Using DNA from wolves that were killed by hunters or other causes, the UI study identified wolf sibling groups and provided estimates for breeding pairs.
Author: Taylor Viydo
MOSCOW, Idaho — University of Idaho researchers say they’ve found success using a more efficient and cheaper way to estimate the number of wolves living in the Gem State.
The team’s secret tool? DNA.
Using DNA from wolves that were killed by hunters or were killed for other reasons, the UI study identified wolf sibling groups and provided estimates for breeding pairs in Idaho.
The data, UI researcher and professor Lisette Waits said, provides critical insights to Idaho’s wolf population. Using DNA to track wolves is also more efficient than traditional visual observation of wolf packs using radio collars and other methods.
“We can do this more cheaply, more efficiently and without spending many, many hours watching wolves in different ways,” Waits said.
Waits and UI researchers have been monitoring wolves in Idaho since 2007. The team’s current work to estimate breeding pairs, however, began in 2013.
So far, the team’s estimates based on DNA findings have been on par with traditional counting methods used by Idaho Fish and Game, according to Waits. In 2014, the UI team estimated 52 breeding pairs based on DNA collected from harvested wolves that were less than a year old. That same year, IDFG identified 55 pairs, Waits said.
“We were really close to what the state was obtaining with their traditional methods,” she explained.
The next year, the amount of breeding pairs estimated by the UI team remained close to the state’s findings. Waits’ team identified 63 breeding pairs and IDFG found 69 pairs.
“That’s a really critical value for knowing how healthy your wolf population is. It’s also been a critical value for whether we list wolves as an endangered species, or whether we de-list them,” explained Waits.
After looking at DNA from harvested wolves, Waits said the UI team was able to determine which killed wolves were siblings. Furthermore, the team could then determine how many sets of parents were represented in the data. With that, the team then estimated breeding pairs in the state.
The work marked the first example of using DNA from harvested wolves to estimate breeding packs, explained Waits.
While the reintroduction of wolves into Idaho has proven to be a controversial topic, Waits emphasized that maintaining accurate data on the animals is crucial, regardless of political viewpoints.
“No matter which side of the debate you’re on, the data that we’re providing is really valuable,” she said.
Last month, the UI study was published in the Journal of Wildlife Management, a wildlife science publication.
“I’m really proud of what our research group has done,” said Waits.