Rehabilitation and post‐release monitoring of two wolves with severe injuries

Abstract

ABSTRACTInjured free‐ranging wolves (Canis lupus) are often rehabilitated and released into the wild, but there is limited data on their post‐release survival and behavior. We used global positioning system telemetry to document movements and spatial overlap with resident packs of 2 wolves in northern Portugal that were released following rehabilitation from severe traumatic injuries and were kept in captivity for 10–12 weeks in 2012. A yearling female, with a complex fracture on the thoracic limb, traveled 2,709 km over about 643 km2, during the 12 months post‐release before being illegally shot. During the first 8 months, it was located frequently around 3 different pack territories, but afterwards its movements were restricted to a single pack territory. We tracked a yearling male with an amputated hind limb for 5 months and it traveled 922 km over about 574 km2 before dying in a road casualty. It visited 4 different pack territories in succession but also spent time outside known territory boundaries. Our findings suggest that rehabilitated wolves can recover their locomotor activity and survive in the wild for several months, even after suffering severe injuries and spending ≤3 months in captivity. © 2016 The Wildlife Society.