Escaped Mexican Gray Wolf Recaptured.

[MineralMan]

Just heard on the radio. They've captured the remaining wolf that was released from an enclosure in Minnesota.

[MineralMan]

1. For those who don't know...

Three Mexican Gray Wolves were maliciously released from an enclosure in Minnesota, where they were part of a repopulation effort for that endangered species. It's not clear who released the animals, but it's likely it was some animal rights group or person.

The wolves, which had never been in the wild, could not have survived in Minnesota at this time of year, and had never learned to hunt.

Two were recaptured right away, but the third wandered several miles from the release location, and was just recaptured this morning.

[Warpy]

5. Good, and I hope they catch the hamfisted idiots who released them

This is a shining example of how the road to hell is paved with good intentions. The deaths of these beautiful animals would have been pretty much assured if they hadn't been recaptured since they'd likely have preyed on domestic animals or gotten into garbage cans and been shot by frightened homeowners.

Release of animals raised in captivity has to be gradual.

[redqueen]

2. Thanks for the good news. (nt)

[Veruca Salt]

3. k&r

excellent news!

[Morning Dew]

4. Yay!

I was worried about that wolf.

There was an article on this in the Wednesday Pioneer Press... never saw it in the Strib.

[RaleighNCDUer]

6. Are Mexican Gray wolves really adapted to Minnesota winters?

Are they capable of dealing with deep snow? Do they have the fur for it?

Why would Mexican Gray wolves be used in re-population efforts in the far north?

[MineralMan]

7. They were living in an outdoor enclosure, so I guess they're

OK with the cold. As for the re-population efforts, we have our own wolves here in MN. I think the plan is to reintroduce these to their native area. I'm not 100% positive, though.

[RaleighNCDUer]

9. So maybe the idea was to develop a pack by interbreeding with

Minnesota's gray wolves, then releasing the pack back to the southwest?

That would make sense.

[MineralMan]

10. Minnesota's wolves are timber wolves. I don't think they're

interbreeding. I think it's just that this particular place exists and put in for some of the gray wolves in the program. I'm pretty sure they're keeping the strain pure.

[roguevalley]

13. I watched a show once that said gray colored wolves are pure and black ones

have interbred with dogs. Our wolves up here are suffering from mange from being around dogs. our wolves hang out close to us here on the Kenai. I love them.

[The2ndWheel]

11. With no experience in the wild or with hunting

Why even bother recapturing them? Why take them from their native area(with some reason for doing so) in the first place if you're just going to put them back into the same circumstances?

Other than to make ourselves feel better, I don't see the point. We should come up with a better name too. Whatever these animals are, they're not really wolves.

[RaleighNCDUer]

12. If they aren't wolves, what are they?

Are gray wolves somehow less 'wolfy' than timber wolves? What about red wolves? They are a distinctly different species, but are still wolves. They may have some different characteristics, but all the wolves which are not red wolves are sub-species of timber wolf, at least in N America.

[amborin]

8. glad to hear k&R