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turbinetree

(24,632 posts)
Sun Feb 7, 2021, 04:45 PM Feb 2021

A pack of wolves thrived near Minneapolis; how it died offers lessons for the future

From 2014 to 2017, they formed the first known pack so close to the Twin Cities in more than a century, growing to as many as 19 wolves.
By Greg Stanley Star Tribune FEBRUARY 6, 2021 — 3:43PM

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Two wolves, a male and a female, broke away from their northern Minnesota packs and wandered alone for dozens of miles past highways, farms and suburbs. They found each other in a small nature reserve just 20 miles north of Minneapolis.

There, surrounded by traffic and homes, the wolves somehow thrived for three years. From 2014 to 2017, they formed the first known pack so close to the Twin Cities in more than a century. It grew to as many as 19 wolves, all within range of about 3.5 million people.

How they died was predictable and seemingly inevitable to researchers and biologists who have studied the species' remarkable recovery over the past several decades. The early success and ultimate demise of the urban pack could be a lesson as the state decides how it will manage wolves into the future. It underscores how near to humans wolves can live when not harassed, and why that relationship may be doomed to fail.

https://www.startribune.com/a-pack-of-wolves-thrived-near-minneapolis-how-it-died-offers-lessons-for-the-future/600019929/

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Kali

(54,990 posts)
7. it was less the area than the proximity to humans and their pets/livestock
Sun Feb 7, 2021, 05:36 PM
Feb 2021

the preserve apparently had enough wild prey but pets and livestock are much easier to catch.

 

Klaralven

(7,510 posts)
14. 285 acres per wolf won't supply enough white tail deer for the winter, especially if they eat fawns.
Sun Feb 7, 2021, 07:19 PM
Feb 2021
Q: What do wolves in Northern Minnesota eat during the winter and how does this differ from the summer?

Gable: In the winter time, wolves in the Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem — where our research occurs — mainly hunt and kill deer, though wolves do kill the occasional snowshoe hare and, rarely, a moose. During the summer, wolf diets are much more varied than in the winter, primarily because there are more food sources available, and wolves are really good at taking advantage of different foods. During the summer, wolves in our area mainly eat beavers, deer fawns and blueberries, with wolves also relying, at times, on fish, bear bait piles, road-killed deer, snowshoe hares and the gut piles of hunter-killed bears. While infrequent, we have also documented wolves killing trumpeter swans, moose, geese, raccoons, painted turtles and muskrats.

Q: Are the summer diets of wolves in the Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem similar to other places in Northern Minnesota?

Gable: Wolves in the Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem appear to eat far more beavers than wolves in many other places in Northern Minnesota. Beavers can actually be the primary summer prey of some wolf packs, making up to 42 percent of wolf pack diets from April to October in our area. This reliance on beaver is likely because we have a much larger beaver population in the Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem than the rest of the state. Wolves in our area also appear to rely on blueberries much more so than wolves in other parts of the state.


https://twin-cities.umn.edu/news-events/talking-wolves-diets-u-m

BComplex

(7,984 posts)
4. Wolves make awesome pets. A close friend of mine had a wolf pup that grew into a gorgeous
Sun Feb 7, 2021, 05:26 PM
Feb 2021

animal. My friend's family was her "pack". I used to just sit and stroke that wolf for hours. She was awesome. And huge.

BComplex

(7,984 posts)
8. What?
Sun Feb 7, 2021, 05:39 PM
Feb 2021

Why do you say that? You must have had a bad experience. I had a great experience. I'm sorry you missed out!

Kali

(54,990 posts)
9. in general people keeping wild animals as pets is a recipe for disaster
Sun Feb 7, 2021, 05:44 PM
Feb 2021

both for the animal and for the humans. hell, a lot of people can't even handle domesticated animals - look at the shelters/sanctuaries all over the place for these creatures that outgrew their cuteness or coolness.

BComplex

(7,984 posts)
10. Sorry you feel that way, Kali.
Sun Feb 7, 2021, 05:47 PM
Feb 2021

One of my neighbors found a baby fox abandoned, raised it, and it rode on my neighbor's shoulder everywhere he went for years. I love all animals wild or tame...a lot of people do.

Kali

(54,990 posts)
11. I'm sure there are plenty of feel-good anecdotes out there
Sun Feb 7, 2021, 05:50 PM
Feb 2021

I have saved wild animals myself but anecdotes aren't data. here is an old but good article on captive wolves https://www.hcn.org/issues/43.19/behind-the-scenes-in-the-lives-of-captive-wolves

BComplex

(7,984 posts)
12. That article was probably not the best example.
Sun Feb 7, 2021, 06:01 PM
Feb 2021

It's like saying people shouldn't have babies because some people abuse their kids.

GulfCoast66

(11,949 posts)
5. I love wolves. But they are smart animals and will kill the easiest prey they find.
Sun Feb 7, 2021, 05:30 PM
Feb 2021

A calve vs a deer is a no comparison. They will take the calf.

I just don’t see how they can live close to us like coyotes do. They are bigger animals and evolved to eat different prey. They can’t live on rabbits, raccoons and an occasional deer. They need big herbivores.

Beringia

(4,314 posts)
13. People want their pets and cows more than wolves
Sun Feb 7, 2021, 06:05 PM
Feb 2021

And there is still hatred toward wolves because they are apex predators and are vilified.

from the article
The reason wolves need vast wild spaces to survive isn't because they'd be unable to find enough food or shelter near a city. It's because they need space away from people to avoid the attacks on domestic animals that will get them killed, Mech said.
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