THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER; SHOULD YOU VISIT?

courtesy of Lisa Fabish

Whether you're a native Minnesotan, a new resident or just a visitor, you may be thinking about making a trip to Ely to check out the International Wolf Center.  The IWC is a great place to go if you want factual information about wolves.  Their mission, according to their website, is to "advance the survival of wolves through education." I've been there and I WAS a supporting member UNTIL the gray wolf was removed from the Endangered Species List here in Minnesota and IWC didn't oppose it.  When our wolves were removed from the ESL the DNR and State Legislature moved quickly to begin a wolf hunting and trapping season.  A full year hadn't even passed after wolves were removed from the ESL and 400 were slaughtered.  Opposition to the hunt has been great, 70% of people polled are against it, two organizations: Howling for Wolves & Northwoods Wolf Alliance were formed to be a voice for the wolf and Minnesotans have come out in large numbers to rally on behalf of the wolf.

Now, I am not going to tell you to scratch the IWC off your list of places to visit in Minnesota because I love Ely, and the city does deserve the support from tourists but I ask you to think about this before you go.  Wolves are dying every day, whether it be from disease, being hit by a car, illegal hunting, predator control killings, etc... The majority of Minnesota citizens are against the killing of the species (opposition is so great that already the IWC has seen a decline in support - click here for article pertaining to their loss of attendance) and yet the State Legislature and the DNR had gone ahead with a hunting and trapping season in 2012 and will have another season beginning next month.  In total (between the two seasons) 600 wolves will be dead and yet the International Wolf Center has taken a position of "neutrality." Their being neutral is contradictory to their mission statement which says they are trying to "advance the survival of the species through education." Being neutral on the slaughter of wolves doesn't advance their survival.  In addition to this they've also made statements that would indicate they support the hunt.  One of their founders, Dr. David Mech, has actually written an article explaining how to make the killing of wolf pups more palatable to the public and it is proudly displayed for all to download on the IWC website.  Their current executive director just gave an interview to Minnesota Public Radio News and although he repeatedly states that the center is neutral he still finds ways to defend the DNR's decision to have a hunt.

Now, I'm not one to question Dr. Mech's expertise since I'm not a wolf biologist but I will question his integrity.  He states in the IWC newsletter that wolves are difficult to harvest and their pelt isn't worth much, most likely to assure the supporting members that read the article that even if a hunt were to come to fruition that we shouldn't worry because no hunter will really be interested in the wolf, but in fact the 400 killed in our first hunting season were easy to get (the season ended early) and their pelts were going for about $500 a piece.  So either Dr. Mech isn't a very good wolf biologist (which we all know he's well educated and experienced) or else he's just not being honest for other reasons.  You decide.

So, I encourage you to visit Ely, it is one of the most beautiful cities in Minnesota and there is plenty to do and see while you are there (I'll blog about that later) but I really want you to think about what your money pays for if you visit the IWC.  Of course, you may have the opportunity to see a wolf while you are there and that would be awesome and you'll likely learn things about wolves that you didn't already know > Two things your money will help support; caring for the wolves at the center and education but, your money will also be going to an organization that not only hasn't taken a stance against the slaughter of wolves but also goes to an organization that I and others believe is in the best position out of any other to assist in bringing an end to the killing of our wolves and possibly wolves across the nation just by publicly expressing an opinion against it.

I'll end this blog post with a mention about a couple of upcoming rallies to stop the wolf hunt.  On October 12 in Duluth, Minnesota the great people at the Northwoods Wolf Alliance are hosting a rally and on November 9th in Ely, Minnesota (opening day of wolf hunting season) a wonderful woman by the name of Lisa Fabish, a resident of the Iron Range area, has organized a wolf rally in the heart of wolf country.  The rallies are open to anyone who cares about wolves and wants to see an end to hunting and trapping season.  Once I have more details about time and meeting spot for the November 9th rally I will write the update on it here so please stay tuned!