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https://www.change.org/p/mokgweetsi-masisi-get-botswana-to-reinstate-the-ban-on-elephant-hunting

Petition: Get Botswana To Reinstate The Band On Elephant Hunting!

www.change.org

I am demanding that Botswana reinstates their ban on elephant hunting. Botswana is a conservation hub and has been a beautiful success story. The elephant population in Botswana ranges form 130,000 to 160,00, the most in Africa. Botswana is home to 1/3 of the decreasing elephant population. Mokgweetsi Masisi, the president, has just lifted the ban on elephant hunting today on May 23rd 2019. This will result in large elephant culls and decrease the population quickly and quietly. We need to call for action, and be the voice elephants don’t have. Elephants are animals capable of grief and love and they mourn like humans. We cannot be the generation that lets these magnificent, prehistoric creatures, go extinct in front of our eyes. PLEASE SIGN! Every voice counts.

Today: katia is counting on you

katia goldberg needs your help with “Mokgweetsi Masisi: GET BOTSWANA TO REINSTATE THE BAN ON ELEPHANT HUNTING!”. Join katia and 17,164 supporters today.

https://worldanimalnews.com/urgent-action-needed-as-botswana-plans-to-allow-the-hunting-of-287-elephants-at-the-beginning-of-april-after-species-is-listed-as-critically-endangered/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

Petition Urgent Action Needed… As Botswana Plans To Allow The Hunting Of 287 Elephants At The Beginning Of April

Botswana has just announced plans to allow the hunting of 287 elephants beginning next month, causing worldwide outrage among conservationists.

World Animal News

Karen Lapizco 5 hours ago

This shocking news comes a week after the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced that the African forest elephant was now listed as Critically Endangered, and the African savanna elephant was listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The decision was made because of the decline in elephant populations over several decades due to poaching for ivory and loss of habitat.

The latest assessments by the IUCN highlights a broadscale decline in African elephant numbers across the continent. The number of African forest elephants fell by more than 86% over a period of 31 years, while the population of African savanna elephants decreased by at least 60% over the last 50 years, according to the assessments.

According to the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, the hunting season is scheduled to begin on April 6th in Botswana, which has the largest elephant population in the world, estimated at 130,000. One hundred hunting licenses are to be issued, including 187 that were issued during last year’s season.

Despite President Mokgweetsi Masisi lifting Botswana’s hunting ban last year, many animals were thankfully spared due to strict travel restrictions from COVID-19. Now that restrictions are being lifted, the government wants to resume “business as usual” to continue their cruel, archaic, and outdated industry.

In February, WAN reported on the controversial auction of 170 wild elephants in Namibia, where elephant populations are estimated to be only 24,000. It is sickening that these countries continue to auction off endangered species as they inch closer to extinction. We must take action and speak out to stop these atrocities from continuing.

Please call the office of the President of Botswana to urge him to reinstate the ban on hunting at +267 365 0837 or email gpitso@gov.be

Contact the Botswana Democratic Party at +267 395 2564

You can also sign the petition HERE!

Categories: Breaking News, News Tags: Animal News, Animal Protection, Animal Welfare, Botswana, Elephants, endangered, hunting

World Animal News

https://ladyfreethinker.org/update-virginia-becomes-fourth-state-to-outlaw-animal-tested-cosmetics/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email

UPDATE: Virginia Becomes 4th State to Outlaw Animal-Tested Cosmetics

ladyfreethinker.org

Image Credit: Flickr/Edwin Lee

Sign This Petition

In a major victory for animals, Virginia just became the fourth U.S. state to ban animal-tested cosmetics by signing the Virginia Humane Cosmetics Act into law last Friday.

Thank you to the more than 35,000 supporters who signed Lady Freethinker’s petition to end cruel animal testing from entering the state, and all of the activists who worked to help this bill pass.

Introduced by Sen. Jennifer Boysko and Delegate Kaye Kory, the new law prohibits the sale of cosmetics tested on animals after Jan. 1, 2022.

Virginia joins California, Nevada, and Illinois, while a larger effort to ban these products federally continues to gain bipartisan support. Animal testing involves cruel and inhumane procedures, such as dripping shampoo into rabbits’ eyes although the animals don’t have tear ducts to wash out the irritating product, and feeding mice enough of a cosmetic until they die to determine a “lethal dose.”

Cosmetic animal testing started during the 1940s as the only “realistic” technology for testing makeup on human skin, but experts now consider it ineffective and outdated, CBS 19 reported. Some research bodies– including the Center for Contemporary Sciences (CCS) — are shifting completely away from animal testing due to both the cruelty involved and the problematic differences between animal and human genetic makeups.

“Greater than 90 percent of drugs and vaccines fail in human clinical trials, despite showing signs of safety and efficacy in animal and traditional laboratory tests,” said CCS’s Director of Science and Technology Jarrod Bailey. “We, therefore, need, urgently, to shift the focus of biomedical research and testing away from animals and towards hi-tech, cutting-edge human-based methods.”

Unfortunately, there are exceptions to the ban, including pharmaceutical products that are cosmetic in nature but are officially classified as drugs — serving as a reminder that there is a lot more work to do to end animal testing.

Nevertheless, this new law marks a tremendous step forward in the fight against animal cruelty.

https://tastegreatfoodie.com/how-to-store-lemons-and-lime-for-3-months/

How To Store Lemons and Lime for 3 months

March 18, 2021

Lemons and limes have endless uses, not just for eating or flavoring! People store lemons and limes in a few different kind of ways. I have the perfect lemon and lime storage hack that will help keep your lemons fresh and wrinkle-free! Let me show you how to store lemon and lime for 3 months!!!

How To Store Lemon and Lime for 3 months

Buying the Perfect Lemon/Lime

Lemons and limes are definitely a kitchen grocery staple. They are used for so many different delicious dishes and so much more. So, buying the perfect lemons and limes is important because it affects flavor and longevity.

What to look for when buying lemons or limes

should have no bruising
shouldn’t be spongy or very soft
no moldy areas
no bumpy or wrinkly skin
larger lemons or limes are usually sweeter
look for ones with thinner skin since they are juicier and should be smooth
it should be a little firm but give a little when you press it; not rock-hard
should be a little heavy for their size

Best Way To Store Lemons and Lime

There is more than one way to store lemons and limes. I’m going to give you an idea of the most popular, beginning with my own way of storing lemon and lime for 3 monhts! But before I delve into the details of how to store lemons and limes for 3 months, let’s talk a little about cleaning them. Before storage, you should ensure that you’ve appropriately cleaned them. Lots of citrus fruits have a layer of wax on the outside, either naturally or sprayed on.

You should wash your hands with soap and warm water before handling lemons or limes. You can wash them in two ways. First, you can put them into a bowl with a drop of dishwashing soap and fill the bowl half way with water. Then, you start scrubbing them with a fruit brush one by one and put them under running water. Finally, you can put them in a strainer to dry or dry them with a hand towel. The second way is simply to soak them in water and vinegar for a few minutes and then scrub them with your hands under cool running water one by one. One process is a little longer and maybe a bit more tedious while one is simple and quick. Your choice!

How To Store Lemons

Lemon Storage: I store my lemons and limes in a bowl submerged in water in my fridge! It’s the perfect way to store lemons because it ensures they stay wrinkle-free and fresher. They can last up to three months stored this way in your fridge. A lot longer than other lemon and lime storage hacks!

This is a great way since most storage methods ask that you don’t pile lemons on top of each other to avoid bruising or squishing. In water, they basically float around or at least don’t have their weight bearing down on each other even if they were touching.

The water in the bowl also helps in replenishing the moisture that gets lost over time from the lemons. When lemons lose moisture they start to mold or rot. So, not only does it preserve them but it helps keep them juicy!

Other Lemon and Lime Storage Methods

Devote a compartment or drawer just for lemons and store by placing them next to each other. If it’s not in the fridge, make sure it’s an airy space. Lasts about 7 to 10 days.
Store in an airtight container or closed plastic bag in room temperature with the air sucked out. You can remove air from the plastic bag by placing a straw in the side of the bag and sucking out the air before closing. Lasts nearly a month.
You can seal them the same way as mentioned above and place in your fridge but they won’t last as long! In an airtight container or plastic bag in the fridge, they would last about two weeks.

Uses for Lemons and Limes outside of cooking

Now that you know my secret for storing lemon and lime for 3 months, you can buy a little extra lemons and keep them stored for their oh so many uses! Sure we love the zest of citrus in many different dishes we eat, but lemons are much more versatile than just for flavoring foods.

Use lemon and limes to:

wash your hands to remove grease or oil or to kill bacteria
scrub greasy pots and pans to get them clean and shiny again
cut them up and put them with water in a bowl and microwave; use the lemon water to clean walls or countertops
use lemon juice on the stains of white linens and let them dry in the sun for a bleach-type affect
add lemon juice to vinegar to make a cleaning spray used to clean nearly anything, especially as a glass cleaner

How Long Does Lemon Last

Lemons should last about a week if you store them on the counter top and a few days longer in the pastry! If you transfer them to the refrigerator, you can expect them to last about 3-4 weeks. Now, if you take the extra step and seal the lemons tightly, they can last for about 5 weeks.

Some Enjoyable Recipes using Lemons or Limes

Lil Nas X Unveils ‘Satan Shoes’ With Human Blood Inside, Limited To 666 Pairs

BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB

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https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-recall/midwestern-pet-foods-dog-cat-food/

Midwestern Pet Foods Recalls Multiple Dog & Cat Food Brands

March 27, 2021 — Midwestern Pet Foods of Evansville, Indiana is recalling multiple brands of dog and cat food because they have the potential to be contaminated with disease-causing Salmonella bacteria.

What’s Recalled?

Recalled products include specific lots of CanineX, Earthborn Holistic, Venture, Unrefined, Sportmix Wholesomes, Pro Pac, Pro Pac Ultimates, Sportstrail, Sportmix and Meridian produced at its production facility in Monmouth, Illinois.

Recalled Dog and Cat Food with Lot Numbers

Midwestern Pet Foods March 2021 Recall Lot Numbers

About Salmonella

Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever.

Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms.

Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting.

Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain.

Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans.

If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

No human or pet illnesses have been reported to date.

Where Were the Products Sold?

Products were distributed to retail store nationwide and to online retailers.

Lot code information may be found on the back of the bags with the following format:
“EXP AUG/02/22/M1/L#”

Midwestern Pet Food Recall Example of Lot Number Markings

This recall covers only certain products manufactured at Midwestern Pet Foods Monmouth, Illinois facility.

The unique Monmouth Facility identifier is located in the date code as an “M”.

What Caused the Recall?

The recall was as the result of a routine sampling program by the company which revealed that the finished products may contain the bacteria.

What to Do?

Retailers and distributors should immediately pull recalled lots from their inventory and shelves.

Do not sell or donate the recalled products.

Retailers are encouraged to contact consumers that have purchased the recalled products if the means to do so exists.

Do not feed the recalled products to pets or any other animals.

Destroy the food in a way that children, pets and wildlife cannot access them.

Wash and sanitize pet food bowls, cups and storage containers.

Always ensure you wash and sanitize your hands after handling recalled food or any utensils that come in contact with recalled food.

For more information, contact Midwestern Pet Foods Consumer Affairs at info@midwesternpetfoods.com. Or call 800-474-4163, ext 455, from 8 AM to 5 PM CT, Monday through Friday.

This voluntary recall is being conducted in cooperation with the US Food and Drug Administration. All other Midwestern Pet Foods products are unaffected by this recall.

U.S. citizens can report complaints about FDA-regulated pet food products by calling the consumer complaint coordinator in your area.

Or go to the FDA’s “Report a Pet Food Complaint” page.

Canadians can report any health or safety incidents related to the use of this product by filling out the Consumer Product Incident Report Form.

https://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/681/999/623/?TAP=1732

Petition: Protect gray wolves from extinction!

by: Humane Society of the United States
recipient: U.S Fish and Wildlife Service

338,125 SUPPORTERS 340,000 GOAL
Gray wolves will be thrust back onto the brink of extinction if the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposition is allowed to stand.

The Department intends to delist gray wolves in the contiguous 48 states from the Endangered Species Act, removing the crucial protections they currently have under the law.

This political move jeopardizes wolves nationwide and would pave the way for trophy hunting of wolves in states where the ESA currently protects them, such as Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Oregon. Further, it hinders the possibility of wolves returning to other states where there is suitable habitat.

The last time wolves in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin lost federal ESA protections, nearly 1,500 of them were killed in just three seasons — many were pups. This proposed rule is scientifically unsound and politically motivated. Will you sit by while another species goes extinct?

We need your voice to oppose this misguided proposal. Without opposition, legislators will push this through and put the nation’s gray wolf population at critical risk.

Please join the fight using the form below, and tell the Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service that you oppose their proposal to delist gray wolves from the ESA.read petition letter ▾Subject: Please keep gray wolves listed under the ESA

Dear U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

I oppose the proposed rule to delist gray wolves in the contiguous 48 states from the Endangered Species Act. Removing ESA protections now would jeopardize the fragile recovery that wolves have only just begun after having been hunted to near-extinction. It would also expose imperiled populations to the horrors of trophy hunting and trapping.

https://c.sharethis.mgr.consensu.org/portal-v2.html

Yellow Warbler

NAME: Setophaga petechia
POPULATION: 92 million
TREND: Stable
HABITAT: Breeds in wet woods, thickets, and riparian areas; winters in open woodlands, on farms and gardens with scattered trees, and in mangrove forests

Yellow Warbler range map by NatureServe

The Yellow Warbler is the most widespread American wood-warbler. It nests from Alaska to northern South America (including the Galapágos Islands), and in parts of the Caribbean as well, and winters as far south as Peru.

Tail tip to forehead, this is also the yellowest North American warbler, even more so than the Prothonotary or Blue-winged. Cinnamon breast streaks embellish the male’s gleaming plumage.

Seet: Cowbird Alert!

One of the Yellow Warbler’s calls, a repeated seet, serves specifically as a Brown-headed Cowbird alert. When a female hears another bird make this call, she rushes back to her nest to prevent the cowbird, a notorious nest parasite, from laying eggs there.

Other birds, including Red-winged Blackbirds, also seem to understand this warning; when they hear it, they also zip back to protect their own eggs. (Hear the seet call and learn more.)

The Yellow Warbler’s song is a sweet-sounding series of whistled notes often characterized as “sweet, sweet, sweet, I’m so sweet,” repeated as often as ten times in a minute.

“American Yellow Warbler (Setophaga aestiva)” Audio Player00:0700:38 1. “American Yellow Warbler (Setophaga aestiva)” 0:38

(Audio of Yellow Warbler song by Dominic Garcia-Hall, XC394040. Accessible at http://www.xeno-canto.org/394040.)

So Many Subspecies

Another superlative associated with the Yellow Warbler is the species’ incredible diversity: 37 subspecies are recognized, divided among four groups. Subspecies vary mostly in plumage color and pattern.

The Yellow Warbler nests throughout most of Canada, Alaska, and at least two-thirds of the area covered by the lower 48 U.S. states. Long-distance migrants, few if any of these birds remain north of the Mexican border in winter.

Several resident, or nonmigratory, groups are found in Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. A resident subspecies even inhabits the Galápagos Islands off Ecuador’s Pacific coast. Males in nonmigratory populations have varying amounts of chestnut color on their heads, from just the cap to most of the bird’s head, as is the case with “Mangrove” Yellow Warblers.

For years, some ornithologists split the migratory and resident populations into two species, Setophaga aestiva and S. petechia. All now fall under the latter name.

Male Yellow Warbler feeding female on nest, Ivan Kuzmin, Shutterstock

Male Yellow Warbler feeding female on nest. Photo by Ivan Kuzmin, Shutterstock

Coffee Berry Protector

The Yellow Warbler feeds mainly on insects and spiders, gleaning them from shrubs and tree branches or sallying out from a perch to grab winged insects mid-air. This diminutive hunter sometimes hovers while seeking prey that might be hiding on the undersides of leaves. Like many other migratory songbirds, the Yellow Warbler adds fruit to its diet in winter.

Winter or summer, this warbler provides valuable pest control: One study, conducted on Costa Rican wintering grounds, showed that the Yellow Warbler and other insectivorous birds ate large quantities of invasive coffee berry borer beetles, helping reduce infestations on coffee plantations in that country by 50 percent.

A Clutch Performance

A male Yellow Warbler quickly claims a territory on the breeding grounds, chasing off intruding males. He courts prospective mates through incessant singing. In fact, one Yellow Warbler may sing more than 3,000 times in a day to attract a female! Once paired, the male attends his mate closely as she builds her nest, wary for other males, which often invade established territories and attempt to mate with resident females.

Like many other birds such as the Kirtland’s Warbler and Wood Thrush, the Yellow Warbler is frequently parasitized by Brown-headed Cowbirds. This problem is especially common in fragmented habitats, which provide easier access for female cowbirds to lay their eggs in host birds’ nests. But the Yellow Warbler fights back. It seems to recognize the foreign eggs, and often builds a new nest, covering over a cowbird-parasitized clutch with new nesting material. If the cowbird returns and re-lays, the warbler covers them again — sometimes resulting in nests with up to six tiers!

Females build and maintain the cup-shaped nests, incubate the eggs, and brood the hatchlings. Meanwhile, male Yellow Warblers aggressively guard nest sites and bring food to females sitting on eggs or young. Both sexes share chick-rearing duties: After the nestlings fledge, some may follow the mother, while the rest remain with the father.

Warblers on the Landscape

Although still numerous, Yellow Warblers are threatened by habitat loss, chiefly destruction of riparian habitats, and the overuse of pesticides. One subspecies, the Barbados Yellow Warbler, has been listed under the Endangered Species Act since 1970.

ABC’s work helps to conserve the Yellow Warbler and other migratory birds across their full annual life-cycle through its BirdScapes approach to conservation. Several BirdScapes in the southwestern United States protect riparian areas for the Endangered western subspecies of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo that also shelter the Yellow Warbler and other birds.

https://abcbirds.org/bird/yellow-warbler/

Learn more about these amazing hummingbirds

How much do you know about the #hummingbird life cycle – from egg to adult?

Test your #ornithology knowledge in the latest #BirdCallsBlog: https://t.co/sMMgh1vcpQ pic.twitter.com/LNojPIlw83
— American Bird Conservancy (@ABCbirds) March 27, 2021

https://1f0d2865e7861bb4730efc3f317fe0b3.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

Hummus and Grilled Vegetable Wrap : Recipes : Cooking Channel Recipe | Ellie Krieger | Cooking Channel

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Recipe courtesy of Ellie Krieger

0 Reviews

Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings, serving size – 1 wrap
Nutrition Info

Total: 23 min
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 8 min

Ingredients

2 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/8 teaspoon salt

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

1 cup store-bought hummus

4 pieces whole-wheat wrap bread (about 9 inches in diameter)

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced

2 ounces baby spinach leaves (2 cups lightly packed)

1/2 cup red onion thinly sliced into half moons

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

Directions

Preheat the grill or grill pan over medium heat. Brush both sides of the zucchini slices with the oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Grill until tender and slightly browned, about 4 minutes per side.
Spread 1/4 cup of the hummus over each piece of bread. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of pine nuts on top. Top with 3 slices of zucchini, 2 pieces of red pepper, 1/2 cup of the spinach, a few sliced onions, and 1 tablespoon of the mint. Roll each of them up and cut in half on a diagonal.
Excellent Source of: Copper, Fiber, Folate, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Thiamin, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Protein
Good Source of: Niacin, Potassium, Riboflavin, Vitamin K, Zinc

Categories:

Main Dish Lunch Grilling Vegetables Healthy Sandwich Appetizer Dinner Summer Vegan

Healthy Summer Recipes

Looking for Something Else?

Stir-Fried Vegetable Wraps

Quick Roasted Carrots and Cauliflower with Walnuts

Vegetable Chow Mein

https://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/hummus-and-grilled-vegetable-wrap-1910036

Mar 26 2021

“And now, a message from the President of the United States” 😅

Mar 25 2021

Four poachers arrested

🚨UPDATE! Four #Poachers Arrested For Killing Six #Lions With Poison In #Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park #EndWildlifeTrade 🙏

READ MORE: 🌍👉 https://t.co/kODp5RfcNC pic.twitter.com/pUyBclpM7a
— World Animal News (@WorldAnimalNews) March 23, 2021

Mar 25 2021

Aww poor baby 😢 🍼

US Soccer's Megan Rapinoe at the White House:

"I've been disrespected and dismissed because I am a woman. I've been told that I don't deserve any more than less because I am a woman. Despite all the wins, I'm still paid less than men who do the same job that I do." pic.twitter.com/QC7N2g4OJp
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) March 24, 2021

Mar 25 2021

Uganda: Lions found dead in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Lion at Queen Elizabeth National Park — A resting lion… The lions at this park are known for their ability to climb trees

Sun, March 21, 2021, 3:38 AM·1 min read

Six lions have been found dead and dismembered after a suspected poisoning in one of Uganda’s most famous parks.

The lions were found in Queen Elizabeth National Park with their heads and paws hacked off, and their bodies surrounded by dead vultures, officials said.

The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) said it “cannot rule out illegal wildlife trafficking”.

An investigation has now been launched, with conservationists working with local police at the scene.

These particular lions are known for their ability to climb trees.

In a statement, UWA’s communications manager Bashir Hangi said they were “saddened” by the killings.

He added that nature tourism is an important part of Uganda’s economy, contributing about 10% of its GDP, and plays a vital role in the conservation of animals.

“UWA strongly condemns the illegal killing of wildlife because it does not only impact negatively on our tourism as a country, but also revenue generation, which supports conservation and community work in our protected areas,” he said.

There have been a number of previous incidents where lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park were believed to have been poisoned.

In April 2018, 11 lions – including eight cubs – were found dead after a suspected poisoning. A similar incident led to the deaths of five lions in May 2010.https://s.yimg.com/rq/darla/4-6-0/html/r-sf.html

https://news.yahoo.com/uganda-lions-found-dead-mutilated-155636332.html#click=https://t.co/U0OCW0TZ6D

www.boisestatepublicradio.org

Montana Governor Given Written Warning After Trapping, Killing Of Yellowstone Wolf

Montana’s newly elected Republican governor violated state hunting regulations when he trapped and shot a collared wolf near Yellowstone National Park in February, according to documents obtained by the Mountain West News Bureau.

Gov. Greg Gianforte killed the adult black wolf known as “1155” roughly ten miles north of the park’s boundary in Park County. He trapped it on a private ranch owned by Robert E. Smith, director of the conservative Sinclair Broadcasting Group, who contributed thousands of dollars to Gianforte’s 2017 congressional campaign.

While wolves are protected inside Yellowstone National Park, it’s legal to hunt and trap wolves in Montana – including wolves that wander beyond the park’s boundaries – in accordance with state regulations.

Gianforte violated Montana regulations by harvesting the wolf without first completing a state-mandated wolf trapping certification course. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks issued the governor a written warning, and he promised to take the three-hour online course March 24.

According to Montana’s wolf hunting regulations, “A person must attend and complete a wolf-trapping certification class before setting any trap for a wolf,” and the state-issued certificate “must be in possession of any person setting wolf traps and/or harvesting a wolf by trap.”

The course gives would-be wolf trappers “the background and rules to do so ethically, humanely, and lawfully,” the course’s student manual states.

John Sullivan, Montana chapter chair for the sportsmen’s group Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, said the governor should’ve known about the certification requirements.

“He has been hunting and trapping for a long time and I would be surprised to learn that he didn’t know better than to complete that education,” Sullivan said. “We hope that he apologizes to the citizens of the state for circumventing the process that we all have to go through.”

“It’s difficult to fathom accidentally not taking that class,” he added. “When you go to buy your wolf trapping license online it clearly states that trapper education is required.”

The governor’s spokesperson, Brooke Stroyke, said in an emailed statement that “after learning he had not completed the wolf-trapping certification, Governor Gianforte immediately rectified the mistake and enrolled in the wolf-trapping certification course.”

The governor did have all the necessary hunting licenses to harvest a wolf, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks spokesperson Greg Lemon.

“Typically, we approach this sort of incident as an educational opportunity, particularly when the person in question is forthright in what happened and honest about the circumstances,” Lemon said in an email. “That was the case here with Gov. Gianforte.”

Lemon said the warning was a “typical operation procedure” and the governor was allowed to keep the skull and hide. As governor, Gianforte oversees Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and appointed its director earlier this year.

Word of Gianforte’s wolf-kill violation comes as the Republican-controlled Montana Legislature appears poised to send to his desk bills aimed at aggressively reducing the state’s wolf population through hunting and trapping. One would reimburse wolf trappers for the costs they incur, which critics call a “bounty.”

The incident highlights the polarized and overlapping debates in the West over how to manage growing wolf populations and trapping’s role – if it has one at all – in wildlife management. A decade after wolves were stripped of Endangered Species Act protections in the Northern Rockies, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming are asserting aggressive wolf management policies, while Colorado voters recently decided to reintroduce wolves to the Western Slope.

Meanwhile, the New Mexico Legislature last week approved a bill banning the use of wildlife traps, snares and poison on public lands across the state, likely joining the growing number of Western states that have outlawed the practice increasingly viewed as cruel.

“It’s clearly not an ethical chase,” said Mike Garrity, executive director for the nonprofit environmental group Alliance for the Wild Rockies. “Ethical hunters try to have a clean shot so they kill the animal instantly. Trapping obviously doesn’t do that. They suffer for a long time and who knows how long that wolf was trapped before the governor went out and killed it.”

Wolf 1155 was born in Yellowstone National Park and was issued a radio collar by wildlife biologists in 2018, according to park spokesperson Morgan Warthin. Collars allow scientists to track the movements – and deaths – of wolves. 1155 was initially a member of the Wapiti Lake pack but is now considered a “dispersed male,” which means it had wandered away from the pack to find a mate elsewhere.

Yellowstone wolves hold a special place in the nation’s heart, according to Jonathan Proctor, director of the Rockies and Plains program for the environmental group Defenders of Wildlife.

“People from all over the world come to Yellowstone specifically to see these wolves,” he said. “The fact that they can be killed so easily, right on the edge of the park in the state of Montana, for only a few dollars for a permit to trap a wolf – it makes no sense, either ecologically or economically.”

There are about 94 wolves living within the park, according to data from last year. Warthin said this was the first Yellowstone-collared wolf to be killed by a hunter or trapper this year.

Gianforte killed 1155 on Feb. 15. It’s unclear when Gianforte first laid the traps. State regulations require that trappers check their traps every 48 hours and report wolf kills to FWP within 24 hours. Trappers also have the option of releasing a collared wolf.

This is the second time Gianforte’s personal actions sparked controversy. In 2017, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault after he body-slammed a reporter from the British newspaper The Guardian. He was sentenced to community service and anger management.

This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, the O’Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West in Montana, KUNC in Colorado, KUNM in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/post/montana-governor-given-written-warning-after-trapping-killing-yellowstone-wolf#stream/0

Every state should be doing this!

We're excited to join @PennsylvaniaDEP, @DCNRnews and @ABeautifulPA for this important discussion. #DontTrashPA #KeepPABeautitful https://t.co/s1LgUmhhqO
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https://www.mtexpress.com/news/environment/amid-hunting-expansion-ban-on-wolf-trapping-upheld-in-blaine/article_bf0dd4e6-8c35-11eb-99a0-271fe0f9d83a.html

Amid hunting expansion, ban on wolf trapping upheld in Blaine

www.mtexpress.com

Wolf trapping has long been illegal in the Wood River Valley—and it will stay that way, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission decided in a season-setting meeting last week.

Since Jan. 28, the commission had been weighing a proposal from two sportsmen’s groups seeking to reinstate wolf trapping in Blaine County. The groups—the Idaho Trappers Association and the Foundation for Wildlife Management—also asked to expand private-land wolf hunting in the Wood River Valley from 11 months to year-round, opening up the month of July to hunters.

While the groups’ first request was denied, its second was granted Thursday. The commission had previously expanded wolf hunting from 11 to 12 months across much of the state last spring, and it continued that trajectory last week in 28 game units.

In Blaine County’s Game Units 48 and 49, located on either side of state Highway 75, the commission upheld the current 11-month public-land wolf hunt while moving to a year-round private-land hunt. Twenty-four game units, including Unit 36—which encompasses Galena Summit, Stanley and much of the Sawtooth Mountains—moved to year-round wolf hunts on both public and private land.

Local public discourse leading up to last week’s meeting was largely focused on the trapping aspect of the sportsmen’s groups’ proposal. Over 300 comments were sent to Fish and Game opposing trapping in the Wood River Valley, according to Sarah Michael, chairwoman of the Wood River Wolf Project. Several local representatives traveled to Nampa to give in-person testimony before the commission on March 17, including Rep. Muffy Davis, D-Ketchum, and Blaine County Commissioner Dick Fosbury.

“Wolf trapping is not coexistence, and is not welcome on lands surrounding our community,” Hailey Mayor Martha Burke wrote in a February letter to the commission.

On March 9, the Blaine County commissioners passed a resolution asking the commission to keep wolf trapping out of the Wood River Valley, citing its threat to trail users and the overall recreational economy. The resolution also asked Fish and Game not to expand wolf hunting locally and to “work cooperatively” with the Wolf Project, an organization that collaborates with ranchers in Blaine County to reduce wolf-livestock conflicts using nonlethal means.

Wolf Project anticipates sheep migration

With its 14th season drawing closer, the Wolf Project met over Zoom last Friday to discuss two new spring and summer programs.

Starting next month—provided that it raises the remaining half of its funding goal of $3,500—the project will partner with high school students to place wildlife cameras throughout remote sections of Blaine County. The camera footage will provide real-time information on the movement of wolves throughout the region, giving nearby livestock producers the chance to prepare for and avoid potential conflicts with the predators.

Kurt Holtzen, a project volunteer who spent years tracking wolves in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, will train students on proper camera placement and assist them with footage retrieval. As time allows, participants will be introduced to wolf biologists and meet with Idaho Department of Fish and Game representatives, Michael said.

“We’ll be getting kids involved in wildlife issues out in the backcountry, gathering intelligence and locating wolves before the sheep come on. It will be a hands-on predator-wildlife coexistence program,” she said.

The Wolf Project is also working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to bring on a nighttime range rider as additional backup this summer as bands of sheep begin their migration into the mountains, she said. The hope is that the camera project will determine where the night rider is most needed.

In April, Michael added, the project will assess whether it has enough funding to hire a second field technician, who would join Logan Miller in monitoring wolves and providing sheepherders with nonlethal tools to reduce conflict.

“I think we’re at a point in time—talking about night riders, working with Wildlife Services and other agencies—where we can feel optimistic,” project member Larry Schoen said. “I really appreciate the fact that Sarah’s 50-mile-an-hour level of energy is breathing new life into this effort.”

The Beautiful Story Of John Unger And His Beloved Dog Schoep

PROTECT ALL WILDLIFE

**John and his dog Schoep floated anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour depending on the temperature of the water and how Schoep was feeling.**

The unconditional love of a dog is a powerful thing. Just ask John Unger of Bayfield, Wisconsin.

For 19 years, John’s loyal companion had been a Shepherd mix named Schoep. John learned that his dog had severe arthritis and may needed to be put down soon. He was devastated — and also determined to help alleviate Schoep’s pain.

John knew that people suffering from arthritis respond well to water therapy, so he brought his aging dog to one of their favourite spots: Lake Superior. His idea was to take advantage of the lake’s higher-than-average temperatures that summer and let Schoep feel weightless and relaxed. Considering the grim prognosis from the veterinarian, John also called his photographer friend, Hannah Stonehouse Hudson, to see whether she had…

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