Wolves 2000 - Wolf Park

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Wolf Park is preparing for the annual opening on May 1, 2000. The wolves, bison, coyote and
foxes are ready to welcome our visitors. During our “closed season” before May 1, we offered
our Howl Night each Saturday evening, and it was well attended — depending on the weather.
This year’s breeding season resulted in no female wolves becoming pregnant. Marion, the
alpha female, is sterilized because we wanted to prevent her having offspring by her father
Seneca, the alpha male. Number three female Maya was also sterilized for health reasons,
leaving Erin, the beta female, as the only reproductively capable female in the main pack.
(Marion and Maya will come into estrous as normal, but will no longer bear pups.)
In due accordance with the pack rank order, the alpha female, Marion, came into full estrous
this year and mated repeatedly with her father Seneca, the alpha male. Since she was sterilized,
she did not conceive. We predicted that Marion would suppress the fertile Erin, who never did
come into full estrous and did not mate. The result: for the first time in several years we will not
have wolf pups born at Wolf Park. However, we plan to obtain two female fox kits from another
facility. Our puppy mother Karin Bloch is again coming from Germany for one month to raise the
young foxes, which will be added to our fox enclosure in due time. Until then, visitors will have a
chance to admire the baby foxes in our nursery.
Wolf Park’s main focus, however, is on wolves. While our wolves live as good a life as is
possible in captivity, the wolves in Minnesota are so far in limbo. They are still considered
“threatened” by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Since their numbers have recovered faster
than anticipated under the recovery plan for the eastern timber wolf, current plans are to give the
state of Minnesota the task of managing the state’s wolf population. Commissions and
committees have met to come up with a wolf management plan acceptable to the USFWS, which
must approve the plan. The Minnesota House of Representatives passed a wolf plan which
would allow the shooting and trapping of wolves to “protect lives, property and pets” in much of
the state. Wolf supporters saw this plan as being an open season on wolves. Fortunately,
following debates and presentations by pro-wolf groups, the plan was rejected by the Senate,
which voted to send the controversial wolf management plan back to the conference committee.
This could result in potentially killing the bill in this session. If the House refuses to meet with the
conference committee, then the bill is (hopefully) dead.
Focusing on wolves, their prey and their habitat is one way to show concern for their survival.
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However, we wolf supporters must expand our horizons, and see the big picture. For an
excellent compendium of environmental issues I recommend that you pick up a copy of the issue
of TIME: Earth Day 2000, a special edition. Everyone should read it.
I also recommend an article in the April issue of Smithsonian called “Birds, Bees and Even
Nectar-feeding Bats Do It”, by David M Schwarz. He talks about the destruction of habitat of the
insects that pollinate plants, including those essential for food plants needed for human
consumption. Many of these insects follow the blooming season up and down the US and
Canada. If the habitat they need to obtain food on their migration vanishes, they will starve to
death. Efforts are underway to preserve these habitats. We should all, at the local level, be
aware of this problem, and lend support to the appropriate conservation measures.
During each election campaign for national, state and local offices, I make an effort to study
the issues and to evaluate the candidates as best I can. I share with many voters
disenchantment with candidates on both sides. I have finally decided that all those issues that
fire up the emotions of people pale before environmental issues. In that sense I am very
conservative. I want to see preserved or restored natural habitats, clean air and water. I am
concerned about global warming, the dolphins killed by foreign tuna fishermen — and where this
administration caved in to international pressure to exempt their fleets from using the back-up
techniques to release dolphins caught in their nets along with the tuna. So, I will support anyone
who is for the environment. If that is gone, the rest of the issues are unimportant. I am a member
of The League of Conservation Voters. They publish a list of the candidates’ views as well as
voting records on environmental issues. Their information is most helpful.
I love wolves, but unless we save the Earth as we know it, the wolves will not matter either.
To me, they are a symbol of the wilderness which we
must preserve at all costs — along with all the other
things we hold dear.
WOLF PARK Battle Ground, IN 47920
(765) 567-2265 FAX: (765) 567-4299
Wolf Park News Spring 2000
Membership benefits include:
• Free admission to the Park
• Wolf Park News
• 10% off books from the Gift Shop
• Invitation to Members Only Events
• Visitation Privileges With A Wolf*
*Adopt-A-Wolf Sponsorship Only
Weather Permitting
!"
Closed Mondays
Open Tuesday to Sunday
1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.
for Howl Night
#$%&' !"
Wolf Park is open every Saturday
at 7:30 p.m. for Howl Night only
('&)*+
Listen to the intriguing sounds of our
wolves as they communicate through
their howls. After the lecture, join in
a chorus howl of your own.
,'-&#++&
See wolves and bison interact as
wolves test bison for signs of
weakness. Our healthy bison have
nothing to fear from the wolves.
Sunday Only: Lecture 1:00 p.m.
followed by demonstration.
#"
— Members Always Free —
Tuesday - Saturday & Howl Night:
Children 1 to 5 years - FREE
Children 6 to 13 years - $3.00
14 years and older - $4.00
Sunday:
Children 1 to 5 years - FREE
Children 6 to 13 years - $3.00
14 years and older - $5.00
Groups of more than 12 people are admitted at
$3.00 each Tues. - Sat. & Howl Nights. On Sun.,
groups of more than 12 are $4.00 per person.
The Institute of Ethology
supports research and education:
• Wolf Behavior Seminars
• Internships and Practica
• Year-round research opportunities