rsg_book_2013

Mammals118landowners involved in the projectprovided by the NationalCommission of Natural ProtectedAreas (CONANP-SEMARNAT). Allthe monitoring effort and releaseactivities (2011 - 2013) wereimplemented by academic and nonprofitinstitutions, also through agrant by CONANP.Post-release monitoring: Mexicanwolves were monitored via satelliteand ground telemetry. The satellitetelemetry was carried out incollaboration with the USFWS, usingthe same programing of the collarsas it has been used in the BlueRange Wolf Recovery Area (3 to 4locations per day, with locationsobtained between 2 to 4 days apart).Ground telemetry depended on thetopography and safety conditions forthe technicians. The first releasedMexican wolf at release site family group split into two entities, asingle 5 year old female and theother four remaining together. These four individuals were found poisoned duringthe 1 to 2 months after release. After almost 6 months of territorial stability in theregion, the single female began a major movement that ended almost 200 kmsouth of the release site, where her signal disappeared seven and a half monthsafter the release.During the releases in the second area (Chihuahua) two elements to favorMexican wolf adaptation and monitoring were added: food supplementation andcamera traps were placed in the release sites. The first pair released inChihuahua had a bond and remained as such; their monitoring has beenfacilitated by this behavior. These individuals have fed on white tailed deer,cottontail rabbits, small peccaries and livestock carcasses. The second pairreleased in Chihuahua did not present such bonding structure and resulted in animmediate separation, which has resulted in a complex monitoring pattern; theyhave not settled and established a definitive home range. The male has traveledextensively north and the female has traveled south, both have dispersed onaverage 40 km of the release site. The habitat used by these two are significantlydifferent, the male using Chihuahuan desert flatlands, the female has remainedassociated to high elevation pine-oak forests.Major difficulties faced Livestock producer’s antagonistic behavior in Sonora resulted in lowsurvivorship of released individuals.