Protect The Wolves®wonders where they could have disappeared to… In Siskiyou County, Ranchers have threatened to employ the “three S’s” — shoot, shovel and shut up — if any of the sharp-toothed meat-eaters got near their livestock.
Wildlife biologists are searching the craggy wilderness and rolling pastures of Northern California for seven missing gray wolves that thrilled environmentalists and frightened ranchers after becoming the first wolf pack to make the state home in nearly a century.
The family, known as the Shasta Pack, disappeared from southeastern Siskiyou County over the past year, mystifying state biologists who said it is unusual for the canine pack hunters, also known as timber wolves, to abandon established territory.
None of the gray wolves — who despite their name sport distinctive black coats — have been seen since May 2016 when researchers confirmed the presence of a lone juvenile in the rural region, which is a mix of public and private property.
“We’re reasonably confident that last year they did not use the same area as a pack as they did the year before, and we don’t know why,” said Pete Figura, a senior environmental scientist for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “Why they were not detected anywhere else this past summer we don’t have a clear explanation for.”
Figura said there are a number of possible explanations — including migration to a new region with more prey — but research has shown that most wolf packs cling to and protect their breeding grounds, especially during the summer. He acknowledged, though, that this behavior has generally occurred in areas with multiple packs, which is not the case in mostly wolf-free California.
The state has genetic samples of each member of the Shasta Pack, so members can be identified by testing fur or scat, Figura said.
Black wolves were spotted in the late spring and summer of 2016 in southern Oregon, Figura said, but no evidence was found that would help biologists determine their identity. Fresh wolf tracks were also spotted in late January about 10 miles from the pack’s Siskiyou County stomping grounds.
“We detected some tracks and collected some scat and are awaiting DNA analysis,” he said. “It could have been a member of the Shasta Pack or a completely different animal. We don’t know at this time.”
Then again, it is no secret that the muscular predators were not exactly received with open arms in Siskiyou County, where some ranchers have threatened to employ the “three S’s” — shoot, shovel and shut up — if any of the sharp-toothed meat-eaters got near their livestock.
Source: Missing in California: 2 adults, 5 pups, sharp teeth, camera-shy – San Francisco Chronicle
Comments
IF THIS KIND OF THING KEEPS UP OUR WOLVES WILL NEVER SURVIVE? HOW CAN WE STOP THE MADNESS WITH ALL THE VILE HATE TOWARDS OUR BEAUTIFUL WOLVES???? I JUST DON’T THINK I COULD LIVE IN A WORLD WITHOUT WOLVES?
Hi Debra, Our research into the Indian Trust as well as the Public Trust shows us the way. It is down to raising money now to put these crooked elected officials in Court! http://protectthewolves.com/indian-trust-responsibility-protecting-tribal-lands-and-resources-through-claims-of-injunctive-relief-against-federal-agencies/