This was on the news last night.

Pics are on the video

http://www.ktvb.com/news/local...alone-155834305.html



Posted on May 30, 2012 at 4:59 PM

BOISE -- Spring is here and so are the baby animals. If you are outside it is not hard to find them. But if you do, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game is asking you to leave the animals alone.

This time of year, the department has lots of people who bring wild baby animals into the office because they thought the animal was abandoned. However, officials say those animals aren't abandoned. Most likely they were just left by mom and dad for a little while they went to find food or their parents are hiding a few feet away.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game says if we take animals out of the wild we are doing more harm than good.

On Friday, some campers thought they were doing the right thing by rescuing what they thought was a stray dog. The animal was in the middle of Warm Springs Road, about 15 miles outside of Ketchum.

"They thought it was a domestic animal so they picked it up and took it to a clinic in Ketchum only to find out that it could be a wolf pup," said Mike Keckler, Fish and Game spokesman.

DNA tests are being run to confirm the pup is a wolf. Biologists tried to find the potential wolf pup's pack so it could be returned to the wild. But they couldn't find any signs the pack was still in the area the pup was found, so it is headed to Zoo Boise.

"They've got the veterinary staff, they've got the cages, they've got the facility to do it right," said Keckler.

The zoo is giving the pup the veterinary care it needs, workers are also trying to find it a new home at an accredited wolf facility.

Idaho Fish and Game hopes this pup's story will keep people from taking any more animals from their homes.

"Chances are if this a real wolf, its parents may have been just a few hundred yards, or even a few yards off the road," said Keckler.

Fish and Game knows people are just trying to help but it says animals know where they leave their babies and they will be back for them.

So the agency is reminding people to, "Stay back. Give them plenty of room. Maybe take a photograph and then move along," said Keckler.

Fish and Game says if you think a baby animal may be hurt and alone you can give them a call, but do not touch any wild animals.







on a side note I was trying to fish over by Palisades over the weekend (in the snow) and talked to a forest service guy who said a couple bear hunters got some pics of a grizz sow and cubs on a trail cam.

So there are griz in Bonneville county.

They are cute, there is a pack denned on a closed road about 3 miles from my house. Stumbled right into them about 3 weeks ago. Six pups were laying out and one adult was about 15 yards away. Adult started barking and backed off just a few yards. Very cool experience. Needless to say many locals probably would have tried to kill them ALL so I have not told anyone where they are.

P.S. I am not a "wolf hugger", I just appreciate all of the animals out there as long as they are wisely managed.

Well, actually, I did hug one wolf

JCS271---I agree and you are lucky to have a chance to see them so close.

I've only seen one, and this is in a state where supposedly you cant toss a beer can out the pickup window without hitting a couple.

This will sound odd, but the problems don't lie solely with the wolves or the grizzlies. Too many of anything is not good for the habitat that may be available. Game animal populations had been allowed to reach numbers that were omn the high side for the habitat, humans have gained more access to the habitat than maybe is warrante, the larger predators had been controlled por eliminated in parts of the habitat.

When the wolves were re-introduced, instead of doing it spread out over several years, and closely monitoring what was taking place, numbers were introduced that were probably too high for the available habitat to begin with, not taking natural reproduction into the equation. The pendulum swung from excessive prey species numbers over to excessive predator species numbers.

With grizzlies making a comeback that adds another facet, especially since grizzlies are not all that impressed with the concept of humans being the dominant species on the planet.

It will take time to get things to a more balanced situation, it will never be completely balanced, but in reality nature never has been in a real state of balance. JMO.

quote:

"They've got the veterinary staff, they've got the cages, they've got the facility to do it right," said Keckler.

The zoo is giving the pup the veterinary care it needs, workers are also trying to find it a new home at an accredited wolf facility.

I wonder how much tax money they will waste on this young member of an exotic, invasive species. Give it the needle and be done with it.

Wolves Wolf-enablers suck.