The PAW Act and Wolves Update Summer 2009

We are making some serious headway this summer! On the heels of Palin's exit as Alaska's Governor, 15 more representatives signed on as cosponsors for the PAW Act, bringing the PAW Act cosponsor count to an impressive 106 representatives in the House. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island joined Senators Dianne Feinstein of California and Ben Cardin of Maryland as a Senate cosponsor of the PAW Act. It is important to note that the PAW Act was actually introduced by California Senator Dianne Feinstein. Thank you to everyone in government for your support!

With the funds that Defenders of Wildlife has received in support of wolves, they were able to run a powerful new ad in Roll Call, one of Capitol Hill’s most influential publications. By doin so, a powerful message has been sent to Congress about the need for action to save wolves.

Even with the addition of some very powerful allies, there remains a serious battle ahead. Now is the time to step up our efforts in this fight.

Please consider making a donation to help support the Campaign to Stop the Alaska Wolf Massacre’s efforts to captialize on this amazing momentum and build even more vital support for the PAW Act.

Representatives are headed to their home districts for the August congressional recess, and senators will return home at the end of the week. However, we must continue our fight to end Alaska’s awful aerial wolf-killing programs and to prevent this terrible practice from spreading to other states.

We have to make August the month to gain more wildlife supporters! Defenders is putting the spotlight on the dirty truth about aerial gunning through their powerful new video and contacting more Congressional offices to build support for the PAW Act. Please help them by reaching out to others for further support and by stepping up your financial support, if you are able. Please remember that everyone can do something. Strong voices are needed just as much as monetary dontations.

Please lend your voice or make a donation - or both! - to support the efforts of Defenders of Wildlife throughout August to build even more support for the PAW Act.

Together, we can Save the Wolves Now!

Sarah Palin Resigns as Alaskan Governor July 3, 2009

Wolves dead since 2003: 1074

Body count so far this season: 251

Goodbye, Ms. Palin. Oh, how I do not hate to see you go.

Apparently, that sentiment is shared by so many others. Read Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund President Rodger Schlickeisen's response to the resignation of Alaska governor, Sarah Palin:


Palin's Resignation Leaves Wake of Wildlife Devastation: Parnell Has Opportunity to Chart New Science-Based Path
"Governor Palin's surprise resignation comes at a crucial point for wildlife and wild places in Alaska. In the just two and a half years of her term, she has made a series of decisions that prove she had absolutely no interest in being an environmental steward of the unique natural treasure that is Alaska.

"Instead, Governor Palin ignored our nation's leading wildlife laws and filed senseless lawsuits to pursue her anti-wildlife agenda. Palin's increasingly extreme anti-wildlife management policies included shooting wolves from airplanes and helicopters, using airplanes to track black and brown bears then shooting them from the ground, and the gassing of wolf pups in their dens. She even targeted wolves that had been part of a fifteen year long scientific study conducted by the National Park Service. All this, as well as her decision to fight much needed protections for both polar bears and Cook Inlet beluga whales, shows her blatant disregard for both science and environmental laws.

"Her efforts were, and still are, a threat to the natural integrity of America's last frontier, a state that boasts many national wildlife refuges, forests, parks and other federal lands, covering more than 200 million acres of the state. And if this isn't enough, Palin's persistent denial of global warming is sure to fast make her a political relic.

"Palin's successor, Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell, must now decide whether he intends to extend Palin's devastating and destructive wildlife legacy even further, or whether he intends to chart a new path, by removing politics from wildlife management and restoring science to the decision making process. He can be sure that Defenders will be paying close attention to his decisions."

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The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund (www.defendersactionfund.org) provides a powerful voice in Washington to Americans who value our conservation heritage. Through grassroots lobbying, issue advocacy and political campaigns, the Action Fund champions those laws and lawmakers that protect wildlife and wild places while working against those that do them harm.

Another Wolf Killed

One of the rarest in the world - a Southwest Mexican wolf (also known as a "lobo") who scientists gave the designation of "F836" - has been added to the list of wolves that have been caught in the crossfire, literally, of the wolf debate.

The Lobo bearing the ID of F836 had been raised in South Salem at the New York’s Wolf Conservation Center and then released into her native habitat in Arizona late last year.

However, in sad news, a poacher killed her just two months after her release into the wild and then dumped this poor Southwest Mexican wolf (as though she were garbage) along a road near Pinetop, Arizona. While this story is very sad, there is more tragedy ahead for the others just like her if wolves don't get the treatment and protection that they deserve.

We must take steps to fight lawless wolf haters and killers such as the one who has senselessly and shamelessly killed this lobo. Action must be funded in the courts to put an end to mismanagement of the lobo recovery program and support effective on-the-ground education, organization and conservation efforts to save lobos like F836, not to mention other endangered animals.

Lobos like F836 are the most endangered wolves in the world. In fact, they are so endangered that only 52 lobos -- with only two breeding pairs of these Southwest wolves -- now exist in the wild.

According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, illegal shooting was the leading cause of documented loss of lobos in 2008.

It is time to start going after hateful, lawless wolf killers!

We all know that there is a better way to manage wolves in the southwest. Recently, progress was made by an important initial legal victory to return wolf management responsibilities to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and to end the controversial “three-strikes” rule that has led to the unwarranted killing and removal of lobos from their natural habitat in the wild.

Only 52 lobos remain in the wild, and the fight to save these rare and deserving wolves from extinction will be an uphill battle, but it needs to be done because there aren't many left.

Your compassionate contribution to Defenders of Wildlife will help pay for rewards to bring the killer of wolf F836 to justice and will assist in the prosecution of the criminals who kill endangered wolves.


Time is of the essence. Please Save The Wolves Now!

What Is Sarah Palin Doing To Wolves?

Have you heard the latest news? What is the deal with Sarah Palin and wolves?

Just last week, 84 wolves were killed by means of aerial hunting, AND now, Governor Palin is "gunning" for the ability to drop poison gas into the wolf dens where wolf pups live. In fact, Palin’s Board of Game has already approved the use of poison gas and deadly snares to kill defenseless wolf pups and their families in and around their dens.

Why the hatred, Sarah Palin?

It is time for us to come forward in a big way. For the first time ever, I am asking everyone reading this who cares about wolves to pick up the telephone and call Governor Palin's Office to express your objections to her slaughter of wolves. Obviously, Sarah Palin does not have her direct line posted on her website; however, she does have a Communications Director by the name of Bill McAllister, and he can be reached by phone at 907-269-7450.

Then, I want you to send Governor Palin an email.

Finally, I would like to see you print off your email in letter form and then fax it to 907-269-7461. Her website does indicate that fax communications are preferred so don't pass up the opportunity to give her what she wants.

And one last thing, please support Defenders of Wildlife as they need the funds to run their most recent ad concerning wolf pups so that people can be informed concerning Sarah Palin's true nature. Defenders of Wildlife is also in need of funds for continued legal proceedings being handled by Earthjustice on behalf of wolves everywhere.

Please also feel free to print off the Defenders of Wildlife ad and post everywhere you can.

The presidential race is over; however, the race to save wolves is ON! We all need to take a collective deep breath and reaffirm our commitment to see the wolves and their pups running wild and free - - and safe under protections of the Endangered Species Act.

Please do all that you can and do it today and everyday to Save The Wolves Now!

Wolves Threatened Again

Last Friday, March 6, 2009, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stated its intention to move ahead with the Bush Administration's anti-predator plan. Translation: Removal of wolves from the Endangered Species Act which would effectively take away protections from gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains and upper Midwest.

Wolves in the above regions still have yet to recover from the last onslaught and greatly need protections under the Endangered Species Act.

Idaho and Montana will likely begin the killing of wolves as soon as they are permitted, and this could mean certain death to approximately 1,000 wolves who now make Greater Yellowstone - Glacier National Park area their home. No thanks to state-sponsored wolf hunts.


When wolves were removed from the Endangered Species Act for just four months in 2008, 110 wolves lost their lives, one of which was the famous Limpy.
.

Please take action to Save The Wolves Now!

Obama / Salazar Effort to Destroy Wolves

President Obama's hands are not free of blood, either. Of course, now that the campaigning is over, and Barack Obama has gotten what he wanted, he is showing his true colors. I am not surprised. I realize that there were many readers of this blog who thought that I was bashing Palin because I was an Obama supporter, but stick around and read a while back, and you will find that I was not happy with any of our choices on Election Day.

Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar, approved the Bush Administration’s plan to eliminate Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in Idaho and Montana. Then, the Obama Administration reaffirmed the deadly Bush-era delisting plan, and another round of wolf killing could begin in just weeks.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced that he intends to follow the path of the Bush Administration and delist wolves in the Northern Rockies and Greater Yellowstone region. Just six weeks into the Obama Administration, the slaughter of wolves is reaffirmed and continued. This delisting paves the way for almost 1000 wolves to be killed under deadly state management plans in Idaho and Montana. The killing could begin in just weeks.

Please make an emergency donation now to support our Northern Rockies and Greater Yellowstone Wolf Legal Defense Fund. The removal of wolves from the Endangered Species Act leaves wolves at the mercy of state governments, and we already know how they feel about the wolves. They wish to slaughter nearly 1,000 wolves as soon as possible. Just last year, in 2008, when federal wolf protections were temporarily lifted in that region of the country, in excess of 100 wolves were killed very quickly -- including the world renowned "Limpy" of theDruid Peak Pack.

Worse still, regular wolf hunting seasons could begin as early as this fall in Idaho and Montana -- and Idaho Governor “Butch” Otter has restated that he still wants the first available hunting tag to shoot a wolf himself! What are we going to do? We simply cannot stand by and watch as this out-of-control killing of wolves goes on.

For over 35 years, Defenders of Wildlife has fought for protection of wolves. Defenders of Wildlife was there when the first of the wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park, and they have been there to defend them every day since.

The delisting of wolves could lead to the deaths of more than 1,000 wolves -- including wolves in the western Greater Yellowstone ecosystem!

Please call the US Fish and Wildlife Service at 1-800-344-9453 (between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM Eastern Time, Monday-Friday), select option “3” (for endangered species) and hit “0” to speak with the operator. Once you are connected, please let them know of your extreme disappointment in Interior Secretary Salazar’s decision to implement the Bush Administration’s flawed plan to eliminate Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in Idaho and Montana.

If wolf protections are lifted, nearly two-thirds of the wolves in the Northern Rockies could be killed almost immediately. Please strongly urge Secretary Salazar to stop the implementation of this awful decision and to reconsider his approach to wolf conservation in the Northern Rockies.

We need to make our voices heard! Secretary Salazar and the Obama Administration need to know how strongly we Americans feel about the support and protection of our wolves. Please contact President Obama, and please use every form of communication available in doing so in an effort to let your voice be heard concerning wolf protections.

Salazar’s wolf proposal could appear in the Federal Register within the month, paving the way for the slaughter of wolves this spring. Please call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today at 1-800-344-9453, and let federal officials know that you oppose the elimination of federal protections for our wolves.

Please donate to the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund as they are preparing for a legal challenge to Salazar’s decision.

Wolves are dying at the hands of unconscionable humans with skewed agendas. Our wolves cannot speak for themselves, and they do not know nor do they understand what is happening to them. We must speak for them to Save The Wolves Now!

Eye On Palin - Ashley Judd - Defenders of Wildlife

Another "Thank You" to Ashley Judd for setting the record straight on Sarah Palin's wolf-hating ways.

The video that Ashley Judd did sending a message about Sarah Palin was featured on The Today Show and The View. Finally, the wolves have America's attention, and Sarah Palin's wolf killing ways have been exposed.

The nation is talking about Sarah Palin's terrible wolf-killing program -- and now Sarah Palin needs to hear from you. Please let your voices be heard - - to include emailing Governor Sarah Palin
and urging her to stop her senseless and extremely unscientific aerial wolf killing program.

Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund's Eye on Palin campaign tells the truth about Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin’s anti-conservation agenda, all while she attempts to lay the groundwork for national recognition. Well, friends, I say let's give it to her - - national recognition, that is. Let's make sure that everyone in America knows what Palin stands for and how she treats wildlife.

Defenders of Wildlife has created a new website. Eye on Palin eyeonpalin.org, contains Ashley Judd's powerful video detailing Sarah Palin’s cruel aerial wolf killing program. That video has already been viewed more than 135,000 times on YouTube.

Ashley Judd helped Defenders of Wildlife in the Fall of 2008 to expose Governor Palin’s efforts to eliminate vital federal protections for America’s struggling polar bears. As Sarah Palin expands the barbaric and unscientifically supported aerial slaughter of wolves, Ashley Judd is taking a stand again. This time on behalf of our wolves.

Ashley Judd has said: "I am outraged by Sarah Palin's promotion of this cruel, unscientific and senseless practice which has no place in modern America. I am proud to be a part of Defenders Action Fund’s efforts to stop it.”

Watch Ashley Judd’s new video, and let your conscience be your guide. The wolves need you to take action now. It is time for Sarah Palin to find out that there are people who care about how she treats the wolves and all of the wildlife that Alaska is steward to.

It is obvious that Sarah Palin enjoys being in the limelight and is doing all she can to grab the national stage. With your help, we can give her what she wants; however, it will not be in the light that she desires. Let's shed light on her senseless killing of animals and use our voices and that limelight to educate all of America concerning the true character of Sarah Palin.

Act right away, and Save The Wolves Now!

Ashley Judd Video / Sarah Palin's Stance on Wolves

Ashley Judd takes on Sarah Palin concerning her stance on wolves and wildlife in general:

Watch it here at Ashley Judd Video

Thank you Ashley Judd for joining the fight to Save the Wolves Now!

Wolves in 2009 - Bush/Cheney Last Ditch Effort

Is anyone wondering what is going on in the fight to protect wolves? Well, I have bad news today.

Just today, the Bush/Cheney Administration has moved for elimination of federal protections currently in place for wolves in the Northern Rockies, including Greater Yellowstone. That effort - if their attempt is successful -- can result in the deaths of over 1,000 wolves (that's two-thirds of all the wolves living in the region).

It is my understanding that Defenders of Wildlife is already pursuing the incoming Obama Administration and conservationists in Congress to reverse the Bush/Cheney eleventh-hour attack on our wolves. Earthjustice (Defenders of Wildlife attorneys) are prepared, as always, for immediate legal action challenging this most recent attempt at delisting wolves in the Northern Rockies region, including the northern and western parts of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem.

Please help Defenders of Wildlife. You can do this by making a donation of financial support, but if you cannot afford to, please get the word out. Talk to your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, and even bosses (some of you out there actually have caring bosses who may want to help).

Over 100 wolves have already been killed. Tragically, Limpy, the famous Yellowstone wolf, was one of those fallen when protections were previously removed by the Bush/Cheney Administration.

All is not lost. Vital protections have been restored as quickly as they were removed not one year ago. We must remain steadfast. In their arrogance and ignorance, the Bush/Cheney Administration is using their final hours in office to attempt to push through the same plan that failed previously.

Prior to the successful court fight that stopped the Bush/Cheney Administration from delisting wolves earlier this year, the state of Idaho had plans in place to kill nearly half of the wolves in the state in the first year after delisting. Under delisting, terrible plans like this would remain in place.

Defenders of Wildlife has been responsible for reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone and central Idaho, and Defenders of Wildlife is taking that mission very seriously. They are not going to let the wolves go without protections.

The battle for wolf protections was won last spring, and wolf protections were reinstated after the Bush/Cheney Administration tried to eliminate important safeguards for wolves in the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Rockies area.

Still, here we are. The Bush/Cheney Administration is making one last attempt to have wolves placed at the mercy of state officials determined to kill them.

We can stop it, just as we did before. The time has come once more to
Save the Wolves Now!

Wolf Protections Under Attack Again

So, Sarah Palin has returned to Alaska and will not be taking the title of V.P. in January; however, we must not forget about her. She is still Alaska's governor, and she will still launch attacks on wolves.

Next up is Obama to move into the White House in January and to become America's first black president. While he appears to be friendlier toward the environment and wildlife, how will his financial policies affect all of us? If America has put in a more environmentally responsible president but that president is not so socially or people friendly (think finances, taxes, your net pay, and consequently, your ability to fund the causes that you believe in), how are we any better off?

Time will tell. As for me, I would like to know where my hard-earned money is going, and I want to be the one who chooses who my money helps. Of particular concern to me is my continued ability to support Defenders of Wildlife and Earthjustice in their efforts to protect wildlife, in particular, wolves at this time. If I'm being taxed more than I am now, it will be like receiving a paycut, and if I'm bringing home less money, how can I afford to continue to fund causes that matter to me? I am an environmentalist, not a socialist.

That being said, President Bush apparently desires to be remembered for many things as he exits the oval office this January - many of which are not good. He is at it again when it comes to wolf protections.

Yes, you heard it right. This is not the same assault that was launched by the Bush administration earlier this year. Bush is again trying to strip wolves of federal protections.

Even though the prior attempts have failed, the Fish and Wildlife Service has once again presented with another murderous proposal. The most recent proposal will permit the killing of nearly 1,000 wolves in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana.

We need to be a voice for wolves everywhere. Please let the Fish and Wildlife Service know that northern Rockies gray wolves deserve a place on the Endangered Species List.

Also please support Earthjustice and Defenders of Wildlife in their efforts to fight on behalf of the wolf. Thanks to Earthjustice's efforts, a federal judge previously ruled in favor of gray wolves. That was in July of this year. That federal judge found the proposal to be illegal and found several flaws in the Fish and Wildlife Service's proposal. We need the same results, and Earthjustice will once again come to the aid of our wolves.

We cannot allow anyone to take wolves off of the Endangered Species List. If this fight is lost, it will result in the reinstatement of wolf hunts and all out slaughter in the states of Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana.

Everyone agrees that they would like to see wolves come off of the Endangered Species List; however, they need to come off of it under the right conditions. The right conditions include their restoration to the point of being nowhere near threatened or extinct, and they need to be safe.

Presently, there is a decline in wolf population due to aerial and ground hunts, trapping, poisoning, and all other heinous means of killing that wolf haters can come up with and get away with. Ideally, 2,000-3,000 wolves minimum is required to allow for genetic exchange between Yellowstone's wolves and wolves throughout the northern Rockies. From there, the creation of laws that would keep wolves out of danger would be the best case scenario. We are not even close to these conditions at this time. However, we can reach our goal of wolf recovery if we continue in this fight to prevent mass slaughter of the wolf, as seen in the 19th century.

First, we must win the battle at hand. Secondly, if we are to prevent 19th century mass slaughter of wolves, we must educate everyone concerning the wolf and its true behavior. Education is essential to prevent 19th century mentality concerning this issue because it is 19th century mentality that makes these occurrences possible. Lastly, we must continue with public education and never let our guard down concerning this issue as modern society continues to villainize the wolf - - in our news (newspapers, news reports on television and internet, and even in Hollywood).

For the time being, it is first things first. Tell the Fish and Wildlife Service that you oppose the delisting of gray wolves and that you intend to Save the Wolves Now!

National Wolf Awareness Week

I thought I'd wrap up National Wolf Awareness Week with a tribute to a domesticated canine that I came to know so very long ago (as my true thanks would have to go to the wolf, for without the wolf, I would have never known the love of a dog). That dog is responsible for my lifelong love and concern of all canines everywhere and forever.

Being an only child, my first "true blue" childhood friend was a dog. Not just any dog, either. A stray dog who later would be known as "Brownie" by me and my family. We never knew much about Brownie, only that a brown stray dog that was running the neighborhood streets had one day wandered up into the yard where I was playing. From there, this dog befriended me. My family never took Brownie in. Regrettably, he remained a stray who visited me often. His love and devotion to me was quite apparent, and I only recently learned that Brownie was taken to a farm outside the city because he had become "over-protective" of me. I never knew that about him, and it deeply saddened me - even now, so many years later - that we were separated because of his love and devotion to me. I was afterall a toddler and an only child, and who the heck knows? Maybe I needed protection. I know that I certainly needed a friend, and Brownie was definitely that. And more. For the better part of my life, I wanted a dog (my mom was always a "cat person" so we never had a dog when I was growing up - - Brownie was my first canine experience). My wanting of a dog has never stopped, even though I've now had a few. I never realized until the day that my mom told me this story why I have been so involved with dogs nor did I ever understand why there always seemed to be some void I was trying to fill. Life is just not the same, and it is true that a house just isn't a home without a dog to share it with.

Wolf Man on 20/20

This coming Friday, October 24, 2008, 20/20 is going to feature the true story of a man who has made a pack of wolves his family. Also, we will be able to see the introduction of his girlfriend to the wolves.

See the preview here: http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=5969585

Shaun Ellis is the "wolf man" I mention here. He is a British wolf behavior expert. He is based at Combe Martin Wildlife Park in North Devon, England, where he manages a resident wolf pack and observes them. This is where Shaun Ellis was able to realize his lifelong dream of raising wild wolf cubs. Three wolf cubs who were abandoned at birth became his charges. Over the course of 18 months, he lived with and interacted with them. After that time, he introduced them to the resident wolf pack of Combe Martin Wildlife Park. Until the introduction, he had served as alpha male. As alpha male, he had to teach them how to be wolves, how to howl, etc. The research of the "wolf man" includes living in a trailer on the outskirts of the wolf pack's home and becoming a member of their pack. He is of the belief that living as closely as possible to wolves is the best way to understand them. While living among the wolves, he takes on all of their behavior to include growling, howling, licking and even snarling. He eats with them.

The "wolf man" has always had an interest in all wild things. Born and raised in Norfolk, England, he lived on an isolated farm enveloped by the woods. Shaun Ellis trained as a gamekeeper but then left that position once it was discovered by Ellis' supervisor that Ellis intended to release animals who had been gathered into the countryside. There would be many jobs to follow; however, Shaun Ellis never gave up his lifelong dream to study wolves and in particular, to study the Yellowstone National Park wolves. After some service in the Army, Ellis was able to save up enough money to cover the costs associated with making the trip to pursue his dream. Once there, Ellis spent the next seven years on an Idaho Indian reservation with the Nez Perce Indians. The Nez Perce Indians taught Shaun Ellis how to properly observe wolves in the wild. Each night, Shaun Ellis would record wild wolf howls coming from the woods and then study them the next day. After recording and playing back wolf howls repeatedly, Ellis began to able to distinguish individual pack members. Shaun Ellis began to understand that wolves are highly intelligent and highly instinctive animals who give trust and balance abundantly within the pack's social order. It is these characteristics that many humans fail to acknowledge, do not know, or simply misunderstand about the wolf.

Shaun Ellis filmed a series for Animal Planet that gives us a look into his world of wolf observation. The series is entitled "Living with the Wolf Man" and lets us see how he introduced and eventually integrated Helen Jeffs (girlfriend) into the pack. Together, they are promoting awareness of wolf behavior and conservation.

The National Geographic Channel has also featured a Shaun Ellis documentary entitled "A Man Among Wolves".

Given that 20/20 will be featuring this amazing couple this Friday, I am relieved to know that everyone watching will finally to get to hear something from someone who is not only pro-wolf but someone who is pro-wolf because he has studied wolves up close and personally. Shaun Ellis' firsthand, ground-breaking experience with wolves makes him a valuable source of information and much-needed advocate for our wolves. This very important work that Ellis and Jeffs are doing is so necessary - even timely - given the plight of the wolf and all of the voices of fear and hatred aimed at wolves out there. So much of the anti-wolf campaign is being driven by people who lack education, knowledge, and experience. We need more voices like Ellis and Jeffs, and I want to thank Shaun Ellis and Helen Jeffs for all that they have done and are doing to Save The Wolves Now!

Palin Family Troopergate and Parents' Living Room

Some of you have been asking about and looking for the picture of Sarah Palin's parents' living room. I have posted it above for you. From the looks of it, animal slaughter just runs in the family.

"What is Troopergate, as it relates to Sarah Palin?", some may ask. I know that I wondered. Fortunately, for this blog at this time, officials have concluded their investigation so I can give you the complete rundown on it - - from start to finish.

I have to warn you that some of this will sound like the kettle calling the pot black, but it is best described in one word: Politics which can also sometimes mean "talking out of both sides of your mouth".

Quite a while back, The Washington Post reported the following on the subject: “Republican presidential candidate John McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, is an ethics reformer under an ethics investigation that is plowing through private domestic matters. Palin is under investigation to determine whether she pressured and then fired the state police chief in July because he refused to dismiss her former brother-in-law. At the time, the governor's younger sister was involved in a bitter divorce and child custody dispute with the man, a state trooper. A bipartisan committee of the state legislature voted unanimously to hire a retired prosecutor to investigate. His report is due in October.”

This investigation also revealed something we already suspected, and that is that Sarah Palin and family members have no regard for wildlife, unless it can be used to her advantage - - namely for the purpose of her political campaigning. Apparently, Sarah Palin's sister got a hunting permit and then invited her husband, Wooten, to come along for her moose hunting trip. Molly had no interest in taking a shot at the moose when the time came; therefore, she had her husband shoot the moose even though it is illegal to shoot an animal using a borrowed permit. The hunting permit must be in the hunter's name, of course.

Sarah Palin's father butchered the moose for the Wootens. Clearly, Palin and extended family members had no objections or problems with the illegal kill of the moose. They subsequently took part in "dressing" the moose and then turning it into family dinner, who knows how many times.

Anyone who has been keeping up with Sarah Palin's wildlife kill record should not be surprised at this; however, the disgust comes with her hypocrisy in making an issue of Trooper Wooten's illegal killing of the moose.

Apparently, the only illegal killing of any wildlife that Sarah Palin takes issue with are the illegal kills made by people she does not like. Most obviously, the other thing that Palin takes issue with is when someone fails to follow her instructions, even when it is an abuse of her power. Case in point: It is believed by many involved in the investigation that Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan was fired by Palin when he refused to discharge Mike Wooten who was a state trooper under Monegan.

The 263 page report of the investigation into the goings-on that led up to the scrutinizing of Palin's actions reflects that Palin allowed the family grudge to cloud her judgment, even if it wasn't the entire reason for firing Monegan.

Back in September, Palin told Charlie Gibson of ABC News "[Wooten] is still a trooper." "Commissioner Monegan was replaced because he wasn't reaching the goals that our cabinet members were to reach, find efficiencies, put new vision, new energy into all of our departments."

Sarah Palin made the following statement to reporters from Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
"It is important for a governor to take on the responsibility of making sure that everybody in her cabinet is in the right place at the right time to best serve the public," Palin said. "I dismissed a cabinet member because he wasn't the right person at the right time in his position -- dismissed him having nothing to do with telling him to hire or fire anybody else."

However, the report of the investigation states that Sarah Palin violated the state Ethics Act. Bottomline is Palin abused her power.

Now, if only the would investigate her illegal killing and hunting of Alaska's wildlife because clearly, the above isn't the only time that Palin abuses her power.

Keep that in mind long after the election. No doubt her wildlife slaughters are far from over.

Each and every day, we must remember that we need to Save The Wolves Now!

National Wolf Awareness Week

Dogs and Wolves - - How Different Are They From Each Other?

For fun today but also to provoke some deep thought, I wanted to post a fable here to help you to consider the relationship between the wild and wonderful wolf and our domesticated canine friend also known as "man's best friend", the dog.

The Dog and the Wolf (Aesop Fable)

A gaunt Wolf was almost dead with hunger when he happened to meet a House-dog who was passing by. "Ah, Cousin," said the Dog. "I knew how it would be; your irregular life will soon be the ruin of you. Why do you not work steadily as I do, and get your food regularly given to you?"
"I would have no objection," said the Wolf, "if I could only get a place."

"I will easily arrange that for you," said the Dog "come with me to my master, and you shall share my work."

So the Wolf and the Dog went towards the town together. On the way there the Wolf noticed that the hair on a certain part of the Dog's neck was very much worn away, so he asked him how that had come about.

"Oh, it is nothing," said the Dog. "That is only the place where the collar is put on at night to keep me chained up; it chafes a bit, but one soon gets used to it."

"Is that all?" said the Wolf. "Then good-bye to you, Master Dog."

Better starve free than be a fat slave.

So, our wolves run free. They live free.

When you think about it, wolves are not so different from our dogs. Our dogs have evolved several generations; therefore, their behaviors have evolved. We can keep them as pets. However, how far apart is the divide between dogs and wolves?

If we keep our dogs outside and do not let them share our homes, they will roam and eventually meet up with other dogs who roam free. If we do not provide a meal to our canine companions, they will hunt for their survival. Dogs who are introduced to these conditions will begin to run free together, hunt together, and eat together. They will create a pack. They will establish hierarchy in their pack. They will begin to lose their socialization with humans and become skiddish and afraid of us. They may even attempt to bite the hand that reaches for them or charge the person who corners them.

Statistics reflect that a dog that isn't properly "socialized" (such as tied out in the yard to a tree or kept behind a fence in the backyard and ignored) is more likely to bite a human due to fear of humans.

In the dog world, we also talk about "prey instinct" or "prey drive". Some dogs are more likely to chase than others are. You know the dog that I speak of. We have all known at least one. When outside, they notice everything around them and give chase if a bird, squirrel, or even a cat is spotted. Is this a trait specific to our dog companions? Certainly not. This is their heritage as descendants of the wolf.

Unfortunately, because we expect dogs to be domesticated, we have higher expectations of them. When an ordinary dog exhibits any of its natural, innate behaviors on a full-time basis, some call them "feral", others call them "stray", and when these dogs are trapped because they are running free in packs, they then beome "shelter dogs". If their "wolf" like behaviors persist, we call them "unadoptable". If we feel sorry for them and take them into our homes and try to keep them there, they become known as "bad dog".

But the canines that we have come to accept as behaving that way and living outdoors for centuries now - but not without its problems - we call the wolf.

So, what is the difference between our dogs and wolves? Not a whole lot with the exception of we take dogs into our homes, care for them, and provide for them. We give them a place in our hearts.

So, why not the wolf? Let's give the wolf a place in our hearts so that we can Save The Wolves Now!

National Wolf Awareness Week

Wolf Reintroduction

What exactly is it? What does it mean? Why all the controversy?

Reintroduction of wolves involves re-establishment of a population of wolves into areas where they had been previously extirpated, but this re-establishment is by artificial means. Reintroduction of wolves is only possible and can only be considered where there are large tracts of wilderness still existing. The other consideration would be this land has to have proper prey and enough of it to support the wolves in the reintroduction program.

In 1995, after many years of consideration, gray wolves were finally reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park. They were also reintroduced to Idaho. The program was a success.

This has been a hot topic. Wolf reintroduction has strong advocates on both sides of the argument. Both those who support it and those who oppose it are very passionate about it. Wolf reintroduction has been considered for other places in the United States and even in various European countries. The battle concerning reintroduction has turned urban residents against those who reside in more rural areas. Of course, the rural residents tend to oppose it due to concerns for their livestock.

The good news here is that over the past several decades,there seems to be a change of attitude toward wolf reintroduction. The bad news is that those who oppose wolf reintroduction represent the majority on the issue.

We who love wolves and support their preservation and protection need to stand up and start being heard and counted so that we can Save The Wolves Now!

National Wolf Awareness Week

Wolf Territory / Where the Wolves Live

We cannot discuss the wolf's territory or habitat without mentioning the matter at hand: Illegal killing of wolves threatens its future, and they are quickly losing territory to humans. Human encroachment - in addition to fear and hatred - into territories where wolves live is the leading threat to wolf survival. Not only do wolves require large areas of habitat that is green and with an abundant source of food and water, they also need humans to stop hunting, trapping, and slaughtering them like they (wolves) are savage beasts (we already know that humans can - and often do - behave as savage beasts - - think aerial hunting of wolves).

Forests, deserts, plains, mountains, and even the tundra need to be welcome - and safe - places for wolves.

Another place we need to be able to see wolves thriving is in our national parks. Wolves have been found in the following national parks:

Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, Alaska
Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Noatak National Preserve, Alaska
Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, Alaska
Isle Royale National Park, Michigan
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan
Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota
Glacier National Park, Montana
North Cascades National Park, Washington
Grant Teton National Park, Wyoming
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Naturally, if you are an avid reader on the subject matter and controversy surrounding wolf preservation, its status when it comes to the Endangered Species Act, and its reintroduction into national parks, the above list naturally raises some concern - and with good reason.

My thoughts and concerns drift to how really safe are wolves in the national parks of Alaska, given how current Governor Palin feels about them (think $150 bounties to include severing of wolf paws/forelegs). From there, my mind wanders to the current - and past - controversy surrounding wolves in Yellowstone - - from their removal decades ago to wolf reintroduction in 1995 to the now current controversy/battle to keep them there - - and to keep them protected and on the Endangered Species List, no matter where they are.

It is up to those of us who do not condone savagery and who still believe that we must protect all wildlife to ensure that the majestic wolf remains wild, free, and safe.

Please do what you can - and even attempt some things that you think that you cannot do - to honor wolves during National Wolf Awareness Week and long after this week to Save The Wolves Now!

National Wolf Awareness Week

Welcome to another day of National Wolf Awareness Week!

As promised, I am bringing more wolf-related facts to you today.

General Wolf Facts

Wolves are mammals (Mammals - "Any of various warm-blooded vertebrate animals of the class Mammalia, including humans, characterized by a covering of hair on the skin and, in the female, milk-producing mammary glands for nourishing the young")

Wolves are carnivores (Carnivore - "A predatory, flesh-eating animal") Sounds much worse than it is. You and I are canivores though we may choose not to eat meat. Your dog or cat is also a carnivore.

A wolf's lifespan in the wild is approximately 6 to 8 years (though that is becoming shorter due to trapping, aerial hunting, and poisoning).

Wolf measurements (for lack of a better term):

Head and body is usually 36" to 63" (3 feet to slightly over 5 feet long)

Tail is usually 13" to 20" (just over 1 foot to just under 2 feet long)

Weight is usually 40 to 175 pounds (A good number of us shared our childhood homes and now share our beds with dogs who weigh that much!)

A wolf group is known as a "pack"

Protection status: Endangered. (For now. Recently removed from the Endangered Species Act and most recently returned to the list - but for how long?)

Wolf Society, Culture, and Rules of the Pack

There are typically 6 to 10 wolves in a pack. They live, hunt, and travel - sometimes up to 12 miles in a single day - together. Wolves don't regularly "sit down" to a daily dinner or big catch; therefore, when they do eat, they do not often eat in moderation. One single wolf can consume up to 20 pounds in one sitting. Sometimes, a wolf has to opt out for a much smaller meal such as a bird, fish, lizard, snake, or even fruit.

There is a strict rule of hierarchy (chain of command) in every wolf pack. There is a dominant (alpha) male who has first rank, and his mate does not follow far behind him. This alpha pair are usually the only breeding pair in the pack.

Remember the popular phrase "It takes a village to raise a child"? Well, that concept is alive and well within the wolf pack. Each adult wolf helps take care of and rear the new wolf pups. This can range from bringing the pups food or keeping watch over them while others in the pack are away on a hunt. Just imagine how this attitude, if applied to our culture and society, could transform our lives today. Our children could play outdoors without our supervision once more. They could walk to and from school safely. There would be no more school or college massacres. There would be no more child abduction or sexual predators. The list goes on.

That is just one of the many reasons why I have always admired the wolf, its societal structure, and its adherence to civility. The more I learn about the wolf, the more that I wish that we humans would take some lessons from the wolf and its societal norms. The more that we humans are left to our own devices and fight to be free of societal "norms" and social mores, the more I can see an alarming role reversal between predatory animals and humans.

Many more of you out there share this sentiment, I know, and it is evidenced each and every time someone thinks or says "I like my dog (dogs) and trust my dog (dogs) more than I like / trust humans."

Without wolves, we would not have our trusted dog friends, and if our dogs could weigh in on the issue of wolf protection and conservation, they would tell us to Save The Wolves Now!

National Wolf Awareness Week

" . . . From this hour onward, I would go open-minded into the lupine world and learn to see and know the wolves, not for what they were supposed to be but for what they actually were." - from Farley Mowat's "Never Cry Wolf"

Since it is National Wolf Awareness Week, I thought we could dedicate each day to learning more about the wolf. This, I feel, is a good way to honor them.

What do most people know about the wolf? Fact or fiction? This much is true: Most who love the wolf know its true nature and have a deep respect and awe for this sometimes mystical creature. Those who hate the wolf generally use the hate as an outlet for fear - of the unknown, as I have not encountered many wolf haters who actually know much about the true character of the wolf. Many of the misconceptions and misunderstandings then translate into obstacles in the survival and recovery of this maligned species.

So, who or what is the wolf? The wolf is an ancestor of our domestic canine friends. Wolves were the first dog, so to speak. Without wolves, we would not have "man's best friend". Dogs are direct descendants of the wolf. This is not myth.

Never in the history of the wolf has there ever been an attack on a human. This fact dates back to the 1800s when records started being kept. Healthy, wild wolves do not prey on humans nor do they harm or kill humans. In fact, they fear humans. And with good reason. There have been behavioral issues in wolf hybrids (dogs bred with wolves) due to genetic behavioral issues, but that is to be expected as this is not a recommended practice. So, no wolf attacks, hunting, or killing of humans. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same of our domesticated canine friends. In fact, millions of humans are attacked by so-called domesticated canines (dogs). This is fact.

"But they do hunt livestock and destroy the bottomline for farmers and cattle ranchers", you may say. Well, the last report that I can find with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with regard to the Northern Rockies is that wolves were responsible for only a mere 1.3% of sheep deaths and .03% of cattle from all causes, and .4% of sheep and 1% of cattle deaths due to predators. I don't know about you, but I happen to think these numbers are very small. So, what warrants the call for wolf slaughter to the point of extinction - - in the past or hopes of such a thing for the present? This brings me back to the idea that it is fear and misunderstanding.

To make matters worse - on the topic of wolves as predators and misgivings of farmers and cattle ranchers - is the fact that there are many precautions that can be taken to ensure the

safety and longevity of cattle/livestock. The list of methods is long, but it includes: rotating and guarding herds, keeping livestock away from wolf denning and meeting sites, staying vigilant concerning the removal of dead livestock from fields so that wolves don't feel invited to the area for dinner, and the use of fladry. (Fladry - A string of flags used to contain or exclude wild animals. Also attributively: fladry line, fladry barrier. ) Incidentally, it has been reported that wolves would rather attempt to run with the helicopters rather than cross the line of fladry. In my quest to provide you with some facts concerning our wolf friends, I also came across something known as the Wolf Guardian Program. This program pays people to camp in wolf country to "keep watch" over livestock. For the wolf enthusiast and avid photographer, this sounds like a great job!

Another often not mentioned fact is that farmers and cattle ranchers are compensated for their losses. In fact, Defenders of Wildlife has spent in excess of $280,000.00 since the late '80s to compensate ranchers for confirmed wolf-related losses of livestock.

While we are on the subject of dinner bells being rung, this is a good place to offer another fact concerning wolves. They often seek out and eat dead carcasses. Even though the wolf is strong and powerful, it is difficult for them to eat anything that is not weak (near death and dying already) or simply dead. So, do wolves reduce populations of animals for humans to hunt? Not likely. In fact, Minnesota had its highest record deer harvests while supporting about 200o wolves. If "big game" numbers are truly on the decline, there are numerous factors and conditions to consider. Factors contributing to the decline of "big game" include parasite outbreaks and disease, harsh winter weather, and traffic, just to name a few. Wolves are actually responsible for very few deaths. Where there are larger populations of wolves, wildlife have had to become more proactive and vigilant in their survival (they move around often and do not stay in the same place for long), and this survival behavior may have caused hunters to ascertain that since there are more wolves, that must be the reason they are not seeing "big game" where they used to, are seeing fewer of the animals they enjoy hunting, or are not seeing them at all, as they once did. This can indeed make hunting more challenging, but the animals being hunted are still there. Hunters just need to look harder.

That concludes today's wolf facts. Until next time, don't forget that we need to Save The Wolves Now!

Palin Wolf and Pups Video - Illegal Kill

Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin's Illegal Hunting and Killing of Adult Wolves and Denning of Pups (See video posted below, and please be sure to forward to everyone you know)

Defenders of Wildlife has exposed more of Palin's wolf-killing record. This time, the details are far more disturbing than anything up to now. Most likely, that is because this is a story that has been conveniently buried from the public. Read on, and you will see why:

Just this past June (2008), 14 adult wolves were chased and gunned down through the means of aerial hunting by Governor Palin’s Department of Fish and Game. Not only did this helicopter slaughter exhaust and kill adult wolves, but this kill resulted in the execution style kill of 14 orphaned wolf pups. They brutally shot each one in the head. This practice was in clear violation of state law. State law prohibits "denning" which is the practice of targeting wolf pups.

This bit of trivia has somehow escaped public attention. Understandable, given the nature and brutality of what happened. Clearly, Palin’s officials wouldn't release such goings-on to the public. Though there was a press release on June 30, 2008, made by the state of Alaska to the local press. Of course, no mention of the brutal pup executions was made. In fact, and worse yet, as of the time of writing this, none of the officials involved in the incident have been held accountable. Does Governor Palin promote the corrupt idea that those in government positions and those who make the laws can also break those laws?

I don't understand it. Governor Palin's roles as wife, mother, daughter and her accomplishments as a woman should make most women proud and be an example . . . and yet, there is this savagery playing out behind the scenes of your everyday "soccer mom" persona.

The election is upon us, but don't let the outcome of this election cause you to forget Governor Palin's wolf-killing (and wolf pup-killing) record. Yes, she could be just months away from the White House and even from the presidency, should dire circumstances take place in the future. However, regardless of the outcome of this election, Governor Palin needs to remain at the forefront of our minds as a serious threat to our wolves and wildlife overall.

Please support Defenders of Wildlife in their mission to spread the truth concerning Sarah Palin’s disgraceful record on aerial killing. Also, please be sure to take a look at their latest information TV ad / commercial concerning her heavily promoted and encouraged slaughter of wolves and their pups. I don't know about you, but I'd like to see aerial gunning done away with permanently, and I certainly want to see our wolves - and their pups - protected. At this link, there is a form available to assist you in forwarding the video to everyone you know.

http://action.defenders.org/site/Ecard?ecard_id=2041&s_newOptIn=t

In the final weeks of this very close election campaign, please remember that you can make a lasting impression and a powerful difference. And after the campaign, please don't forget that we need to Save the Wolves Now!

National Wolf Awareness Week

"If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who deal likewise with their fellow men." - Saint Francis of Assisi

Hello Fellow Wolf Lovers! I have a special announcement.

National Wolf Awareness Week is upon us. Wolf Awareness Week begins on October 12 and runs through October 18, 2008. National Wolf Awareness Week is a week of events dedicated to dispelling misconceptions and teaching about the role predators play in maintaining biological diversity. Defenders of Wildlife will be sponsoring events nationwide to celebrate wolves. Be sure to check their website for more information. Hopefully, there is an event near you. Or how about organizing an event for yourself in an effort to raise awareness on the true nature and importance of the wolf?

Defenders of Wildlife encourages you to plan educational activities in your area. If you do, you can contact Nilanga Jayasinghe at Defenders, and they will post your event on their website.

This blog will feature daily facts concerning wolves in an effort to eliminate ideas and long-held beliefs that have caused people to villainize this beautiful and mystical creature. Please get involved. This is your chance to Save the Wolves Now!