Gray Wolf Confirmed In Northern Arizona

[JonLP24]

That possible gray wolf sighted on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in October seems to have lost it's "possible" qualifier, as federal biologists have confirmed a gray wolf seems to be visiting the Canyon.

The wolf's presence was first reported to environmental groups by a tourist who photographed what seemed to be a gray wolf with a radio collar on the North Rim. The photograph was obtained after weeks of anecdotal reports from canyon visitors. After testing scat found in the vicinity for traces of DNA, biologists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed that a wild gray wolf is in the area.

USFWS biologists suspect the wolf may be a lone female that wandered at least 450 miles southward from the northern Rocky Mountains, which would make her the first wolf confirmed in the area in more than 70 years. According to the agency, plans to capture the wolf and draw blood samples for testing were canceled when biologists found stool samples with sufficient DNA for testing. The agency may still attempt to capture the wolf to replace batteries in the radio collar.

"We are overjoyed that she made it through hundreds of miles of politically hostile territory to rediscover an important part of her historic range," said Drew Kerr, carnivore advocate for WildEarth Guardians. "This is a bellwether event for wolf recovery in the United States."

http://www.kcet.org/news/redefine/rewild/mammals/gray-wolf-confirmed-in-northern-arizona.html

[Tansy_Gold]

1. Gives me goosebumps

Of the very best kind!

[Cleita]

2. Every time I read a report like this, I say hurrah.

I heard my first wolf songs in a remote area of Montana more than twenty years ago. It was a place that wild life experts were trying to protect a pack from the brink of extinction. At that time it was an open secret only known in that area to the locals who were part of the experiment to protect this pack. I found it magical. It seems along with the owl songs, something was missing in the night time wilderness sounds and this was it.

Let's hope Cliven Bundy types don't start shooting them to protect their cattle.