DNR Officials Identify Mystery Roadkill Found In Sauk County
Nov. 5-6: Public Hearings On Wolf’s Protected Status
POSTED: 7:53 a.m. CDT October 9, 2003
MADISON, Wis. — A timber wolf seeking out new turf died near Spring Green
when a car hit and killed it Sept. 26.
Wildlife officials identified the 90-pound animal as a timber wolf, also
known as a gray wolf, Wednesday and say the now-frozen carcass will go the
National Wildlife Center in Madison where technicians will determine the
age of the animal and it’s health before it died last month.
The nearest wolf pack is 75 miles to the north of Madison; although it’s
not unheard of that wolves travel hundreds of miles seeking new territory.
“Much of the available wolf habitat in the central part of the state even
much of it in the northern part of the state is now occupied,” said Bob
Manwell of the DNR. “These are animals that are looking for mates and
looking for new territory.”
Wolves began re-colonizing in Wisconsin in the late 1970s and have now
number about 350 animals and until 1999 were on the endangered species
list.
With such a large population, hearings will be held later this year to
de-list the wolf to “protected” status.
This is the third such migration of a wolf to this area in recent years.
The last known timber wolf died in traffic in Middleton a couple years
ago.
Public Hearings
Public hearings are set for Nov. 5-6 around the state on a proposal to
delist the wolf from the threatened to protected wild animal status.
Hearing locations include: Black River Falls, Rhinelander, Stevens Point
and Spooner. Madison hearings are scheduled for Nov. 5 in Room 27 in the
State Resources Building (GEF 2), 101 S. Webster St. All hearing begin at
6 p.m.