Staff from the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge have recovered what appears to be a dead gray wolf near the refuge along Minnesota State Highway 61, three miles south of Winona, Minn. The dead animal was discovered by motorists and reported to refuge staff April 26. Investigators believe the animal was killed when it was struck by a vehicle on the highway.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Area Biologist Don Ramsden examined the animal and said the measurements and coloration of the animal indicates it is most likely a gray wolf. A canine tooth and muscle tissue were collected from the animal for genetic testing to determine if this is, in fact, a gray wolf. Ramsden said the male animal weighed approximately 80 pounds and appeared to be in good health.
According to Ron Refsnider, Endangered Species Program biologist for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in St. Paul, Minn., it is rare to find wolves in the Winona area, but is not too surprising. “Wisconsin has wolf packs in the Ft. McCoy and Black River State Forest areas, only about 50 miles from Winona.” said Refsnider. “Individual wolves could easily make the trip from Ft. McCoy to Winona in a week or so.”
Refsnider also believes this is a case of an individual wolf exploring a new area. “If this indeed was a gray wolf, it was probably searching for suitable habitat and a mate. It would most likely remain in the area for a short time and then move on or even return to central Wisconsin. Unfortunately, this animal apparently attempted to cross a main highway at the wrong time.”
Gray wolves are listed as a threatened species in Minnesota and as an endangered species in Wisconsin. They are protected by the federal Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently has proposed to remove the gray wolf from the list of threatened and endangered species in Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota. Wolves in this area, called the Western Great Lakes population, have exceeded federal recovery goals for several years.
For more information on the gray wolf in the Western Great Lakes and the Service’s proposal to delist the species, visit the Service’s Midwest Region website at http://www.fws.gov/midwest/wolf
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversee the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
