Northern Minnesota research project aims to give insight into wolf pup survival

One by one, researchers pulled seven wolf pups out of a den near Cloquet, Minnesota. Each got a collar as part of an ongoing research project on wolf populations.

"It's so close to home that it just feels really more important because this is the community that I live in and this is the wildlife around me," Cloquet High School student Melanie Buhls said.

Fond du Lac wildlife program manager Mike Schrage says the research is also important in light of the larger debate around the species.

"We are establishing a good baseline while wolves are protected, and if and when they are delisted, we'll be able to see what kinds of changes do or don't happen," Schrage said.

The Fond du Lac band has been studying wolf populations on the reservation for the last 10 years.

"There is a healthy wolf population in the area," Schrage said.

The collaring project aims to give insight into pup survival, and causes and rates of mortality.

"That's kind of a blank spot in our understanding of wolves," Schrage said.

The research adds to the understanding of the species and how populations adapt and survive in a landscape heavily influenced by humans.

"It is really important for people to know about this kind of stuff because the environment is always changing and the animals will learn to adapt and change with that stuff," said Buhls.

The collars are designed to expand at the pups grow and eventually fall off.

The Fond du Lac Band is also studying deer in the area.

They say tracking collared deer and wolves allows researchers to observe how the two species interact over time.