WMS staff and friends went to the Cinemark Movie Theater on Bear Valley Road in Apple Valley CA to boycott the movie “The Grey.”

The reason for the boycott is simple.  The storyline of “The Grey” is erroneous and portrays wolves as vicious man-killers.  The CGI made the wolves look like giant robo-wolves.  For anyone unfamiliar with wolves, they might think that this is an accurate depiction of these animals.

Further, it has become known that the director, Mr. Carnahan, had his cast and crew eat wolf meat/jerky.  It is said that 4 wolves were killed, 2 used for carcasses in the movie and 2 slaughtered for their meat (I am currently unable to complete back up that claim, but will update this post as I find reliable information).  According to reports, the wolf meat made most of the cast and crew sick.  Yet Liam Neeson is on record as saying that he liked the wolf meat, equating it with chicken, albeit more gamey.

It is unbelievable, in this day and age, that anyone would consume wolf meat.  There is a reason why we do not eat the meat of a predator.  Predators, including human beings, mostly eat animals that graze.  The grazing makes for good, nutritious meat.  The grazers (elk, cattle, deer, etc.) are able to digest grass, which we cannot, and pass on nutrients that we need.  The meat of a predator is not nutritious to us … hence why we do not usually eat the meat of bears, lions, cougars, and wolves (among other predators).

So, the very idea that Liam Neeson is on record that he ate wolf meat and compared it with gamey chicken is reprehensible.  It is just the sort of information anti-wolf folks will take and use in their campaign to destroy all wolves.

Add to that the fictitious storyline of man-killing wolves who are gigantic and vicious … well, you have a cauldron of misinformation that is damaging to the already precarious political and social environment concerning wolves.

Tonya, Danna, and others braved the cold and long day to enlighten a few people about wolves and convinced them to NOT see the movie!  Every person who choose a different movie or learned something important about wolves … thank you.

PS I know Danna took photos of the boycott, but I have not yet received permission from her to put those photos in this blog.  Once I do, I will add them!

http://petexpousa.net/holiday-pet-expo/

Please come visit Wolf Mountain Sanctuary at the 2011 Pet Expo at the Pomona Fairplex!  We will be there November 5th and 6th, 2011.  The show hours are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day.  Building 7 is the place to be!

The Fairplex is located at 1101 W. McKinley Ave, Pomona, CA 91768.  Check out their website at: http://petexpousa.net/holiday-pet-expo/

We will be doing a raffle and will have loads of merchandise and good cheer to share!

Come see us!

P.S.  If you have any questions, please call Tonya at 760-248-7818.

Tonya just learned that her dear friend, Christel Hunsaker, passed away recently.

Tonya and Christel met through the Wild Wolf Women of the Web and created a strong personal bond.

Christel supported Wolf Mountain Sanctuary for years.  Christel, her husband, Gary, and daughter, Karen (“Little Sister”) were so kind and loving.  They always made Tonya laugh and relax.

Our sympathies go out to Gary and Karen and the rest of the Hunsaker clan.  We love you and miss you.

O, our Father, the Sky, hear us and make us strong.
O, our Mother, the Earth, hear us and give us support.
O, Spirit of the East, send us your Wisdom.
O, Spirit of the South, may we tread your path of life.
O, Spirit of the West, may we always be ready for the long journey.
O, Spirit of the North, purify us with your cleansing winds.

(A Sioux Prayer)

Mr. Boo Blue (that’s what I call him!) had surgery on October 12, 2011.  Blue has suffered for years with glaucoma in his left eye.  The swelling has waxed and waned over time, but it became obvious that the best thing to do was to have the eye removed.  Tonya originally told the vet would be able to do an eye transplant from a dog.  While that would have been groovy, the surgery, the recovery, and the possibility of transplant-rejection made that decision less appealing.

Blue, feisty big man, was not excited about being muzzled and put into the van.  Wrestling an unwilling 180 pound wolf into a van means that the human beings sometimes get in the way of flailing paws!  Tonya, Stephanie, Bob, and Michael each have some bruises to proudly show for their efforts.

The surgery was a great success!  The vet was concerned that there might be a mass behind the eye, but, blessed be, no mass was found.  The eye has been sent to the pathologist for testing just to make sure there isn’t anything else we need to address.

When Blue came home, he was not interested in being sequestered on the front porch (the usual “hospital” spot) and wanted to “get home” to his girl, Niwah.  Tonya described Niwah as being very excited to see Blue, quivering and sniffing him.  According to Tonya, Niwah was saying, “Where have you been?  What were you doing?  You smell funny.  I’m glad you are home.”  Nonplussed, Blue walked over to the water tub and laid down on the cool dirt.

Tonya, Stephanie, Bob, and everyone else will be keeping their attention on Blue during his recovery, but we believe that he will come through with flying colors.  We can only imagine what a relief it was for him to have the eye removed, as it was caused pressure.

The veterinary surgeon did the surgery for FREE (I will get the vet’s name for proper praise)!!  While WMS saved a lot of money because of this vet’s generosity, the animal hospital did charge a $1000 facility fee.  Needless to say, WMS needs donations from our friends to help pay this bill … please visit www.wolfmountain.com and click on the Donate page to set up a one-time or recurring donation through PayPal.

As a side note, on the way to and from the animal hospital, Tonya’s van was leaking gas.  She thinks her mechanic fixed the problem perhaps a fuel line leak), but Tonya is really hoping that someone out there has a large van (like an Econoline or Caravan) to donate to WMS for wolf transport.  If you have a van, small bus, or school bus that you would like to donate, please contact Tonya at 760-248-7818.

Tonya would like to thank the vet surgeon, the staff at the animal hospital, and all of you wonderful supporters.  It definitely helps to have so many people concerned about Blue and the other wolves.  Times are hard right now, but Tonya knows she can always rely on you to help her help the wolves.

A special big howl from Blue!  Come visit our One-Eyed Captain Blue the Pirate Wolf soon!

September 20, 2011

In my first op-ed article, “Wolf Kills – The Argument Against,” I focused on wolf biology to counter some of the arguments made by anti-wolf proponents. Today, I want to address some of the “rumors” and purported “facts” about wolf behavior as cited by those who wish to hunt and perhaps eradicate wolves from the face of the planet.

Wolves Are Vicious Creatures With No Fear Of Human Beings!

Wolves are naturally cautious. They will investigate a new situation, but from a distance. A wolf rarely saunters into a new area without careful reconnaissance. Part of the territorial instincts of wildlife is the concept of “professional courtesy.” A wolf will not invade another’s territory unless that wolf is committed to a battle royale for the pack and alpha status. Wolves are not stupid animals. They are intelligent creatures capable of making assessments of the dangers of other predators, including human beings. It doesn’t take more than one encounter with a two-legged wielding a gun for a wolf to figure out that this predatory permutation is to be avoided.

When Wolves Encounter Humans, It Only Ends In Death, Maiming, And Disaster!

Almost anyone who has had experience with wolves in the wild would attest to the fact that the wolves will watch them, but rarely make a move closer. However, as a wolf becomes more familiar with the sight of human beings, it may venture closer as time goes by. I will give you just two examples of non-violent wolf-human encounters:

1. A group of photographers were snapping pictures of a bear when a wolf loped right on by, within feet of the photographers. They were all in awe of the experience. That is how rare it is to see a wolf that close. (See: http://chrismorgan.posterous.com/a-mind-blowing-interaction-with-a-wolf-caught) Interestingly, it is in the comments for this video that human nature rears its bizarre and ugly head. There were folks who claimed that the reason the video stopped when it did was because the wolf attacked or that the wolf was vicious or that the wolf’s body language indicated danger. Take the time to watch the video … the wolf’s head and tail were in a neutral position, the gait was relaxed and easy, and the gaze was not intense or aggressive. The wolf was curious and did the equivalent of a drive-by … “Hey, what’s this? Oh, funny two-leggeds. They smell weird. What are those things making noise? Whatever. I’ll be on my way.” Yes, I am anthropomorphizing the wolf as having human thoughts, but, on the other hand, perhaps I am a great translator of Wolfish to English (insert smirk here).

2. Another example of non-violent human-wolf interaction was the wolf, Romeo, who loved to play with dogs at Mendenhall Glacier Park in Juneau, Alaska. Folks walking their dogs in the beautiful park were constantly stunned by Romeo, a beautiful black male wolf, who literally just wanted to play. This is a rare, almost unheard-of event, but hundreds of people were able to witness the joyful nature of a wolf in play-mode … something that I am sure forever changed their assumptions about wolves in general. The U.K. Telegraph wrote an article about Romeo that is worth a read. (See: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/6972637/Lone-wolf-plays-with-dogs.html) It should be noted that Romeo was killed; shot by a hunter who had no regard for the fact that he was hunting wolf off-season and broke several other laws. The people of Juneau were aghast at the demise of Romeo as he had become part of the community, a reminder of the wild beauty they call home. What made the hunter shoot Romeo? Hatred of wolves? Fear? Stupidity? Cowardice? Any or all of these things? Does it matter? The hunter chose to kill regardless. (See: http://juneauempire.com/stories/072006/loc_20060720008.shtml; http://www.adn.com/2010/05/25/1293875/black-wolf-killed-is-it-romeo.html)

Wolves Are Everywhere, Everywhere, I Tell You!

Wildlife photographers spent days, if not weeks, in very remote locations watching and waiting to see any form of wildlife. The reason why Jim Brandenberg is so famous is because he captured such brilliant photographs of these elusive animals. Tom Mussehl, Monty Sloan, Greg Harvey, Peter Dettling, and Chris Morgan are all wonderful wildlife photographers who recount their hours of waiting to get just one photograph of a wolf. Personally, I have spent hours sitting in the woods waiting to get a photo of anything larger than a squirrel!

If encounters with wolves led to death, injury, or mayhem, why would wildlife photographers, amateur photographers, and animal lovers spent hours waiting to see these creatures? For all the people who have spent time watching for wolves, there are few, if any, stories of a wolf attacking. Interesting, isn’t it?

So, how is it that hunters claim to see wolves all the time? If visitors to areas where there are large wolf packs (like Yellowstone’s Druid pack) sigh that they didn’t see a wolf even once, then how is it that “every” hunter in Idaho has seen multiple wolves in areas far more rugged and remote? For all of these sightings, I haven’t seen a photo taken by a hunter to support the claims. I would think that, with all the supposed sightings, hunters would be armed with cameras and cell phones at all times! They certainly take photos of their kills and any random carcasses they find … so, why the dearth of photographic evidence of all these wolves overrunning the landscape?

How is it that federal and state wildlife agencies do not make the same claims of wolves being so prevalent and obvious? Every report I have read (while not ALL reports, I’ve definitely read enough dry government reporting to make my eyes bleed) has mentioned the difficulties experienced in photographing, tracking, or collaring wolves because of terrain and the general elusiveness of the animals. Who to believe: the hunters or the wildlife agencies? I am more likely to give credence to wildlife agencies and biologists … so sue me.

Wolves Are Threatening Our Children! Trepassing On Our Land! Let’s Kill Them All!

There are claims that wolves are showing up in backyards, at intersections, near school bus stops, and just about everywhere else. Are all of these claims true? It is highly improbable. Have human beings seen wolves up close and personal? Sure, that is going to happen when you choose to live in remote areas. Witness all of the videos on YouTube of cats swatting at bears, raccoons in the kitchen, deer tangled in the clothesline … yep, wildlife … it’s just so inconvenient!

Wolves are social within their own pack … not usually with other packs or strange two-legged creatures. Wolves are not like coyotes. Coyotes will easily and gladly venture into yards, homes, trash bins, dumps, and abandoned lots. Coyotes have very little fear of human beings; this is because they are scavengers. Scavengers cannot show fear because they are literally willing to take food out of a predator’s mouth! The predator, however, rarely wants to fight another predator. A wolf does not want to fight a bear or a mountain lion or a human being. Its survival instincts call for it to avoid life-threatening situations if at all possible.

So, why would a wolf venture close to human beings? The aforementioned curiosity might be one aspect. However, there are a few other reasons that may have more standing in reality:

• 1. Human beings have encroached on wildlife territory. All predators have a method for marking their territory: urine marking and gland marking are the two most common. So, much like how human beings establish their “territory” with property lines, animals do the same. But what happens when another human being or another animal encroaches on our territory? We protect our land, call the authorities, demand restitution, and/or file lawsuits of criminal charges. But what is a wolf or a bear or a mountain lion (or an elk, a moose, a deer, a snake, a chipmunk) supposed to do when human beings “cross the property line”? Apparently, according to arguments made by hunters and people who live in rural or unpopulated areas, animals have no “rights,” no avenue for restitution. Human beings have rights; nothing else does.
• 2. When someone or something infringes on our space, we purport to have the right to defend ourselves, usually with some sort of weapon or at minimum the law. However, when we infringe on someone or something else’s space, we try to justify our actions. “That’s really my tree, so I can cut it down.” “That’s my mountain, so I can blow the top off of it.” “That is my view, so I can build a three-story house in front of yours.” “That is my elk, so I can kill it.” “That’s my herd of cattle, so I can shoot you if you poach.” There is a large dose of hubris in these types of remarks. Quite honestly, nothing really belongs to us at all. We are temporarily granted a little piece of life for a short period of time. Yet we act like we are “da bomb” and nothing else matters.

If You Love Wolves, You Are Part Of The Wolf-Cult (And Other Nasty Things)

The arguments that human beings make to support their actions are often amusing, but more frequently incredibly distressing. Name-calling, bullying, swearing, threats, and other vitriol are spewed back and forth every moment of every day from both extremes. The anti-wolf folks say that they will kill all wolves they can, even if they do it illegally. They call people who like wolves (or other animals or the planet in general) members of a “wolf cult,” extending the offense to being a member of a “Nazi wolf cult.” The other side of the pendulum isn’t much better. Calls for killing hunters, anti-wolf people, or anyone who disagrees with their pro-wolf perspective is also uncalled for. This hate-filled rhetoric has become commonplace in our society, as our country divides more and more deeply. But is it necessary? Does it make you feel better to call someone a Nazi or a cult member or stupid or whatever? Does calling for the wholesale murder of a species really work for you? Does countering that with “all hunters should be shot” help matters? If this behavior does make you feel better, what does that say about you?

And To End Another Long Post … A Challenge

I am going to challenge each and every one of you … use some other method of representing yourself. Rather than swearing, threatening, and name-calling, try civility and logical argument. Reacquaint yourself with Socratic thinking. Respectful debate is not a dirty concept. The way we treat each other is not only a reflection of ourselves, but of our society at large.

So, what am I really saying here? I’m not sure I have the answer to the wolf debate and all of its subsets. I believe there are solutions to these problems. I believe in my ability to seek and promote those solutions. I will continue to write, to post, and to speak as often as I can … and in a respectful manner. I choose to lead by example, to treat others as I wish to be treated. Perhaps along the way, I will stumble on something most people can agree on … what a lovely day that would be!

All beings tremble before violence. All fear death. All love life. See yourself in others. Then whom can you hurt? What harm can you do? ~Buddha