The consequence of error in Black Bear population management is high as bears reproduce slowly and reduced populations require many years to recover................. Excessive removal of resident adult females is one of the 1st indicators of Black Bear exploitation and will lead to a population decline........... Once a bear population is over harvested, it may take a decade or more to recover (Hilton 1981)............... Recovery is slow because of the species' inherent low rate of reproduction (Jonkel and Cowan 1971) and lengthy period of maturation............. In Ontario, females tend not to have cubs before age 5 (Kolenosky, unpubl. data), whereas bears farther south in the USA may reproduce at age 3 (Sauer 1975, Alt 1981).. .............Are Maryland State Biologists playing "Russian Roulette" with their recovering Black Bear population (estimated to be somewhere between 700 and 1000 animals)by contemplating removing kill quotas and instead randomly establishing a hunting season that allows as many Bruins to be taken(males and females without restriction) as hunters are able to bring down?

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/outdoors/bal-maryland-might-eliminate-black-bear-quota-20140228,0,5035620.story

Maryland might eliminate black bear quota

Change would give hunters a pre-determined number of days

• 
• 
• Comments

  0

•  3

From Sun staff reports

6:13 p.m. EST, March 1, 2014

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is considering eliminating the black bear hunt quota and instead opening the season for a pre-determined number of days.

The change is intended to help hunters plan more effectively and would eliminate the need for them to call a hotline each night to determine the status of the hunt.

Last October, for the first time since the hunt was revived in 2004 after a 51-year hiatus, hunters who spent parts of six days in Garrett and Allegany counties failed to meet the quota set by the DNR’s Wildlife and Heritage Service.

DNR is also accepting feedback by telephone at 410-260-8540 (toll free 877-620-8DNR ext. 8540); fax to 410-260-8596; and written mail to Karina Stonesifer, Acting Director, DNR Wildlife and Heritage Service, Tawes State Office Building E-1, Annapolis, MD, 21401.

The proposals will be presented and open for comment at the following public meetings:

Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Cadby Theatre (Room H-103) at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills.

Thursday at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria of Mountain Ridge High School in Frostburg.

The Wildlife and Heritage Service reevaluates regulations for game species every two years to ensure best management.

Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/outdoors/bal-maryland-might-eliminate-black-bear-quota-20140228,0,5035620.story#ixzz2usCKZMvb

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Md. bear hunt nears 10th year, state biologist reflects on its impact

Spiker says that though bears' population growth has slowed, range has moved 'like a wave'

• 
• 
• Comments

  0

•  73

Harry Spiker attaches an ear tag to one of four cubs in Green Ridge State Forest. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources uses microchips to tag bear cubs so that they can monitored with a scanner. (Amy Davis / Baltimore Sun / March28, 2006)

3:45 p.m. EDT, October 19, 2013

With the 10th year of the modern Maryland bear hunt approaching, state bear biologist Harry Spiker, who has managed the hunt since its return after a 51-year absence, reflected in an interview with The Baltimore Sun on what happened when the hunt returned, whether he feels it has accomplisted its goals, and where the hunt — and the bears — will be going in the future.

BS: With the 10th year of the bear hunt coming up this week (Oct. 21-26), what do you remember of the hunt back in 2004?

HS: What I remember is the attention that we got from around the world. We had interest in it from England and Japan and people commenting in the United States from as far away as California. I just remember all the controversy and the fear that some people had that we were going to wipe bears out and that they wouldn't be around. Since then, the population has continued to grow at a more controlled rate, and 10 years later, we're basically following the same model.

BS: How big is the current bear population, by your estimation, and if there was not a bear hunt, how big would it be?

HS: Our last population estimate was in 2011 and, based on that, I can comfortably say that there were more than 1,000 bears in our four western counties, more than 700 adult and sub-adult bears in Garrett and Allegany counties, which is where the hunt takes place. To be honest, I don't know if I could give a point estimate of what it would be if we had not had this hunt for the last 10 years, but I can say that it would be much, much larger than what it is.

BS: Do you think the bears would have migrated more into more populated areas such as Frederick, Montgomery and Howard counties?

HS: We're definitely seeing a range expansion of bears. We don't consider Montgomery County occupied because for us to consider a county occupied, you have to have evidence of sows giving birth to cubs there. We have so many sightings in Montgomery County. I expect they are there, we just don't know it. But I expect to color Montgomery County in on our map [as occupied] very soon. Our bear population has recolonized, moving like a wave from west to east, and I do believe we have absolutely slowed down that wave so that the eastern part of our state is minimized because of the hunt.

BS: Do you see a day when the bear hunt itself would expand to those other counties?

HS: Bears are tough to collect data on because of their large home ranges and the fact that they typically avoid people. As the populations grow there — and we're monitoring the population in Washington and Frederick counties — I can see it being expanded in the future. I don't think it's there yet. I can definitely see it happening in the future. We don't have a specific criteria set up, but we will continue to watch the expansion and the population. That's not a discussion we've had at this point. … We also will see how people respond to the bears. We do a lot of education on how to live with bears, and how people react to bears is just as important.

BS: As you mentioned, there was a lot of controversy leading into the first bear hunt, including a lawsuit the week before, trying to stop it. Do you feel as if those who were opposed then will be opposed regardless of how controlled the hunt is, or do you see the opponents beginning to understand what the intent is?

HS: I think you'll probably see both. Some people are opposed to hunting in general and will never accept hunting of any species. I can see a shift in our urban areas that people seem to be more willing to allow deer hunters into their properties now than they did 15 years ago. That's more a sociological question than a biological question.

BS: In terms of the bear population, has it changed at all?

HS: Absolutely, it's changed. Our stated goal is to slow the growth, to have a more controlled growth of the population. Our goal was not to turn the population down the other way. That's what we have done. In fact, before the first hunt, if memory serves me right, we had a ballpark figure of 330 sub-adult bears here in Allegany County. In 2011, it was over 700. I say adult [18 months and older] and sub-adult because the methods we use totally ignore the cub class. We know that's a minimum, conservative estimate.

BS: Ten years into the hunt, is there is still a lot of enthusiasm in the state for bear hunting?

HS: Interest has grown. The number of applications we've seen has climbed. A few less this year than last year — last year was our peak, at just over 4,000 applications for 340 permits. This year, we had just around 3,600 people apply for 380 permits. That first year was just over 2,000 people applied. We've definitely seen an increase in interest from the public.

BS: That first year, I read that the bear quota was taken in one day. What are expectations for this year's hunt?

HS: That's the only year we reached quota in one day. Since then, most years, it's been a four-day hunt. One year, it was a two-day hunt, and two years where it was a five-day hunt. I think we'll reach the quota of 95 to 130 bears in four to five days.

don.markus@baltsun.com

Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/outdoors/bs-sp-outdoors-bear-hunt-spiker-qa-1020-20131019,0,4423982.story#ixzz2usOkM1QY
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------www.dnr.state.md.us/.../BearHunt_HistoryMa

Bear Hunters' Guide to Hunting Black Bears in Maryland 2013

Maryland Black Bear History and Management

The black bear (Ursus americanus) is the largest terrestrial mammal native to Maryland. Currently, Maryland has a resident, breeding black bear population in the 4 westernmost counties (Garrett, Allegany, Washington, and Frederick), with the highest bear density in western Allegany County followed closely by Garrett County. Maryland shares this thriving regional population with its surrounding states of Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.
The black bear is a species native to Maryland that was once distributed statewide. Bears were historically abundant because of the excellent habitats provided by Maryland’s native woodlands, meadows, swamps, and coastal plain. The black bear population suffered, though, as European settlers colonized Maryland.

The quality of Maryland’s forests was degraded as early settlers cleared the forests to harvest timber and expand agricultural land during the 1600s and 1700s. As a result, the quality of bear habitat was also greatly degraded. In addition, settlers considered bears to be a threat to their own existence and treated them as vermin. In fact, in the mid 1700s, a bounty was established in Somerset and Worcester counties encouraging people to kill bears. Bears were indiscriminately killed throughout the 1800s and into the early 1900s. This indiscriminate killing, combined with large-scale habitat loss through uncontrolled timber cutting and a lack of conservation laws, eliminated black bears and other forest wildlife species from many parts of the state.

By the early 1900s, loss of habitat had restricted black bears to the western portion of the state. Maryland’s last black bear hunting season took place in 1953. By the mid 1960s, the black bear population was nearly extirpated and was restricted to the more remote mountainous areas of Allegany and Garrett counties. In 1972, the status of the black bear was changed from that of a “forest game” animal to being listed on the state “endangered species” list.

As Maryland’s second-growth forests have matured into a healthy and productive ecosystem, the black bear population responded by returning to parts of Maryland that had long been void of bears. Throughout the mid 1970s and 1980s, the Wildlife and Heritage Service (WHS) noted an increase in bear sightings and bear damage complaints. As a result, the black bear was removed from the state “endangered species” list in 1980 and listed as a “nongame species of special concern”. In 1985, the status of the black bear was once again changed from a nongame species to a forest game species. Hunting seasons remained closed, however, as WHS developed a research and monitoring program for Maryland’s recovering black bear population.

Thanks to the current healthy and productive condition of Maryland’s forests and the conservation measures taken throughout the mid-Appalachian region, the western Maryland landscape is now home to a healthy, thriving black bear population. DNR research and population monitoring have shown an increasing trend in the black bear population since the 1980s.

DNR monitors the population through a variety of annual surveys (Scent Station, Mortality, and Reproduction Surveys), all of which demonstrate an increasing trend in the population. Additionally, DNR periodically conducts population studies, estimating the size of the bear population. A 1991 population study estimated 79 bears in Garrett County (12.0 bears per 100 sq. mi.). In 2000, DNR conducted another population study that estimated 227 adult and subadult bears (27.3 bears per 100 sq. mi.) in Garrett and western Allegany counties. The 2000 study demonstrated a higher density of bears than was found in the adjacent Pennsylvania counties where 21.7 bears per 100 sq. mi. were reported at that time.

Another population estimate was then conducted across Garrett and Allegany counties in May and June 2005.  The results of this population study yielded an estimated population of 326 adult and subadult black bears in the same area (from Cumberland west).  This population estimate revealed a bear density of 39.2 bears per 100 square miles.  In May and June 2011, DNR completed the fieldwork necessary to establish Maryland’s most recent population estimate. 

 In 2011, 701 adult and subadult bears were estimated in Garrett and Allegany counties.  This study revealed an estimated bear density of 64.5 bears per 100 square miles in the study area

We have periodically brought to blog readers attention some of the "tip-of-the-iceberg" revelations and discoveries relating to medicine, foodstuffs and technology that have been derived or inspired by various fauna and flora found on our planet earth...............Fully half of our medicines are derived from plant sources and an untold number of health and technological products have been inspired by the various functions of our wild animal cousins...............Today we learn that our hospitals blood supplies are stored by refrigeration................The blood can only be kept usable for up to one month so hospitals are dependent on a constant supply of donors to keep blood banks topped up..............Some countries, including the US, already use blood cryopreservation but the current method requires the addition of large quantities of organic solvent, with every litre of blood requiring up to a litre of solvent to prevent the formation and growth of ice crystals which can kill the cells....................Polyvinyl alcohol -- which mimics antifreeze properties found in cold-acclimatised fish like arctic cod works by inhibiting the growth of ice crystals during thawing.........Scientists are now looking at this phenomenon and feel that one day it could be the key to increasing and preserving for longer periods of time our precious blood supplies------PRESERVING LARGE TRACTS OF WILD HABITAT WITH ALL OF NATURES CREATION IS NOT ONLY MORALLY RIGHT, IT IS COMMON-SENSE AND ECONOMIC SMART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Title: Arctic cod inspire new way to help hospitals keep blood on ice
URL: ScienceDaily 

Antifreeze proteins from fish living in icy seas have inspired a new way to freeze blood which could one day increase the precious stocks available for medical procedures.

University of Warwick researchers have found a new application for a common polymer which allows blood cells to better survive being stored at freezing temperatures. The study is published in the journal Nature Communications.

Polyvinyl alcohol -- which mimics antifreeze properties found in cold-acclimatised fish like arctic cod -- works by inhibiting the growth of ice crystals during thawing which would otherwise damage the blood cells and make them unusable in medical settings.

Arctic Cod

Currently in the UK, blood is stored by refrigeration -- but it can only be kept this way for up to one month so hospitals are dependent on a constant supply of donors to keep blood banks topped up.

These stocks can fall at certain times of the year -- for example over Christmas or during major sporting events -- which is why freezing is an attractive option.

Many other donor cells also need to be cryopreserved, including bone marrow for leukemia patients. The need for technologies such as one developed at the University of Warwick is expected to grow in importance with the growth of biobanks and the emergence of more stem cell therapies.

Some countries, including the US, already use blood cryopreservation but the current method requires the addition of large quantities of organic solvent, with every litre of blood requiring up to a litre of solvent to prevent the formation and growth of ice crystals which can kill the cells.

The organic solvent still has to be removed before the blood is used to save lives in a process which can take several days, whereas emergency transfusions require rapid availability.

The new system of freezing described by the University of Warwick researchers requires an additive of only 0.1 per cent of the volume of the blood.

Also, it doesn't need to be removed once the blood is defrosted so can be put to use rapidly.

The scientists believe the discovery offers a broad range of possible applications, from in vitro scientific research through to stem cell therapies in the clinic.

Along with Warwick Ventures, the University's technology commercialisation company, the scientists are looking to partner this technology with commercial organisations that have the expertise to develop such applications.

Dr Matthew Gibson from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Warwick said: "We know that certain types of fish survive perfectly well in sub-zero sea temperatures without their blood freezing.

"We used this as a starting point to search for synthetic substances which reflect what nature already does so well.

Arctic Cod

"On closer examination it turns out that polyvinyl alcohol -- which is actually a derivative of wood glue -- mimics the properties of the antifreeze proteins found in these kinds of fish.

"Polyvinyl alcohol has three things in its favour when applied to freezing blood.

"Firstly it reduces the growth of ice crystals during thawing, secondly it reduces the need for organic solvents -- and crucially it reduces the time between defrosting and having transfusion-ready blood by eliminating the need to remove solvent.

"Although we still need to run further tests, this new method looks very promising in terms of vastly extending the shelf life of blood stored for medical procedures and therefore preventing dangerous dips in blood availability at certain times of the year.

"In addition to these benefits for blood we are excited by the scope for other applications including cell-based therapeutics for patients with rare and serious diseases including certain cancers and neurological conditions"

The study 'Synthetic Polymers Enable Non-Vitreous Cellular Cryopreservation by Reducing Ice Crystal Growth During Thawing' is published in the journal Nature Communication

---

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of Warwick. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Robert C. Deller, Manu Vatish, Daniel A. Mitchell, Matthew I. Gibson. Synthetic polymers enable non-vitreous cellular cryopreservation by reducing ice crystal growth during thawing. Nature Communications, 2014; 5 DOI:10.1038/ncomms4244

---

Cite This Page:

The California Wolf Center in Julian is one of several facilities across the country working to breedthe Mexican Gray Wolf for return to the wild...................It is also attempting to overturn the California Dept. of Fish & Wildlife recommendation to not list the gray wolf on the endangered species list but to instead list the wolf as a species of special concern with a prohibition in place that would not allow them to be killed for any reason.................No fewer than 15 of California's indigenous languages have distinct words for "wolf," "coyote" and "dog"............In the oral traditions of five indigenous languages, wolves appear as deities or a part of ceremony or ancestral history.................Linguistic analysis has honed in on whether indigenous people distinguished between these three canids and it has been reiterated that cultural stories and traditions revealed unique treatment of the wolf -- quite distinct from roles or characteristics assigned to coyotes or dogs

San Diego Wildlife Advocates Pave Way To Restore Gray Wolves In California

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2014/feb/18/san-diego-wildlife-advocates-paving-way-restore-gr/?utm_source=kpbs.org&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=user-share

Above: Four Mexican gray wolf pups were born at the California Wolf Center in April 2011. The pups will likely be selected for breeding or release when they're old enough.

Originally published February 18, 2014 at 6:16 a.m., updated February 18, 2014 at 9:07 a.m.

By Susan Murphy

San Diego Wildlife Advocates Pave Way To Restore Gray Wolves In California

Aired 2/18/14

Efforts in San Diego County to restore Mexican gray wolves in the southwest are paying off. A recent survey shows a steady increase of the animal in the wild.

Efforts in San Diego County to restore Mexican gray wolves in the southwest are paying off. A recent survey shows a steady increase of the animal in the wild.

The Mexican gray wolf population at a recovery range in Arizona and New Mexico, where breeded animals are released, has increased to 83 — up from 75 last year, and just four in 1998. The California Wolf Center in Julian is one of several facilities across the country working to breed the endangered animal, which is a sub-species of the gray wolf.

Enlarge this image

Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Above: This map shows the Mexican gray wolf reintroduction location along the Arizona and New Mexico border.

The group is also working to pave the way for the return of gray wolves to California by proposing state and federal conservation plans and educating the public.

"Mainly because they’ll sometimes get into conflict with livestock, and people tend to have very strong feelings one way or another about wolves; they either kind of love them or they don’t," said Lauren Richie, director of California Wolf Recovery at the Wolf Center.

Earlier this month, following a yearlong review, the director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, Chuck Bonham, recommended to not list the gray wolf on the endangered species list. Instead, he advised listing the wolf as a species of special concern and that a prohibition be placed on killing of gray wolves in California.

The commission is expected to consider his recommendation and could act on it in April.

Richie said she’s puzzled by the recommendation because currently, just one gray wolf called OR7is meandering along the northern California border, and she believes the endangered species list is warranted.

"It’s kind of hard to get more endangered than that," said Richie. "But we do understand there’s a lot of scientific uncertainly. Usually when a department is looking at listing a species at the state level they’ve got to use a lot of scientific data to make that decision, and there isn’t really much because we don’t have a wolf population."

"If we could get another way to afford protections, that would be, I guess, a second best choice," she added.

More gray wolves are expected to move into California from the north as the population grows.

"It’s hard to predict how many could come," said Richie. "That really depends on the habitat and the prey base that’s available for wolves."

"We’re preparing for wolves to come back regardless of what the protections are because we think it’s inevitable and we see being proactive as a positive thing regardless of what the legal status is," Richie said.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SSU Study Sheds New Light on Wolves in California

SSU Study Sheds New Light on Wolves in California

Research shows that wolves have been a part of California's cultural heritage for thousands of years.

A study recently released by the Sonoma State University Anthropological Studies Center (ASC) sheds new light on the widespread historical distribution of wolves in the state.

The report demonstrates the historic presence of gray wolves across California and comes as the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is considering whether to protect the animals under the state's Endangered Species Act. 

"The new research is relevant to the state's decision," said Lauren Richie, Northern California associate director for the California Wolf Center, "since it provides evidence of the widespread distribution of California's wolf population across diverse habitats before wolves were hunted to extinction here."

The study, conducted by the University's staff archeologist Michael Newland and faunal specialist Michael Stoyka, found linguistic and cultural evidence indicating that indigenous peoples across California had words for, and rituals involving, wolves.

WHY IT MATTERS

ASC staff archaeologist Mike Newland explains the importance of the wolf study for the future of habitat restoration

"This was an engaging project for several reasons. The first is that the study has immediate applicability--the California Wolf Center is working with state and federal agencies to try to determine what the pre-contact population and distribution of the gray wolf might have looked like here.

The second is that big predators tend to be elusive in the archaeological record--generally, native peoples either didn't eat large predators or did so only under certain circumstances. You rarely find large predator bone on an archaeological site, and when you do, it's in very small quantities.

The third, and perhaps, for me personally, the most important reason this project was intriguing was its implications for habitat restoration. I study the pending impacts of climate change on archaeological sites. Each day that passes, we get more data showing that the more intact, and larger, an ecosystem is, the more likely it is to withstand the effects of climate change.

Increasingly, environmental scientists looking to reconstruct pre-contact habitat are turning to archaeology to finds out what kinds of plants and animal species were here.

The archaeological record contains a wide variety of animal bone, seeds, pollen, and wood charcoal--it's a cross-section of what was available at the time the site was used.

Our wolf study is a small piece of that puzzle. It's part of our efforts to help inform policy decisions that, over the next century, will affect us all.

No fewer than 15 of California's indigenous languages have distinct words for "wolf," "coyote" and "dog," and in the oral traditions of five languages, wolves appear as deities or a part of ceremony or ancestral history.

The wolf is a creator deity, for instance, in Southern Paiute traditions; sorcerers are capable of turning into wolves in Tolowa traditions; and three Northern California tribes -- the Karuk, Hoopa and Yurok -- used wolf fur in their dance regalia. Evidence also exists that some California tribes ate wolves as food.

The widespread distribution of evidence implies the wolf itself once had an expansive range, from north to south and from east to west throughout the state, says Newland. "In modern times we talk about wolves being ecologically important," said Amaroq Weiss, a West Coast wolf organizer at the Center for Biological Diversity, "but this research shows us that wolves have been a part of California's cultural heritage for thousands of years."

Previous research had compiled historical accounts of sightings of wolves in California by European explorers and settlers, and these accounts were from locations scattered widely across the state. But because it was not always clear that observers were familiar with, and could distinguish between, wolves, coyotes and dogs, the reliability of such accounts had been called into question.

The new study's linguistic analysis honed in on whether indigenous people distinguished between these three canids, and the study's examination of the role ascribed to wolves in cultural stories and traditions revealed unique treatment of the wolf -- quite distinct from roles or characteristics assigned to coyotes or dogs.

"This study sets a baseline for understanding that many indigenous people across California came into contact with wolves and also helps to identify additional research areas that would broaden our understanding of the historical distribution, role and cultural significance of wolves in California," said Newland.

Wolves were driven to extinction in California by the mid-1920s, but in late 2011 a wolf from Oregon, known as OR-7 or "Journey," entered California and remained in the state for 15 months, wandering throughout seven northern counties before returning to Oregon in March.

The dispersal of this wolf into California sparked efforts to gain full state protections for the species, in anticipation that Oregon's growing wolf population will result in more wolves finding their way into California.

A state listing petition filed in 2012 by the Center for Biological Diversity and allies resulted in the gray wolf being declared a candidate for listing; the state is expected to complete its status review and issue a recommendation on listing late this year.

This project was administered by the California Wolf Center and was supported with funds from the California Wolf Center, Center for Biological Diversity, Klamath Forest Alliance, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club California and Winston Thomas, Ph.D.

The full assessment can be found athttp://californiawolfcenter.org/downloads/Historical-Presence-Wolves-in-California.pdf

Contacts:

Michael Newland, Sonoma State University Anthropological Studies Center,
(707) 664-2734
Lauren Richie, California Wolf Center, (443) 797-2280
Amaroq Weiss, Center for Biological Diversity, (707) 779-9613

Images provided by the California Wolf Center.

The Politics of rewilding can drive an mpatient man to drink............When you read about the manipulations and permutations going on in both the Mexican And Red Wolf rewilding programs(Arizona/New Mexico-Mexican and Barrier Islands North Carolina-Red), you would think that we are reading about LIFE DISCOVERED ON MARS "oh my god, is it true" hystrionics, proclamations and declarations coming from both the Pro and Anti Wolf Camps...............Well, at the end of the day, I am still glad that thee two EFFORTS are underway, despite the "two steps back, one step forward" progress being made on each front...............Gene Infusion taking place for the Mexican Wolves to bolster their reproductive resilency through the release of two captive bred females into the wild populaition,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Fighting tooth ana nail in North Carolina to stop night shooting of Coyotes which is resulting in increase number of Wolves "a

Female wolves will boost gene pool

Read More

  | 

Female wolves will boost gene pool

• ABQnews Seeker
 
• New Mexico News
 
• News

By Lauren Villagran / Journal Staff Writer - Las Cruces Bureau
PUBLISHED: Tuesday, February 18, 2014 at 12:05 am

Two wolves in, one out.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will introduce two endangered Mexican wolves into the wild and remove another, the agency said.

An interagency field team took two male wolves from the wild in January and paired them with two females in captivity. When the couples are released in Arizona, the females will be considered “new” to the wild population – and important contributors to a gene pool that has been taxed by inbreeding, according to the agency.

Mexican Wolf in Arizona

“The pairing of genetically valuable females with males with wild experience accomplishes two goals, adding genetically valuable genes into the population and replacing wolves that were taken illegally,” Benjamin Tuggle, Fish and Wildlife Southwest Regional Director, said in a statement.

The two “new” wolves will replace two of the four wolves that were illegally killed last year.

The agency has been managing the reintroduction of the species to national forests in New Mexico and Arizona. A 2013 census showed a minimum of 83 wolves in the wild, up from 75 wolves in 2012. It was the fourth consecutive year of population growth.

“This population needs a big infusion of new genes from the captive population,” said Michael Robinson, a wolf advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity. “Two additional wolves are a very important first step but aren’t nearly enough to combat the ongoing inbreeding.”

Red Wolf in North Carolina Barrier Islands

In a Feb. 12 memorandum, the Fish and Wildlife Southwest office said it plans to capture an uncollared wolf in the Gila National Forest in response to a series of cattle depradations. The memorandum attributed the deaths of four cows in a recent 10-day period to an uncollared wolf in the Fox Mountain pack’s territory.

Clashes with ranchers occasionally lead to the removal of wolves. The federal agency pulled four wolves from the wild last year.