operation p.a.w. ;; don't let the howls stop

[fall out boy,]

i, ✿ Яαʌɛи ✿, dedicate myself to helping wolves have a better future. i swear to give my all in protecting these beautiful creatures, and will help in anyway i can. ❥

[Wildheart281]

First of all. The Gray Wolf is now least concern. It doesn't need this group.
Secondly: How does posting here help them in ANY way?
Thirdly; Gray Wolves have been least concern for longer than I existed
Fourthly: Saying you hate hunting is downright rude. THE REASON HUNTING SEASON EXISTS IS TO PREVENT ORPHANED WOLVES!
Also, hunting wolves isn't really popular... mostly prey animals that are more edible.
Fifthly: (and I cannot stress this enough) IF WOLVES SEE YOU UNDEFENDED IN THEIR HABITAT (not alert, no gun ect.) they WILL go after you! They don't see you as another nice species, they see you as some softskinned prey. Don't go tramping through wolf territory without defence!

[daices.]

@Wildheart281; this was merely meant to be a thread for likeminded individuals who advocated for wolves, not necessarily a campaign or organisation despite the title of the thread. c: Perhaps some facts and ideas might have been misguided, and I'm glad you brought that to attention! ^^

However, seeing as this thread has gone more than a year and a half without any posts (technically four years if you are referring to the latest posts about hunting) and the thread owner hasn't been on since 2014, I don't believe this thread is very active any more. Maybe another thread with updated information would be helpful? :0

[Alfor]

This thread has technically been dead since 2014/2015 tbh? I can't remember the last time I posted here lol I believe this thread was originally made for like-minded people who loved wolves. It was also supposed to be educational on wolves, and why hunting endangered species or subspecies wolves is bad for the ecosystem they live in. If they have healthy numbers, I don't see a problem as long as all hunting is controlled and regulated properly, but hunting an endangered and protected animal is illegal for various reasons. The main reason being we do not want them to go extinct. If they go extinct, the ecosystem they live in will be out of balance. Entire ecosystems can die out on the removal of one animal alone. They are extremely fragile!

Please keep in mind that this thread was originally made in 2011. Back then, grey wolves were facing quite a problem. Even today subspecies of grey wolves are still endangered, especially the Mexican Wolf. There's barely over 100 of them in the wild.

Source:


"The Mexican gray wolf is a subspecies of the gray wolf. Commonly referred to as "El lobo," this wolf is gray with light brown fur on its back. Its long legs and sleek body enable it to run fast. Though they once numbered in the thousands, these wolves were wiped out in the U.S. by the mid-1970s, with just a handful existing in zoos. In 1998, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, led by Jamie Rappaport Clark (now president of Defenders of Wildlife), released 11 Mexican gray wolves back into the wild in Arizona. Although their numbers have grown slowly, and they remain the most endangered subspecies of wolf in the world."

The lobo was once “top dog” in the borderlands, and when the wolf population returns to healthy numbers, biologists believe that lobos will restore balance to the Southwest’s ecosystems by keeping deer, elk and javelina—a type of peccary —populations healthy and in check. Wolves strengthen these animals by preying on the old, sick and young, and prevent their populations from growing so numerous that they overgraze and destroy habitat that countless other species depend on."




"After being wiped out in the U.S. and with only a few animals remaining in Mexico, Mexican gray wolves were bred in captivity and reintroduced to the wild in Arizona beginning in 1998. There are only about 300 Mexican wolves total in captivity. The goal of the reintroduction program was to restore at least 100 wolves to the wild by 2006, and it will take many more than that before the lobo is safe from extinction. Today there are approximately 114 of these wolves in the wild."



Hunting seasons exist because wolves aren't there in a healthy enough number to keep the population of prey animals in check. Wolves are a huge contributing factor to keeping prey species' numbers at a healthy rate. We really shouldn't be hunting them in the first place if their numbers are low. Hunting wolves = orphan pups... not the other way around.

Studies have also shown that a majority of wolves will leave you alone if you stay a safe distance away from them. Wolves are also known to approach a human if they are not afraid of them, which is usually because humans have been feeding them. Wild wolves fed by humans see humans as a source of free food. A curious wolf is still a wild wolf, however, and should be treated as such. Its not their fault if they are not afraid of you, its because other people have been feeding and interacting with them. You should always respect a wolf's territory and not push it's boundaries. Unless it has rabies and is trying to bite you (because rabies is a brain-related disease), you really shouldn't be shooting a wild wolf if you can avoid it. Shooting the animal is not always the answer. Its best to just leave them alone!

Source:


"Wolves are extremely wary of humans and not aggressive toward them by nature. Wolf attacks are the rarest of all large predator attacks. While the chances of seeing wolves in the wild are small, sightings can provide critical information for wildlife managers. Tracks and other signs of wolves are also important clues of the presence of this elusive carnivore. Respect for wild wolves will help them resume their vital role as a part of the natural ecosystems of Washington."




Evidence from a few recent cases of humans being bitten during wild wolf encounters indicates these animals may have been fed by people, thereby losing their natural fear of humans and associating humans with food. In other cases, people may have been injured while trying to break up a fight between their dog and a wolf.

In North America, where there are about 60,000 wolves, there has been only two fatalities apparently caused by wolves. It is believed that these fatalities were the result of habituated or sick wolves.

Injuries from wolves have also been extremely rare in North America. By comparison, domestic dogs in the United States are responsible for 4.7 million bites, resulting in 500,000-800,000 hospital visits and 15-20 fatalities per year.




To prevent wolves from becoming habituated, people should:


• Resist the temptation to approach wolves.
  
• Do not entice or allow wolves to come nearby.
• Do not feed wolves or leave food outdoors, including pet food.
• Do not approach fresh wolf kills, dens, or rendezvous sites.
• Do not let wolves become comfortable near human-inhabited areas.
• Notify authorities about wolves that seem comfortable around people, seek human food, or frequent human or livestock areas.
• Early intervention can keep a problem from getting worse.


During a close encounter with a wolf, people should do the following:


• Stand tall and make themselves look larger.
• Calmly but slowly back away and maintain eye contact.
• If the wolf does not run away immediately, continue making yourself large, keeping eye contact, and backing away.
• Do not turn your back on the wolf or run away.
• If a dog is about to encounter a wolf, the dog should be brought to heel at the owner’s side as quickly as possible and leashed.
• Standing between the dog and the wolf often ends the encounter. To avoid risk of injury to yourself, do not attempt to break up a physical fight between a wolf and a dog accept by using bear spray or a powerful hose from a safe distance.
• If the wolf does not retreat and is acting aggressive by holding its tail high, raising its hackles, barking or howling, you should yell and throw things at it while continuing to back away. If it attacks, fight back aggressively to show you are too dangerous to attack.
• To ensure that there is no opportunity for your child or your pet to encounter any carnivore when camping, do not allow children to play away from camp or alone. Keep them close to adults at all times. Keep pets leashed and under control.