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posted by martyb on Sunday February 24 2019, @06:13AM   Printer-friendly
from the howling-success dept.

Germany's wolves are on the rise thanks to a surprising ally: the military

Wolves are an impressive success story for wildlife recovery in central Europe, bouncing back from near extermination in the 20th century to a population of several thousand today. And in Germany, where populations have been growing by 36% per year, military bases have played a surprisingly central role in helping the animals reclaim habitat, a new analysis finds.

[...] The population growth "is quite impressive," says Ilka Reinhardt, a biologist with Lupus, the German Institute for Wolf Monitoring and Research in Spreewitz, who has been involved in efforts to study the wolves since they returned to Germany. The latest data suggest the country has 73 packs and 30 pairs of wolves. "Twenty years ago, no one would have expected this," she adds, noting Germany's fragmented habitat and the prevalence of roads and humans. "It shows how adaptable wolves are."

Reinhardt was particularly struck by their occurrence in military areas. "This was surprising to us," she says. She and her colleagues noticed that the first pair of wolves to show up in a new state always settled on a military training ground. The second pair, and usually the third also sought out military lands. After that, subsequent breeding pairs would be detected in protected areas or other habitats, the team reports online this week [open, DOI: 10.1111/conl.12635] [DX] in Conservation Letters.

The military training grounds were clearly a desired location for pioneers, but what was the appeal? Reinhardt could find no sign that habitat was better there than in nature reserves, as measured by the amount of forest and density of roads. But when they compiled the death records, they were shocked to find that wolf mortality rates were higher in protected areas than in the military training grounds.

The difference seems to be poaching. Although the military training grounds are not fenced—which means wolves and deer can enter and leave at will—they are closed to the public and posted with many signs. The deer populations are managed by federal foresters, so when private hunting occurs, it is strictly regulated. This means fewer opportunities for poaching wolves, Reinhardt says.


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  • (Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Sunday February 24 2019, @06:25AM (2 children)

    by MichaelDavidCrawford (2339) Subscriber Badge <mdcrawford@gmail.com> on Sunday February 24 2019, @06:25AM (#805858) Homepage Journal

    there's a rare species of wildcat that is thriving the the Dimilitarized Zone.

    The US has some _huge_ military bases; with the exception of the occasional artillery shell detonating nearby, I expect many are havens to wildlife.

    Doubtlessly many other nations, notably Russia.

    --
    Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @01:37PM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @01:37PM (#805923)

      Everywhere there is a military area close to a populated zone probably becomes a wildlife haven.

      As a child I remember the sheer amount of mostly wild birds, rabbits, and chameleons but also many othre small animals like lizzards and fishes you could see and even get surprisingly close to was just amazing. You could see all kind of wild birds and rabbits frolicking on the grass side of the roads while people walking nearby.
      Outside the military area was just business as usual. Zip, zero, nada.

      • (Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Sunday February 24 2019, @06:19PM

        by MichaelDavidCrawford (2339) Subscriber Badge <mdcrawford@gmail.com> on Sunday February 24 2019, @06:19PM (#805996) Homepage Journal

        Usually my friends and I would walk downstream to explore the flood plain, but one day we walked upstream all the way to the fence to Concord Naval Weapons Station, where my father worked.

        Hey Mike - that's the base! Let's go in!

        No.

        Come on Mike! It would be fun!

        No. No, we won't.

        I never mentioned it but my concern was being shot by the Marine Corps guards.

        --
        Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
  • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @06:51AM (17 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @06:51AM (#805864)

    You city dwellers keep thinking wolves are cute doggies, but we killed them for a damn good reason. They cause harm, both directly to humans and indirectly by killing our livestock.

    We even burned all the forest off of Mount Monadnock just to wipe out a wolf pack. The mountain is still bald 2 centuries later.

    At this point, reintroducing the wolf is like introducing an invasive species. One might as well release lions and tigers and hippos and tse-tse flies and bot flies and the guinea worm. Heck, go for smallpox too!

    People who support wolves are a special kind of traitor. It's not really against a country. It's against humanity itself. We tamed the wilderness so we could live safely, and some people want to undo that.

    • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday February 24 2019, @08:06AM (9 children)

      by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Sunday February 24 2019, @08:06AM (#805868) Journal

      I'm thinking along the same lines here, because European wolves and American wolves are quite different. All those stories of wolves eating children, and other helpless people originated in Europe, after all. European wolves are notorious for predation on humans. There was an article I read, that attempted to chart predation with Europe's wars. So long as Europe was at peace, the wolves pretty much left humans alone. When there was a war, and all the healthy males were absent from the villages, the wolves would come in, and start killing.

      Of course, one has to understand that when the men are away, women and children would by necessity go out into the fields and forests to do the jobs that would/should have been done by men. A solitary woman, or a couple of women, with or without a child present, look like easy pickings to a pack, or even a single strong wolf.

      Of course, there is an alternative view. Mankind really ought to have learned to share his world with all the rest of the species. The chances of being attacked by a wolf are pretty slim, if people use their heads. Don't start wars, don't take all the men away from any given area, keep your wits about you, and be aware that you COULD become prey, and you probably won't become dinner to a pack of wolves.

      AC makes a point, but he goes overboard. We need predators in the forests. It's natural, after all. If the only things in the forests are Bambi and Thumper, they'll soon defoliate the forest, then we'll have starving Bambis and Thumpers lying about everywhere.

      IMO, wolves are alright - if they are kept under control. Give them free reign, and they'll become a threat to those defenseless portions of the population.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @11:02AM (4 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @11:02AM (#805898)

        All those stories of wolves eating children, and other helpless people originated in Europe, after all. European wolves are notorious for predation on humans. There was an article I read, that attempted to chart predation with Europe's wars. So long as Europe was at peace, the wolves pretty much left humans alone. When there was a war, and all the healthy males were absent from the villages, the wolves would come in, and start killing.

        Of course, one has to understand that when the men are away, women and children would by necessity go out into the fields and forests to do the jobs that would/should have been done by men. A solitary woman, or a couple of women, with or without a child present, look like easy pickings to a pack, or even a single strong wolf.

        Wow, on a streak today with your stupid comments again? Wolves were a nuisance because they could pray on domestic animals... wolves were competition to people, not eating people.

        • (Score: 4, Funny) by maxwell demon on Sunday February 24 2019, @11:21AM (1 child)

          by maxwell demon (1608) on Sunday February 24 2019, @11:21AM (#805903) Journal

          Wolves were a nuisance because they could pray on domestic animals...

          Yeah, praying to anyone but the Christian god was a sure way to get killed in the middle ages. ;-)

          --
          The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @08:33PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @08:33PM (#806032)

            From the Book of Victuals, Chapter Nine, Verse 24:

            Our Father, who art in HQ, thank you for these sheep, who are mighty tasty.
            Thank you from keeping the guns aimed at humans instead of us.
            and Thank you for making the Eurasian Lion go extinct.
                            Woooooo-aaaa-men

        • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday February 24 2019, @11:29AM (1 child)

          by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Sunday February 24 2019, @11:29AM (#805904) Journal

          And - which part of my post do you find fault? Are you claiming that wolves didn't eat people? Maybe you would like some education? https://www.fieldandstream.com/wolf-attack-differences-north-america-europe [fieldandstream.com]

          • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday February 24 2019, @11:22PM

            by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Sunday February 24 2019, @11:22PM (#806078) Journal

            Are you claiming that wolves didn't eat people?

            The most damage they did to humans where because of/through rabies infection.

            Maybe you would like some education?

            Ummm... other than the 'France kept better records of wolf attack' anything else in the linked article is one hypothesis, with a lot many others possible, including:
            a. the attacks were as frequent in America as in Europe, but nobody kept or tallied the records of such attacks; *and/or*
            b. Americans are likely to carry guns, scaring the wolves away; *and/or*
            c. packs of wargs quantum-tunneling from Middle-Earth into this world registers on humanity's conscience higher in a densely populated area (such as Europe) than in a sparsely populated one (such as America). No, seriously, I think JRTolkien's authority beats the one of David E. Petzal (the author of the citation you offered) in terms of unsubstantiated storytelling.

            --
            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @04:48PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @04:48PM (#805963)

        An aspect of war that probably had much to do with any predation on humans - armies stripping the land bare foraging and hunting. Take away the preferred food sources, and women and children start looking tasty.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @08:43PM (2 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @08:43PM (#806034)

        You ignorant American!

        I'm thinking along the same lines here, because European wolves and American wolves are quite different

        Yes! American wolves are in America, European Wolves are in Europe! Give Runaway a prize!

        Unfortunately, they are both Canis Lupus [wikipedia.org], the grey wolf. Not Canis simensis, not Canis latrans, not Canis rufus.

        So, as usual, Runaway is wrong.

        • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday February 24 2019, @09:19PM (1 child)

          by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Sunday February 24 2019, @09:19PM (#806042) Journal

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_wolf [wikipedia.org]

          If you digest that page, there is much more - just use the references at the bottom of the page for a start.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @09:25PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @09:25PM (#806046)

            Oh yeah? Take a look at this:
            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Grey_wolf_distribution_with_subdivisions.PNG [wikipedia.org]

            It's a picture, so an uneducated person like yourself, not so wise in the ways of science, might understand. Same damn speicies, doofus!

            You might want to concentrate on the Red Wolf, Canis Rufus which like so many things in Arkansas, is not a real species, the result of fucking animals. Hybrids. Hillbillies marrying kin.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @08:32AM (4 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @08:32AM (#805873)

      We tamed the wilderness so we could live safely, only to see the wilderness taken over by progressivism. Please, bring the wolves back, so they can eat the progressives!

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @09:43AM (2 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @09:43AM (#805882)

        It's Germany. They have a serious problem with itinerants wandering around that they can't or won't deal with
        Wolves do not discriminate. They are not racist. All they see is meat.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @10:08AM (1 child)

          by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @10:08AM (#805885)

          Immigrants. The less red meat.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 25 2019, @06:54PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 25 2019, @06:54PM (#806504)

            Bumpersticker in Fiji: "Tourists: The Other White Meat."

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @05:13PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @05:13PM (#805971)

        Why do we need wolves when we do such a fine job killing each other?

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @11:07AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @11:07AM (#805899)

      Caveman

    • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @02:43PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @02:43PM (#805934)

      On this chart:
      https://xkcd.com/1338/ [xkcd.com]

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @07:05AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @07:05AM (#805865)

    Judging by the reported desolate state of the German military, it's not surprising that wild animals are taking over the land.

    • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @08:14AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @08:14AM (#805871)

      now now, calling them 'wild animals' is a bit far
      yes, they throw gays off tops of buildings
      yes, they behead people they don't like
      yes, they kidnap rape torture and breed human females even of their own kind
      yes, they have declared that they will take over the planet
      yes, they kill anyone who will not join them or submit to them
      but, 'wild animals' is taking it a bit too far.
      they are still human

  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by JoeMerchant on Sunday February 24 2019, @02:17PM

    by JoeMerchant (3937) on Sunday February 24 2019, @02:17PM (#805931)

    Chernobyl also made a nice wildlife refuge.

    It's not that military usage or radiation contamination is "good" for wildlife, it's just that business as usual human occupation is worse.

    --
    🌻🌻 [google.com]
  • (Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @05:27PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 24 2019, @05:27PM (#805976)

    Ilka Reinhardt, a biologist with Lupus

    It's never Lupus.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 25 2019, @06:56PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 25 2019, @06:56PM (#806506)

      Lyme, then? I know I have something! Why won't Doctors listen to me! Could be Encephalitic Para-Schizo-noia! I want my tombstone to say, "I told you I was sick!"

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