We hope your 2024 is off to a strong start and we are so glad to have you with us as we continue another year of wolf advocacy. 

California’s Two New Wolf Packs Have Been Named

In late January, California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife officially bestowed its two newest wolf families with names! The Beyem Seyo pack in Plumas County and the Harvey pack in Lassen County have joined Tulare County’s Yowlumni pack which was named in December of 2023. California now boasts five wolf packs and several small groups of individuals for a total of 45-50 wolves.  

California’s Wolf Management Update was released on January 30th, 2024. More detail can also be found on the Center for Biological Diversity’s press release. 

Wolves of the Northern Rockies Denied Endangered Species Act Protections

On February 2nd, the US Fish and Wildlife Service announced their intention not to protect the wolves of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. The announcement came as a response to petitions filed by several conservation entities more than two years ago.  The lack of federal protections for the wolves of the Rockies means they will continue to be in danger of trapping, snaring, and hunting and will continue to be targeted in wildlife killing contests. 

Advocacy groups continue to urge USFW to include the Rockies’ wolves under ESA protections or risk losing Yellowstone’s wolves who were reintroduced only twenty-nine years ago. The Center for Biological Diversity is considering legal action.

Minnesota Congressman Uses video of Wolf Hunting a Deer to Push Anti-Wolf Rhetoric

Minnesota Congressman Pete Stauber has called for the de-listing of Minnesota wolves, using a viral video of a wolf hunting in logging territory in order to fear-monger. The video was taken by a logger, depicting a wolf tracking a doe or un-antlered buck and killing its prey just beyond the work site. Congressman Stauber states that the video is proof that wolves “have lost any fear of humans” and therefore need to be lethally “managed.”

 This call to delist Minnesota wolves came shortly after USFW announced that it would not be extending Endangered Species Act protections to the wolf populations of the northern Rockies. 

Nimiipuu Tribe Honors the Wolf

In a three hour ceremony on January 27th, the Nimiipuu paid honor to the wolves of the inland northwest and promoted their protection. The Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) Tribe has been officially overseeing the restoration of wolves in Idaho since 1995. In recent years, Idaho’s wolf policies, including the goal to reduce the state’s wolf population by up to 90%,  have gone against restoration and protection efforts. The tribal non-profit Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment has joined a lawsuit against the state and are beginning working on a documentary on the state of Idaho wolves. 

The Wolves of Chernobyl May Have Insight to Cancer Resistance

In the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ), there are thriving populations of wolves, Eurasian bison, boars and Przewalski’s horses. Living free of human interference, these populations have been able to thrive for generations, but of particular interest to researchers are the wolves.

The wolves of the CEZ are seven times denser than the populations even on nearby wildlife reserves and this may be due to exposure to chronic, low-dose radiation that has spanned for seven or eight generations. Interestingly, the long-term exposure to radiation may have given these individuals resiliency in the face of cancer. This is not to say that they are immune to cancers, but their immune systems may be better equipped genetically to function long-term with it. Continued research of the Chernobyl wolves may play a key role in better treating cancer in humans as well. 

NPR’s Short Wave program recently met with a Princeton researcher about the ongoing wolf studies in the area.

Speak for Wolves Tenth Anniversary Conference Videos Now Available on YouTube!

We’re happy to announce that recordings from the 2023 conference are now available on our YouTube channel! You can revisit your favorite speakers and topics as often as you like!

Visit the Speak for Wolves Online Store

The Speak for Wolves online store is still stocked! Check out what we have in stock, from shirts and hoodies to books and stickers!

If you are looking to add a few items to your wardrobe, we have many clothing items on sale from previous conferences and we are down to just 14 remaining Tenth Anniversary hoodies! 

Speak for Wolves is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a GuideStar Silver seal of transparency. Donations are tax-deductible in the US: EIN: 46-2867294.