Collaring program suspended after wolves die
Date: 28-Mar-01
Country: USA
The three were among 10 wolves from three different packs that were tranquilized, collared and released over the past two weeks, the Park Service said. They were discovered dead between March 14 and 21.
The discovery prompted officials on Friday to suspend the long-used program to dart and tranqulize wolves. The deaths were the first since 1994 of a darted and collared wolf, the Park Service said.
The agency has launched a review of the program, with results expected by the end of April, said spokesman John Quinley. A panel of experts has been tapped to perform the review.
Two of the dead wolves have been recovered and sent to the University of Alaska Fairbanks for necropsies, the Park Service said.
Officials have been able to keep tabs on one other wolf that was tranquilized and outfitted with a collar.
The Park Service had given permission to a private organization to drop food to the animal, but it was spotted Monday eating caribou meat, "which is a good sign and we are not doing supplemental feeding at this point," Quinley said.
About 100 wolves live in Denali, and the park is considered a good location for watching the elusive animals.
"There are relatively few places where you can see a wolf in the wild, and Denali is one," Quinley said.
At Denali, researchers had captured and released 317 wolves before the recent effort, the Park Service said.
