Natural History Wanderings

The LA Times reported that the population of Western Gray Wolves in the Rocky Mt. region has declined for the first time since they were reintroduced in 1995. The population declined 7% last year which correlates with federal government’s ending their endangered status protections. 570 wolves were killed by hunters and trappers.in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. 231 additional wolves were killed  because they were deemed a threat to livestock. The number of confirmed wolf packs increased 12% to 3211 and the number of breeding pairs decreased to by eight to 103 last year. The total population for the Rocky Mountain region last year was 1647 which is down from 1804 the previous year.  Read more at Western gray wolf numbers fall – latimes.com.