• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Outdoors / Wolves could be off the endangered list

Wolves could be off the endangered list

March 21, 2006 By admin

The U.S. Department of the Interior is proposing to take Gray wolves off the list of endangered and threatened species. Currently they’re protected in Iowa, as well as several surrounding states, but Ron Andrews, a furbearing wildlife specialist with the Department of Natural Resources, says you’re not likely to run across a wolf.

He says he’s never seen one, outside of some in captivity that may be part wolf and part dog, but Andrews says wolves are getting closer all the time to Iowa’s northern borders, coming down from Minnesota. He says there aren’t many predators to hold down the soaring numbers of deer in Iowa. He says fallen deer can be preyed upon by coyotes, dogs, a rare bobcat…and he gets cougar reports, but thinks most of them are “phantom.”

Confirmed sightings of cougars are very rare in Iowa. Andrews says he’s never seen a cougar in Iowa either, except in captivity. The DNR specialist doesn’t think Iowa’s going to be overrun by big carnivores any time soon. He says Iowa’s included on the list because wolves tend to roam a long distance and there’s always a chance one may roam into this state.

Even if they show up, he says you’re in no danger. Andrews says you’re more at risk from a mosquito giving you West Nile Virus, “or of getting conked in the head by a golf ball.” He says there’s no danger from wolves, which are few and far between and afraid of humans. He says they’d sense your presence and sneak away before you even know they’re out there.

The Interior Department may be close to removing gray wolves from the endangered list in Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Outdoors Tagged With: Department of Natural Resources

Featured Stories

All bodies of missing now recovered from rubble of collapsed Davenport building

Governor signs child care expansion into law

Iowa seniors have until July 1 to apply for new property tax break

Smoke from distant fires creates colorful sunrise in Iowa

DOT’s Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division to merge into State Patrol

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

What may be rare Michael Jordan trading card found in unclaimed deposit box

Hawkeye women to play Virginia Tech

Radio Iowa/Baseball Coaches Association High School Poll 6/5/23

Iowa eliminated at NCAA regional

Iowa names Beth Goetz interim AD

More Sports

Archives

Copyright © 2023 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC