Space use by gray wolves (Canis lupus) in response to simulated howling: a case study and a call for further investigation

Abstract

Simulated wolf howling sessions are a popular ecotourism activity, but no exhaustive evaluation has been made on their potential impacts on wolf ecology. We evaluated the effects of simulated wolf howling sessions on the space use of gray wolves (Canis lupus L., 1758) in the Montmorency Forest (Quebec, Canada). Although we equipped 22 individuals with GPS collars from 2005 to 2008, only four wolves could potentially hear our 20 simulated howls (July to October 2008). We used power analyses to select two spatiotemporal scales of analysis with sufficient location data to investigate wolf reactions. We evaluated the distance and orientation of wolf movements relative to howling stations, their movement rates, and their mean distance to other collared pack members, which we used as an index of pack cohesion. We found that wolves approached howling stations (at both scales) and were closer to other pack members (at broad scale only) after simulated howls. The reactions of wolves were of relatively low magnitude, and we conclude that simulated howling sessions were unlikely to have strong negative impacts on the movement patterns of wolves. We encourage future studies to evaluate the effects of simulated howling on the activity levels and fine-scale space use by wolves.