by Dee Gibney, Hamilton
Once again I see we have those who think it is a good idea to have the Canadian Timber Wolves saved. Those wolves are among the largest in the world with eights upwards to 180 lbs. are about 7 feet long and about 3 foot or better tall. Their paws alone measure about 4 1/2 inches wide. This is a BIG Canis Lups!
Back in 1995 the U.S. fish and wildlife service introduced 35 Canadian wolves and now they have multiplied and roam in packs of about 20 with female wolves having litters of 4 to 6 pups each spring. If you do the math, if half of the original were female that is about 96 new pups the following year from only 16 wolves. In 27 years think how many more there are now up in the forest.
These animals are dangerous and active killing machines that attack elk, deer and the like and have been documented stampeding herds to separate young from their parents. They especially go for the young and weak in a herd. They also attack livestock and domestic animals. I know people who have been followed by wolves at Como lake, others have been followed on local hiking trails and have even been triangulated by them. We had our neighbors cows triangulated by them a few summers ago. There was also an incident down below Darby where a prized horse was mauled to death by wolves. They may kill to eat but, they mostly kill for sport. I have seen them within 40 feet of our house and listen to them howl many nights up in the forest near us.
These wolves chase their prey and start biting it to slow it down and disable it. They are not strong enough to take down the prey by one bit, especially when they prey on large ungulates. The prey usually dies by shock and massive loss of blood, rather than a quick death. The alpha male starts eating first followed by the alpha female. Horrible why to go folks.
Rabies is one disease that wolves carry along with canine hepatitis, parvovirus, brucellosis, leptospirosis, lyme disease, tularemia, tuberculosis, helminths, hook worms, liver fluke and tapeworm to name a few.
They are not cute house pets but a dangerous vicious animal that kills for sport and are not something we need here in the Bitterroot Valley
Bill LaCroix says
“Killing machines”? “Killing for sport”? Do you even read what you write. You’re nonsensical.
Laurie says
Nailed it exactly Bill! Dee’s rants are painful to read not only in not making sense or even a logical point but spelling, punctuation, etc. She either didn’t finish the 6th grade or is “WWI” (writing while intoxicated.
Laurie says
PS: in case my lack of the other “parenthesis” wasn’t noted, it was a direct and intentional example of the painful reading material Dee offers on a regular basis.
hsabin says
Rather than ban the wolves, how about doing sterilization of some of the females and allow their species to thrive? Ever consider that?