Idaho biologist develops way to track wolf pup survival rate

[bearpaw]

Idaho biologist develops way to track wolf pup survival rate

Lacy Robinson needed to know how many North Idaho wolf pups survived their first year.

Not an easy task, the state wildlife biologist soon realized. Most wolf pups looked alike in the grainy images captured by infrared trail cameras, making it difficult to identify them in subsequent photos. Aerial counts had limitations, too. By the time the pups were about 6 months old, they were nearly as large as adults.

“It’s easy to count litters of pups in the spring,” Robinson said. But figuring out if those pups were still alive at the end of December was a challenge.

So Robinson, who works for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, developed her own techniques for tracking survival. The methods have proven so successful that they’ll be deployed statewide this year.

Robinson’s research has her climbing into wolf dens to put custom-made collars with tiny transmitters on blue-eyed pups, and swabbing their scat for DNA. This year, state wildlife officials expect to collar 80 to 90 wolf pups and expand Robinson’s work with DNA identification.

more here: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/mar/05/idaho-biologist-develops-way-to-track-wolf-pup/

[jasnt]

That sounds like a high risk job. Crawling in to wolf dens. Im guessing its not a one person job

[Special T]

I hope she is wearing a dust mask, if there was anyone that would catch Something it would be her.
Echinococcus granulosis is only one of the many diseases they are known to carry... I hope they have a good insurance plan...

[bearpaw]

  playing in wolf poo is certainly high risk when you consider that WSU confirmed that 66% of wolves tested carried wolf worms.... 

[Special T]

At least she is willing to risk her life so that we can figure out how quick they  breed/expand the pack...

[Brianshounds]

playing in wolf poo is certainly high risk when you consider that WSU confirmed that 66% of wolves tested carried wolf worms.... 

Is that covered under Obama Care ?

[KFhunter]

If it were a gopher hole I'd stick a hose in the hole and hook it to my tailpipe - just sayin'