Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Utah crew spots tracks but no wolves

Carcasses that the animals could be feeding on spotted. 
Mar 10 2012
A wildlife-trapping crew under contract with the state spotted tracks from a helicopter Friday but didn’t find any wolves or wolf-dog hybrids.
"The capture crew spent the morning following five sets of tracks. But because snow conditions on the ground were sporadic, they weren’t able to locate the animals," according to a news release from the Division of Wildlife Resources.
While following the tracks, they spotted the carcasses of three big-game animals that they believed the wolves, or wolf-dog hybrids, had been feeding on.
The search for the wolves or wolf-dogs began after a state coyote-control crew spotted four large canines roaming in eastern Utah County a week ago.
The location the crew searched is a rugged, remote area east of Springville in north-central Utah.
In the next few days DWR biologists will visit the areas where the carcasses are to see if they can find scat left by the animals feeding on the carcasses.
"The scat may contain DNA that will tell us whether the animals are wolves or wolf-dog hybrids," said John Shivik, mammals coordinator for the DWR. It would take a couple of weeks to get test results.
The biologists and other personnel also plan to play recorded wolf howls in the next few nights in the area where the animals were spotted to see if they can get the animals to respond, the news released stated.
"If the animals howl back, we’ll be able to better pinpoint their location," Shivik said. "Then, after the sun comes up, the capture crew can fly to that location to see if they can find them."
If they are wolves, they would represent the first confirmed wolf group activity in Utah. They would also be protected as an endangered species, because they’re south of Interstate 80 and outside the sliver of northern Utah that federal officials count as part of the recovery zone where northern Rocky Mountain wolves were removed from the endangered list.

source 

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