An act of deception

Last week, my article addressed the reality of the introduction of the Canadian Gray Wolf to the contiguous United States; the diseases these wolves carry and are carrying, the implications for the human population; and the reality of the vicious predatory nature of this apex predator (predator without any natural enemies).

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Since I write to inform and educate, I feel compelled to address and further expand on one statement made in that article —

"This tapeworm is of a different variety. This tapeworm is a three-millimeter-long tapeworm known as Echinococcus granulosus which causes a disease called Alveolar Hydatid Disease (also known as Cystic Hydatid Disease). The disease presents in the form of cysts in vital organs such as the liver, lungs and brain. The disease can be asymptomatic, growing and spreading for years without detection. Alveolar Hydatid Disease presented a 70% mortality rate in 1980 among Alaskan Eskimos diagnosed. More recently, some success has been achieved in treating the disease without surgery."

Obviously, this was my understanding when I wrote this. I was, however, contacted by a colleague who stated that Alveolar Hydatid Disease and Cystic Hydatid Disease are not the same; are not caused by the same parasite. Further research produced a mixed bag of results. As such, I requested clarification from Dr Geist, Professional Biologist, Professor Emeritus of Environmental Science, University of Calgary. Information provided by Dr Geist and addition research helped clarify. There are two types of parasites, of the tapeworm family, that cause Hydatid Disease. One parasite is Echinoccoccus granulosus which causes Cystic Hydatid Disease which presents in two forms: pastoral (rural) and sylvatic (sylvan: wooded or wild area). Cystic hydatiddisease grows large single cysts, unless there are multiple infections, in which case there are several cysts. Once cysts grow, they may rupture in an active person, leading in some cases, to instant death because the contents are highly allergenic resulting in anaphylactic shock. Secondary infections are problematic if cysts burst in the body or are accidentally breached during surgical removal. Cystic hydatid disease is also lethal if the cyst is growing in the brain. In some individuals, cysts calcify and are carried by the person infected with minor medical problems. It all depends where the cysts implant and how many there are. Hydatid cysts can remain asymptomatic for years. The pastoral form of Echinoccoccus granulosus cycles tightly between herding dogs, the definitive host, and sheep, the intermediate host. Herding dogs become infected when they feed on offal from infected sheep. The dog scat then returns the eggs to the sheep habitat where the sheep ingest the eggs in grazing. Humans come in contact with this form, most often, by petting and handling infected herding dogs. Wolves, coyotes and fox can also contract this form by eating the offal of infected sheep; spreading it, as a result, to ungulates. Humans are considered an intermediate host. The sylvatic form of Echinoccocus granulosus cycles between canids (wolf, fox, coyote, dogs) who are considered the definitive host and ungulates (hoofed animals) which are considered the intermediate host. Like the pastoral form, ungulates become infected by grazing where infected scat is found. Ungulates not only include elk, deer, antelope, caribou, big horn sheep and moose, but also cattle, sheep, horses and pigs. How humans most often become infected is when dogs feed on offal of infected animals, become infected, and spread the eggs in their scat left on lawns, in flowerbeds, gardens, driveways and barnyards where it is subject to being carried into the home on the bottoms of shoes, on vegetables and fruits, on hands and clothing. Infection can also occur from the fur and feet of dogs on floors and furniture inside the home, and from petting and handling dogs. This is more apt to occur in the rural setting where dogs roam freely than in more densely populated areas like cities or towns where dogs are more apt to be restrained inside fences and homes. Humans can also become infected by handling or disturbing infected scat. Hunters, field dressing infected game without protective gear, are also at risk as are trappers who handle the carcasses and furs of infected animals. Humans are considered an intermediate host. The other parasite is Echinoccoccus multilocularis which causes Alveolar Hydatid Disease. This parasite is carried by rodents (especially mice) fed on by wolves. This form has turned up in wolves in Europe. The likelihood of wolves here carrying and transmitting the parasite is probable as the disease has occurred in both Canada and Alaska; it has also been diagnosed in patients from eastern Montana to Ohio. Alveolar hydatid disease forms many cysts that bud off more cysts. Cysts follow lymphatic or blood pathways infecting other parts of the body. It grows and buds like a cancer. It kills about 70% of infected people in 5 years. Surgery without spilling cyst content in the patient's body cavity, causing a secondary infection, is very difficult to accomplish. Some success has been had treating this form without surgery. Thirty-nine (39) of 63 wolf carcasses (62%) in Idaho and 38 of 60 wolves (63%) in Montana, examined between 2006 and 2008, carried the E. granulosus variety of tapeworm parasite which causes Cystic Hydatid Disease. Following my last article, one individual wrote to say that the likelihood of transmission to humans was negligible. Those who make this claim base it upon the fact that, to date, infection rates have been relatively low in more developed countries. While true, this does not tell the whole story. In those same countries, wolf populations were tightly controlled and the numbers kept low for several different reasons, including rabies, predation, diseases carried and spread, and decimation of ungulate herds. Some in the scientific field claim the sylvaticform of Echinoccocus granulosus is of little danger to humans; Dr Geist, Will Graves and George Dovel disagree. A Google search for "Cystic Hydatid Disease" returned 335,000 results world-wide. It is pretty obvious, from documents put out by the Idaho Fish and Wildlife Service (IFWS), that the wolf population in Idaho has exploded; that, at the end of 2008, IFWS could only guess at the actual number of wolves, listing a minimum of 846 wolves in Idaho and 1645 wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountain Region which encompasses most of Idaho and parts of Wyoming and Montana. This same report listed a minimum of 39 breeding pairs in Idaho alone. With that explosion comes the increased risk of Cystic hydatid disease, especially when two-thirds of the wolf carcasses examined in Idaho and Montana between 2006 and 2008 were not merely infected but infested with the parasite. This report, by the IFWS, page 8, shows the extent of wolf activity in Idaho in 2008. That this parasite will spread in the wolf population is a given; that it will spread from wolves to ungulates is already happening. In this 2006 Wildlife Health Laboratory Report, Page 3, the IFWS states,

"In addition, 1 mountain goat and several mule deer and elk were found to have hydatidcysts in the lungs (Echinococcus granulosa), likely with wolves as the definitive host of this previously unrecognized parasite in the state."

Well, there goes the claim by several that Ecninococcus granulosus has always been present in the state of Idaho! Possibly in the pastoral form, but obviously not in the sylvatic form. In this 2007 Wildlife Health Laboratory Report, Page 3, the IFWS states,

"Wolf necropsies indicated the continued presence of lice (Trichodectes canis) and tape worm (Echinococcus), previously detected last year in Idaho. Wolves are most likely the definitive host of this previously unrecognized parasite in the state."

In case you didn't catch that, the 2007 report states that the Echninococcus parasite was detected in Idaho in 2006. Yet nothing is said about that in the 2006 report. And the Idaho Fish and Wildlife Service issued no warning to citizens or hunters! Are the warnings of Dr Val Geist, Will Graves and George Dovel far-fetched, grandiose, over-the-top? Do you want to bet your life, or the life of your spouse or children, on it? It is important to bear in mind that Cystic hydatid disease can be asymptomatic for years. It is also important to remember that the wolves are spreading from Idaho to all states bordering it, including Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and Utah; Colorado and California are not that far distant. What about Wyoming and Montana which also border Idaho? Wolves were introduced to these two states in the same time frame as they were introduced to Idaho. We already know that the parasite is evident in Montana, that hydatid cysts have been found in ungulates there, as well. It is pretty obvious that the disease is spreading and that wolves are spreading it. Further information has come to light on how the Canadian Gray Wolf, subspecies Canis lupusoccidentallis or MacKenzie Valley Wolf, Canis lupus columbianus, and/or Canis lupusgriseoalbus was introduced to the contiguous United States where it is not an indigenous species and cannot, therefore, be said to be an endangered species. First we will visit the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The purpose of this act …

"to provide a means whereby the ecosystems upon which endangered species and threatened species depend may be conserved, to provide a program for the conservation of such endangered species and threatened species, and to take such steps as may be appropriate to achieve the purposes of the treaties and conventions set forth in subsection (a) of this section." (Section 2(b))

From Section 3(6):

"The term ‘endangered species’ means any species which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range …"

On June 4, 1973, the Secretary of the Interior listed the subspecies Canis lupus irremotus as endangered. This listing was recorded in the Federal Register on that date, referenced as 38 FR 14678 which means Volume 38, Federal Register, page 14678. This volume is not to be found on the internet nor an extract of the page. So, how is it that wolf recovery in this region (Oregon, Idaho, Washington, Montana and Wyoming) does not involve the species listed as endangered on June 4, 1973? This quote from page 1 of the Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery Plan (above) lays a point of reference:

"The Northern Rocky Mountain wolf (Canis lupus irremotus) is one of 32 subspecies of the gray wolf recognized by some taxonomists (Mech 1970). Twenty-four of these subspecies once inhabited North America, with the Northern Rocky Mountain wolf occurring throughout Idaho, the eastern third of Washington and Oregon, all but the northeastern third of Montana, the northern two-thirds of Wyoming, and the Black Hills of South Dakota (Hall and Kelson 1959) (Fig 1). This subspecies was listed as endangered by the Secretary of the Interior in 1973 (38 Federal Register 14678, June 4, 1973). However, based on probability of enforcement problems and because the trend among taxonomists was to recognize fewer subspecies of wolves, the entire species was listed as endangered throughout the lower 48 States, except Minnesota, in 1978 (43 Federal Register 9612, march 9, 1978). Thus, in this plan, Northern Rocky Mountain wolf refers to gray wolves in the Northern Rocky Mounts of the contiguous 48 states, rather than a specific subspecies."

Bottom line, Canis lupus irremotus was reclassified simply as Canis lupus, ignoring any subspecies classification. In 1982 the Endangered Species Act was amended to include a new section, 10(j) which states,

EXPERIMENTAL POPULATIONS.—(1) For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘‘experimental population’’ means any population (including any offspring arising solelytherefrom) authorized by the Secretary for release under paragraph (2), but only when, and at such times as, the population is wholly separate geographically from nonexperimentalpopulations of the same species. (2)(A) The Secretary may authorize the release (and the related transportation) of any population (including eggs, propagules, or individuals) of an endangered species or a threatened species outside the current range of such species if the Secretary determines that such release will further the conservation of such species. (B) Before authorizing the release of any population under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall by regulation identify the population and determine, on the basis of the best available information, whether or not such population is essential to the continued existence of an endangered species or a threatened species. (C) For the purposes of this Act, each member of an experimental population shall be treated as a threatened species; except that— (i) solely for purposes of section 7 (other than subsection (a)(1) thereof), an experimental population determined under subparagraph (B) to be not essential to the continued existence of a species shall be treated, except when it occurs in an area within the National Wildlife Refuge System or the National Park System, as a species proposed to be listed under section 4; and (ii) critical habitat shall not be designated under this Act for any experimental population determined under subparagraph (B) to be not essential to the continued existence of a species. (3) The Secretary, with respect to population of endangered species or threatened species that the Secretary authorized, before the date of the enactment of this subsection, for release in geographical areas separate from the other populations of such species, shall determine by regulation which of such populations are an experimental population for the purposes of this subsection and whether or not each is essential to the continued existence of an endangered species or a threatened species.

Bottom line, the groundwork was laid to bring the Canadian Gray Wolf into the United States, introduce it as a "nonessential experimental population" and protect it under the auspices of an endangered species, even though not endangered or threatened in its natural habitat. This federal register entry, dated November 11, 1994, clarifies,

Under section 10(j), a listed species reintroduced outside of its current range, but within its historic range, may be designated, at the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary), as “experimental.” This designation increases the Service’s flexibility and discretion in managing reintroduced endangered species because such experimental animals may be treated as a threatened species. The Act requires that animals used to form an experimental population be separated geographically from nonexperimental populations of the same species. Additional management flexibility is possible if the experimental animals are found to be “nonessential” to the continued existence of the species in question. Nonessential experimental animals located outside national wildlife refuges or national park lands are treated for purposes of section 7 of the Act, as if they were only proposed for listing.

In the end, this is how it was done: the indigenous Gray or Timber Wolf (Canis lupus irremotus) was listed as endangered. In 1978, Canis lupus irremotus was changed to Canis lupus. In 1982, the ESA of 1973 was amended to allow the introduction of nonessential experimental populations under the protection of an endangered species (even if they were not). In 1994/95, the Canadian Gray Wolf was brought in and turned loose to drive out the truly endangered Canis lupus irremotus, multiply under protection, and wreak havoc on ungulate herds and livestock. In the period 1987 through 2008, wolves were confirmed to have killed 6,844 cattle, sheep, dogs and other livestock in Idaho. This report does not list "probable" kills. In that same period, 234 wolves were moved and 1976 were killed. What is so very obvious, in all of this, is that if the environmentalists really cared about wolves, they would not want the indigenous species killed off by the invading species. They, however, have shown no sign of caring, at all. This makes it very obvious that their agenda concerning wolves has nothing to do with recovery and everything to do with money and control. In short, the wolf is being used to achieve a political agenda.