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Journal Publications
Walton L.R., Cluff H.D., Paquet P.C., and Ramsay
M.A. 2001 Movement
Patterns Of Barren-Ground Wolves In The Central Canadian Arctic Journal
of Mammalogy, 82(3):867–87 (PDF
= 155KB)
Abstract
We collected information on the
movement patterns of wolves (Canis lupus) captured within a 30,000-km2 area
in the Northwest Territories and western Nunavut. Currently, diamond mining
and road construction are occurring in the area used by these migratory
wolves for denning. During summers of 1997 and 1998, 23 wolves in 19
different packs were captured and fitted with collar-mounted satellite
transmitters. Areas used by these wolves varied seasonally and seemed to
correspond to movements of migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus). Annual
home-range sizes (95% minimum convex polygon), averaged 63,058 km2
± 12,836
SE for males and 44,936 ±
7,564 km2 for females. Wolves began to restrict
movements around a den site on the tundra by late April. They did not depart
from their summer ranges until late October, after which they followed
caribou to their wintering grounds. Straight-line distances from the most
distant location on the winter range to the den site averaged 508
± 26 km
during 1997–1998 and 265 ±
15 km in 1998–1999 (P < 0.01). Home range in
summer averaged 2,022 ±
659 km2 for males and 1,130
± 251 km2 for females.
No difference was detected between sexes or years. All but 2 of 15 wolves
returned to <25 km of a previous den, and 2 wolves returned to the same den
site. We believe that human activities that disturb or displace denning
wolves, or that alter the distribution or timing of caribou movements, will
have negative affects on reproductive success of wolves. |
