Update on Washington wolves

I guess wolves have decoded they like the state of Washington.  Parts of it, anyway.  They like the parts of it where there are lots of yummy(to wolves, at least), deer, moose, snowshoe hare snacks, etc.  And now, in addition to the wolves that have made themselves at home on the eastern slope of the North Cascades.  Not only that, those wolves are being more or less protected from farmers and ranchers, which is nice for them and their pups.  But there's a second pack that our Department of Natural Resources now knows about.  This pack lives in Pend Oreille County, which is in the extreme northeast part of the state, significantly, near the Canadian border.  The wolf pack that trotted into Our Fair State. seems to have genetic connections with wolves in nearby British Columbia, and that part of B.C. is pretty wild and rugged.  The pack probably just started out as a pair that was looking for a suitable empty territory.  It seems like they found it, and now they're busy making more of their kind.  Interestingly, while wolves have been "delisted" from the federal Endangered Species list, they are considered, for obvious reasons, to be "endangered" in Washington State.  Before these two packs moved in, somebody shot the last wolf in Washington, back in the 1930's.  How sad.  I'm glad times have changed, though. 

 

For those interested, here's a picture of the latest addition to the wolf population in Washington State

Unfortunately, it's not very good.  Had I been able to download the larger(and better) picture to my files, then upload it here, the Gentle Reader of this blog would have noticed that one of the wolves has brindled markings, just the way some dogs do.  I was unaware that wolves can be brindled, but hardly surprised, since "man's best friend" is descended from them  If the Gentle Reader wants to see the brindled markings, all they have to do is click on the last link I mentioned, and a larger photo is available, that shows the brindled markings clearly. 

In any case, I'm gladder by the day, that the wolves are coming back,

Anne G