Project results align with wolf biology, DNR winter track surveyBy ANDY HENION,
Communications representative, Wildlife Division
Michigan Department of Natural ResourcesFor the first time, researchers from Michigan State University and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources have successfully estimated Michigan’s wolf population using remote cameras deployed throughout the Upper Peninsula.The camera survey method, which began with a pilot proiect in 2022 and has since expanded, produced monthly estimates that generally align with wolf biology – lower counts during winter when the wolf population is at its lowest due to mortality, then increasing in the spring after pups are born.Check out previous Showcasing the DNR stories in our archive at Michigan.gov/DNRStories. To subscribe to upcoming Showcasing articles, sign up for free email delivery at Michigan.gov/DNREmail.
March 2024 estimate of just under 800 gray wolves.

While the track survey is limited to producing a minimum estimate during winter, when wolf tracks are clearly visible in the snow, the camera survey provides a first look at how Michigan’s wolf population fluctuates throughout the year.

Camera survey estimates ranged from a low of 525 wolves in March 2025 to a high of 1,198 wolves in October 2024.

“Our winter track survey was doing exactly what it was designed to do, and that is to get a minimum count of wolves in wintertime,” said Tyler Petroelje, the DNR’s northern Michigan research specialist. Read more

Photo courtesy of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and partners announced the results and winners of the 2026 Florida Python Challenge™, an event intended to raise awareness about invasive species while engaging the public in Everglades conservation through removal of invasive Burmese pythons. Over the course of the 10-day event, 907 Python Challenge participants from 30 different states, as well as from Canada and Vietnam, collectively removed 280 invasive Burmese pythons from south Florida.

A highlight of this year’s event was the return of Everglades National Park as a partner and one of eight official Python Challenge competition locations. This year’s Ultimate Grand Prize winner of $10,000 was Tom Rahill, who removed 96 Burmese pythons during the competition — all of which were removed from Everglades National Park, contributing directly to Everglades conservation. The longest python of the competition was also removed from Everglades National Park, measuring 16 feet, 5 inches, and removed by Rahm Levinson. Additional winners for longest pythons and most pythons removed in the Professional, Novice, and Military categories, are detailed below. Read more

Photo courtesy of Michigan DNR

Sept. 18-20 at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park

Set in the picturesque Porkies – filled with miles of trails, thousands of old-growth trees and abundant wildlife – this class is designed to teach the basics of backpacking and introduce you to the wilderness experience. Instructors will help you develop a gear list, teach you how to plan a trip and stay safe in the backcountry, and introduce you to Leave No Trace principles and basic wilderness problem solving. You will be expected to provide and carry your own gear.

You’ll enjoy a two-day, 5.6-mile scenic hike through the woods, including the chance to take in the views from the highest point in the park.

Cost is $105 per person, which includes meals for the trip. Registration is required by Aug. 14.

Learn more/register ?

This class is part of the Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Skills Academy, which offers in-depth, expert instruction, gear and hands-on learning for a range of outdoor activities at locations around the state. Learn more at Michigan.gov/OutdoorSkills.

As part of ongoing efforts required under the Endangered Species Act to monitor the population of grizzly bears in the Yellowstone Ecosystem, the U.S. Geological Survey, in conjunction with Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, is working to inform the public that pre-baiting and scientific capture operations are once again about to begin within the northwestern portions of the Custer Gallatin National Forest, south of I-90, in Montana. Biologists with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) will begin the field captures August 8 and continue through August 28. Capture operations can include a variety of activities, but all areas where work is being conducted will have major access points marked with warning signs. It is critical that all members of the public heed these signs.

Research and monitoring of the grizzly bear population is vital to ongoing recovery and management of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. In order to attract bears, biologists use natural food sources such as recently road-killed deer and elk. Potential capture sites are baited with these natural foods and if indications are that grizzly bears are in the area, culvert traps or foot snares are used to capture bears. Once captured, bears are handled in accordance with strict safety and animal care protocols developed by the IGBST and approved by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Whenever bear capture activities are being conducted for scientific purposes, the area around the site will be posted with bright warning signs to inform the public of the activities occurring. Read more

KALISPELL—Northwest Montana is experiencing a below average huckleberry crop this year, and as natural food sources become harder for bears to find, they are increasingly moving to lower elevations in search of alternatives. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks bear conflict specialists are asking for the community’s help to reduce potential conflicts.

“We’ve responded to an unusually high number of calls this season,” said bear and lion conflict specialist, Justine Vallieres. As fall approaches and bears enter hyperphagia, a time when they actively seek out extra calories to prepare for winter, specialists expect that call volume to increase. Read more

The Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) is partnering with the Eagle Ranch Homeowners Association (HOA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Colorado Parks and Wildlife to implement a habitat restoration and fuels reduction project near the Eagle Ranch community just south of Eagle, Colorado. Through targeted habitat restoration, this partnership can address long-term challenges of habitat loss and human development on wildlife and better support the local deer herd’s long-term health and population stability.

“We are grateful that the Eagle Ranch HOA supports this proactive effort to foster a healthier landscape for mule deer and wildlife,” said Greg Sheehan, President and CEO of the Mule Deer Foundation. “When habitat projects can also shield rural communities from severe wildfire, it ensures these landscapes will continue to provide important resources for mule deer, wildlife, and the communities who call this area home.”

Community residents live in a wildland-urban interface area wherein human development borders wildland vegetation. The HOA is providing $111,000 for MDF to remove encroaching pinyon-juniper woodland stands on nearby slopes that function as big-game winter range. This will open important sagebrush habitat that provides cover and forage for mule deer and other sagebrush dependent species, while also mitigating wildfire risk to homes and structures in the Eagle River Valley.

“The original Developers of Eagle Ranch were extremely forward thinking in establishing a Wildlife Protection Fund to fund projects that help mitigate some of the impacts on wildlife caused by the Eagle Ranch development. The Eagle Ranch Wildlife Protection Committee of the Eagle Ranch Association approved a significant contribution to the funding of this important wildlife habitat enhancement project,” said the Eagle Ranch Executive Board Members in a statement.

The area surrounding the Eagle Ranch community includes a mixture of public and private lands, with the project area encompassing an important winter range and migration corridor for the Brush Creek Mule Deer Herd. This partnership demonstrates how public and private entities can work together to deliver lasting ecological and community benefits, ensuring habitat improvements for wildlife and residents can persist for decades. Read more

One of Africa’s most ambitious leopard research efforts is revealing critical insights that could shape the species’ future

The Safari Club International Foundation’s African Leopard Research Project is entering an exciting new phase by expanding fieldwork into South Africa following the successful completion of its groundbreaking national leopard survey in Botswana.

Over the past three years, SCIF’s research team conducted one of the most comprehensive leopard surveys ever undertaken, deploying more than 1,000 camera-trap stations across approximately 12,000 km². With 1,424 leopard detections which resulted in 427 individual leopards identified, this SCIF project is providing the first robust, science-based estimates of leopard populations across multiple land-uses in Botswana.

These findings are already informing conservation policy. The data have helped the Botswana Department of Wildlife and National Parks develop a 10-year Leopard Management Plan submitted to CITES in support of the country’s leopard export quota, demonstrating how rigorous science can guide sustainable wildlife management.

Building on this success, the project is now expanding into South Africa through a partnership with the PHASA Foundation. Together, SCIF and its partners will continue generating the reliable population data needed to support evidence-based conservation, sustainable use, and the long-term future of one of Africa’s most iconic predators.

Watch how this pioneering research is helping shape the future of leopard conservation across southern Africa. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8cyatusQ-E

Today, Safari Club International (“SCI”) and its litigation partners asked the Los Angeles County Superior Court to block any shooting of mule deer on Santa Catalina Island while their challenge to the legality of the deer-eradication plan proceeds. SCI’s involvement in this case is supported by the non-profit SCI Center for Conservation Law and Education.

Earlier this year, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife bypassed full environmental review and approved a permit for the Catalina Island Conservancy to implement the Catalina Island Restoration Project, a multi-phase effort that purports to use deer eradication and habitat manipulation to restore “native” species to the island.

The project is scheduled to begin baiting and shooting deer in September 2026. Accordingly, SCI and its partners have requested the Court preserve the status quo before irreversible action begins. Read more

New video gives inside look at a landmark bear study

A new video by the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is giving viewers a behind-the-scenes look at how researchers are gathering data about Arizona’s black bear population. The research is a part of a statewide study that will help the department make appropriate management decisions using the best available science.

The video follows a team of AZGFD biologists conducting one of dozens of den checks for the study– a carefully choreographed process of sedating and temporarily removing a black bear from its den to gather biological samples and check the fit of its radio tracking collar. Read more

In the early morning of July 24, an adult male was attacked by a bear while jogging with his dog along the Aspen Loop Trail at Henrys Lake State Park.

The man sustained injuries, but was able to walk out on his own. The dog was uninjured and followed him out safely. At around 8:00 a.m., the individual was transported by ambulance to Madison Memorial Hospital in Rexburg to be treated for his injuries.

Idaho Fish and Game, along with Fremont County Deputies, quickly secured the scene to begin an investigation of the incident. A sweep of the trail system at Henrys Lake State Park and adjacent area was conducted from both the ground and air, thanks to the use of the Sherriff’s Office drone. The site where the attack occurred was discovered, but no bears were found in the area.

Due to the surprise nature of the attack, and no sign of bears in the area, no further actions are being taken at this time. Read more