Will genes from Idaho and the Yellowstone area finally begin to mix?
Former Idaho wolf B271M has been wandering around the Yellowstone area for over two years now. He had little success finding a mate in the Park, but has paired with a radio-collared female in Sunlight Basin to Yellowstone Park’s east.
So far there has been no genetic evidence that wolves from Idaho or NW Montana have produced offspring with the wolves that were reintroduced to Wyoming.
The Idaho wolf orginally came from a pack on the western edge of the Sawtooth Mountains of south central Idaho.
Story: Idaho, Cody wolves ‘pair’. By Angus M. Thuermer Jr. Jackson Hole Daily.
Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is past President of the Western Watersheds Project and the creator of The Wildlife News.
We have to hope that some dork doesn’t shoot him.
Let’s hope nobody shoots either one of them.
One lawmaker asked why a wolf should be allowed to roam Wheatland cornfields — considered unsuitable habitat — just because “he was on his way to a mosh-pit genetic connectivity event.”
Gotta love our elected officials!
This pairing, if they den, will be the the “one” event that the delisting faction latch onto to further the cause. This will be pushed, during the lawsuit hearings, by ID, MT, and WY as “The” single (soup of the day) reason to delist, period. Funny how the last delisting was derailed because the lack of genetic transfer. Expect this to get huge media coverage in the three states.
pffffft, the genetic diversity argument is soooooo 2008. You’re either on the bus or off the bus, it’s the “WE NEED A NATIONAL PLAN” for 2009.
Eric T,
Absolutely, just like one cold, wet winter justifies the denial of global warm….er climate change. What’s your point?