Wildlife Science Center hosts Mexican wolves

The Wildlife Science Center located in Linwood is staying busy hosting Mexican gray wolves for research and education.

What were once declared ecologically extinct in 1979, Mexican gray wolves are now slowly increasing in population. Over 40 years ago, only seven were left in the entire world. Now, there are about 245 throughout Arizona and New Mexico, the wolves’ native land.

The Wildlife Science Center, home to the largest population of wolves in the country, is an education and research facility dedicated to improving the life of wildlife through the pursuit of knowledge.

This center is one of 40 entities in the U.S. involved in the research and repopulation of these wolves.

“It’s a very important project,” said Peggy Callahan, executive director of the wildlife center.

They received the first set of Mexican gray wolves in 2000. These wolves are roughly 50 to 60 pounds but are capable of killing large prey such as elk and deer, their main source of food.

She explained the biggest issue leading to the decrease in population and extinction of wolves is mainly humans.

“It’s the illegal stuff that robs all of us,” Callahan said. “Base it on real science, people. There’s plenty of it available to learn.”

Although the wolf population in Minnesota has been stable over time, the poaching in Arizona and New Mexico has had the biggest impact on the Mexican gray wolves species.

“There have been some years where the illegal kill rate exceeded the birth rate,” Callahan said. “Wolves are hated in a very unique way.”

A stigma has been created over time about wolves that they are a danger to humans.

“It’s hard to convince people who don’t like predators that they’re important to the landscape,” Callahan said.

There’s only been two wolf fatalities in the U.S. in the last 150 years, one of which was in northern Minnesota, but that specific wolf had a neurological issue due to a damaged skull.

According to research, wolves are not a threat to humans.

“Statistically, it is the safest predator on the landscape. Many more people have been attacked by coyotes,” she said. “We are not reintroducing a threat into the landscape, at all.”

Although some of the Mexican gray wolves that are in captivity may be released in the future, there are careful measures in place to make sure they will survive in their natural habitat and beyond.

“There’s a policy against any bottle-feeding of Mexican wolves or red wolves because of the risk — the risk of having these animals somewhat comfortable around people,” Callahan said.

Wolves that are considered “bold” while in captivity will not be released, as they have become too comfortable with humans.

“What we want to do is release the most timid animals that we can,” Callahan said. “These females (at the wildlife facility) are still on the list of animals that could be reintroduced. This other group is too old for that, so they may be used for breeding.”

Callahan said she doesn’t decide which wolves will be released. It’s up to the Federal Government, which oversees the reintroduction of Mexican gray wolves and red wolves, another breed struggling with its population.

“That’s not in the hands of any private entity,” she said. “That’s an important point to know.”

The Wildlife Science Center is considered a cooperator. What it does is offer space at no charge to the committee that is conducting the research. However, there is no money being provided to the cooperators.

“They depend on the goodness of the hearts of cooperators. Most of the cooperators are zoos. I’m a research and education facility,” Callahan said.

Why assist in repopulating?

The typical lifespan of a wolf in the wild is six years. Callahan explained a male wolf in her facility lived to be 17.

Why is there such a difference in the wild verses captivity numbers?

“People. Mostly people,” Callahan said. “Because when you’re releasing an animal, ... you’re vaccinating them, you do everything possible to protect them, because they need that extra foot up.”

She went on to explain that the wolves in Minnesota are prone to dog diseases, but wildlife centers are able to avoid those in wolves with vaccinations, so the wolves can continue their growth.

Something they have to do with breeding in captivity is called “cross-foster.”

“At this point, most Mexican wolf pups that are born in captivity are cross-fostered onto wild Mexican wolf moms,” Callahan said. “We did some of the first cross-fostering experiments here, years ago.”

She did say that most female wolves do accept the pups automatically as they are “hardwired” to be parents, including males.

Despite the positive acceptance, wolves do have pup mortality rate. Callahan explained the University of Minnesota has done studies showing why it is so important that pups live, but there are still some unknowns.

Callahan said the Mexican gray wolf male sperm count is very poor, which lowers the reproductive success. Some of this is caused by incest of the wolves, which is also being researched.

“Captive breeding is the worst possible thing you can do for anything. We’re arranging marriages, and some of them just don’t like each other. That’s just the way it is,” she said.

One female that’s at the Wildlife Science Center had four litters in a row, and the mother was the one to not let the pups survive.

“We’ve had red wolves that also went through a population bottle-neck (reduction in population). The female just didn’t like four different males that were sent to her, and finally it was the fifth male that she liked and would have pups with,” Callahan said.

Currently, the center has nine Mexican gray wolves. One of the enclosures has four males with one female as part of the bonding and research for repopulation.

She explained how they pair the wolves based on a co-efficiency of relatedness, representation and the population, but that’s not how wolves choose each other naturally.

Wolf pups in the wild also survive strongly on the food their parents provide. Wolf breeding starts in February, and how well they catch their prey depends on the winter weather.

“This year wolves are struggling because it’s this mild winter,” Callahan said. “A winter like this, they have to work very, very, very hard to catch anything.”

Minnesota wolves have a difficult time catching deer in the mild winters because the deer are up and running around. When they are slowed down by snow and stay bedded down, it’s easier for wolves to find them.

Benefits to increasing breeds

“You have more balance,” Callahan said.

The circle of life does have a huge impact by wolves. Many people may not be aware, but coyotes don’t, and will never, balance deer like wolves do, according to Callahan.

She gave a strong example that proved the importance of high wolf population when they were released back into Yellowstone National Park.

“There were no wolves at all and there was nothing really,” Callahan said. “The elk were roaming and were not herding up very much and had destroyed the streams, and so with wolves put back in the landscape, elk avoided areas like stream beds because they couldn’t see wolves coming.

“Stream beds started to recover, and vegetation started growing up around the stream beds, which increased the beaver population.”

Callahan also explained how beavers created more ponds and water sources that were positive for the landscape. Beyond the beavers, coyotes were suppressed a bit and small mammals increased, which created more diversity with birds of prey.

“It really was this trophic cascade impact, and it was really cool,” she said. “To be able to see that in Yellowstone was really impactful.”