EXTINCTION IS FOREVER

https://protectthewild.org.uk/news/government-sanctions-killing-7500-badgers-avon-2019/#:~:text=Avon%20has%20two%20'cull%20zones,badgers%20actually%20killed%20was%20345.