Claims of wolf sightings in Utah taper off
OGDEN, Utah (AP) – Reported wolf sightings spiked after a gray wolf was
captured in northern Utah on Oct. 18, but have since tapered off, Division
of Wildlife Resources biologists said. About eight sightings were reported
in the two weeks following the trapping. All were within 25 miles of the
capture site in Morgan County.
“But we don’t know if that’s caused by wolves or human nature,” Adam
Kozlowski, sensitive species biologist for the northern region, said.
There have been no reports of wolf sightings in the last week.
Before and after an August report of 15 dead sheep in the area, several
wolves were reportedly seen near Ant Flat road, from Sourdough in the
Monte Cristo area north and east to near Bear Lake.
The captured wolf, known as Wolf No. 253, had a radio collar that enabled
wildlife officials to identify it as coming from a pack in Yellowstone
National Park. It has been returned to Wyoming.
Its capture provided the first proof of a wild wolf being in Utah in about
70 years.
Kozlowski developed wolf identification cards for field officers and has
standardized the form for logging wolf reports. The forms include
information on behavioral as well as physical characteristics. It also
helps biologists analyze hot spots, as well as the credibility of each
report.
Even the credible reports are not definite proof of any remaining wolves
in the area, Kozlowski said.
“We won the lottery (when No. 253 was captured),” Kozlowski said. “The
ability for us to unabashedly say that this is a wolf or not a wolf may be
gone forever.”
Besides human error, wolf identification is made difficult by the number
of wolf-dog hybrids in the area.
Still, Kozlowski is carefully compiling all reports and looking for any
patterns in location.
Besides physical characteristics, Kozlowski asks about location and
behavior. Wolf-dog hybrids – often indistinguishable from wolves – are
more often seen near people and houses. Wolves are more likely found in
areas with cover.
“But even in a best-case scenario, it does not boil down to a reliable
report,” Kozlowski said.
“We take it all with a grain of salt. We just use it as a database to help
our guys get where they need to be,” he said.
After three good reports, an area will get more attention from the DWR.
Even then, it is not considered scientific.
Overall, the public has shown a “commonsense attitude” about wolves, said
Craig McLaughlin, mammals coordinator for the DWR. Interest has increased,
but alarm is not a big factor.
After the capture, the division began preparing for a public discussion of
the issue, but McLaughlin said those plans may be dropped because of the
quiet response.