Habitat 37 Summer 2014

4 | June/July/August 2014 wi l d l i fe conser vat i on Once upon a time, wolves roamed throughout all of Michigan’s 83 counties. But when Michiganders began predator control programs back in the 1800s, the wolf population diminished rapidly. l 1840 – no wolves were left in the lower half of the Lower Peninsula. l 1935 – wolves had disappeared from the Lower Peninsula entirely. l 1960 – wolves had nearly vanished from the Upper Peninsula. In 1965, Michigan’s state legislature gave wolves full legal protection. But the species was struggling to survive. In 1973, only six wolves could be found in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, not including a small, isolated population on Isle Royale, supported by the Detroit Zoo. That’s when the federal government listed wolves as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. By 1980, a few wolves made their way into Michigan’s Upper Peninsula via Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ontario. In 1990, one pair had pups. By 1992, Upper Peninsula wolves numbered 21. The wolves were rebounding. By 2011, the wolf population had reached 687 – an all-time high. “This was a real success story in terms of wildlife protection,” says Scott Carter, Chief Life Sciences Officer at the Detroit Zoological Society (DZS). “It was the result of state and federal protection and improved timber harvesting practices that protected the wolves’ habitat, as well as public support of those measures. At the time, a majority of the public supported wolf recovery.” What’s happening to the wolves now? In January 2012, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed wolves from the federal endangered species list in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, placing management authority into the hands of the states. This is harmful to Michigan’s wolf population and Michigan’s ecosystem for a number of reasons: l Even after four decades of protection, there are fewer than 700 wolves in Michigan. The sport wolf-hunting season makes this fragile population vulnerable to the same practices that wiped them out. l Wolves possess strong social bonds and display great affection toward pack members. Some have even sacrificed themselves to protect their families. Trophy hunting removes random – not targeted – wolves We’ve Got the Pack’s Back A look at the state of wolves in Michigan … and a look forward to when they arrive at the Detroit Zoo