Podcast appearances and mentions of sadie parr

A hint of anger or disgust can be heard when conversation turns to wolves and coyotes in some communities – particularly those where managing livestock pays the bills. A long-held belief in many regions of the world – including many parts of Canada – is that eliminating these predators will protect livestock. Though numerous studies show that bounties or culls are ineffective at this, the practice remains in place. Dr. Gilbert Proulx of Alpha Wildlife Research & Management, along with Sadie Parr of Wolf Awareness Inc., wanted to test some of the beliefs surrounding cattle and wild canids. In their paper Is Livestock An Important Food Resource For Coyotes and Wolves in Central Eastern Alberta Counties with Predator Control Bounties?, the duo tested three hypotheses based on assertations supporting bounties. The results showed, simply, that cattle isn’t an important food resource and  that a bounty made no difference in the amount of cattle consumed by coyotes and wolves. The results also led to the recommendation that the bounties be discontinued. With communities spending tens of thousands of limited budgets on ineffective bounties, individual animals being killed, and ecosystems being irreparably damaged, this science is more important than ever. Dr. Gilbert Proulx joined Defender Radio to discuss the science behind the research, some of the factors that lead to the belief that predators are killing livestock, and what’s necessary to move forward from this outdated model of management. Read the paper: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325010330_Is_Livestock_an_Important_Food_Resource_for_Coyotes_and_Wolves_in_Central_Eastern_Alberta_Counties_with_Predator_Control_Bounties_Original_Research Join the Defender Radio Patreon: www.Patreon.com/Defenderradio Get Defender Radio email updates: www.TheFurBearers.com/updates  

A hint of anger or disgust can be heard when conversation turns to wolves and coyotes in some communities – particularly those where managing livestock pays the bills. A long-held belief in many regions of the world – including many parts of Canada – is that eliminating these predators will protect livestock. Though numerous studies show that bounties or culls are ineffective at this, the practice remains in place. Dr. Gilbert Proulx of Alpha Wildlife Research & Management, along with Sadie Parr of Wolf Awareness Inc., wanted to test some of the beliefs surrounding cattle and wild canids. In their paper Is Livestock An Important Food Resource For Coyotes and Wolves in Central Eastern Alberta Counties with Predator Control Bounties?, the duo tested three hypotheses based on assertations supporting bounties. The results showed, simply, that cattle isn’t an important food resource and  that a bounty made no difference in the amount of cattle consumed by coyotes and wolves. The results also led to the recommendation that the bounties be discontinued. With communities spending tens of thousands of limited budgets on ineffective bounties, individual animals being killed, and ecosystems being irreparably damaged, this science is more important than ever. Dr. Gilbert Proulx joined Defender Radio to discuss the science behind the research, some of the factors that lead to the belief that predators are killing livestock, and what’s necessary to move forward from this outdated model of management. Read the paper: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325010330_Is_Livestock_an_Important_Food_Resource_for_Coyotes_and_Wolves_in_Central_Eastern_Alberta_Counties_with_Predator_Control_Bounties_Original_Research Support Defender Radio on Patreon: www.Patreon.com/DefenderRadio Join the Defender Radio eMail list: www.TheFurBearers.com/updates  

Poisons that cause extreme suffering and death are being used to cruelly kill wolves. But there’s an opportunity to get at least one of them out of our country. Strychnine, Compound 1080, and M-44 cyanide devices are all used in Alberta to kill wolves – and anything else that comes into contact with them. Some of these poisons are also used in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Several permits that allow the use of Strychnine in Alberta are set to expire in December 2017, creating a unique opportunity to outlaw these disturbing agents of death, and raise awareness of the plight facing not only wolves, but all manner of carnivores targeted with these poisons through baiting. To understand why these poisons are being used, what other solutions exist for managing livestock conflict and protecting at-risk species, and how we can be part of the change, Defender Radio was joined by Sadie Parr, Executive Director of Wolf Awareness Inc.

Woodland caribou aren’t doing too well in Alberta. Two herds specifically, those in the Little Smoky and A La Peche ranges, are at risk of extirpation, or local extinction. Under federal endangered species legislation, Alberta is required to take action. Sadly, this has put wolves in the crosshairs of poor policy and planning. Recently, a proposal that would lengthen the campaign of wolf killing in an unscientific attempt to prevent losses to the herds, as well as ignore critical changes to habitat through resource exploitation, was fought by a group of wildlife advocates, headed by Wolf Awareness Inc. To discuss the natural history of Alberta’s wolves, the potentially disastrous proposal being considered by the province, and what wolf lovers around the world can do to stop it, Defender Radio was joined by Sadie Parr, executive director of Wolf Awareness Inc.

Wolf week begins on October 12, and this year, the wolves could certainly use your help. Two massive culling programs are underway in western Canada, horrific traps remain legal, and many people still have a culturally-instilled fear of these keystone canids. But these beautiful, family-oriented creatures play an integral role in our ecosystems, and there is much we can do to help them. To help discuss some of the ways we can get involved, as well as tell us more about a series of events taking place in BC, Alberta, and Ontario during wolf week, we were joined by Sadie Parr of Wolf Awareness Incorporated.

The wolves of Alberta and British Columbia are in dire need. With numbers already being reduced by environmental factors such as habitat loss and pollution, this keystone species now faces threats from hunting. Caribou in the region are dying from oil, mineral, timber, and other resource extraction, but governments and industries have taken to scapegoating … Continue reading →

The shocking news out of Saskatchewan that an additional 100 permits for hunting and trapping wolves in Wildlife Management Zone 49 made a splash across our social media platforms last week. In our blog, we told you that the Ministry of Environment is responding to an alleged increase in livestock predation from wolves and that population control was their only choice. We disagreed. We have long stated that co-existence is possible – be it with coyotes and raccoons in downtown Toronto or bears and wolves in rural Alberta. And this week, we’re bringing you two experts who will help us with that argument. Louise Liebenberg, owner of The Graziere ranch in Alberta, will chat with us about Livestock Guardian Dogs – one of the oldest co-existence methods around, dating back hundreds of years in Eastern Europe. We’ll also hear from wolf expert Sadie Parr of WolfAwarenessInc.org about the realities of culling wolves and the implications it has for the ecosystem, as well the governments and landowners who stand behind the guns and traps.

A hot topic these days is the BC government’s wolf management plan. Or, more particularly, it’s the lack of information about the plan. This week we’ll hear from two people who have followed this story closely. Up first is Andrew MacLeod, a reporter with online news magazine The Tyee. Andrew filed numerous Freedom of Information Act requests with the BC government to find the facts behind the wolf management plan – and was shut down repeatedly. Then we’ll talk with Sadie Parr, the advocate behind Just Beings, who has numerous projects in British Columbia and western Canada and works towards understanding and coexistence with wolves. Please remember while you listen to this episode that the government has still not released their plan and many questions remain unanswered.