Episode 4: The science and ethics of tracking wolves with Shelley Alexander
In this episode of Raincoast Radio’s Of Wolves and Women, wildlife scientist and canid specialist Dr. Shelley Alexander shares captivating stories and insights from the early days of her wildlife career. From tracking the return of wolves in Banff National Park to raising coyote pups and working with livestock owners, Shelley reflects on how these formative experiences have influenced the trajectory of her work 25 years later.
Challenging the traditional concept of habitat, we explore how animals might experience habitat alteration and loss, emphasizing the importance of considering not only the physical attributes but also the cognitive and affective landscape of “good” habitat.
“It’s the dynamics of what’s happening under that [forest] canopy that might be driving whether the animals can live there or not. From above it might look like an intact forest, but from underneath, there are people in there trapping and killing them all the time, so it’s not truly [ideal] habitat.”
Dr. Shelley Alexander
Acknowledging the inextricable link between science and ethics, we delve into the ethical considerations of trapping and collaring wolves for research. We also explore the broader ethical, ecological, and social implications of the indiscriminate and targeted killing of wolves and other canid species.
“We make no ethical decisions without having an emotional capacity […] We don’t have to look very far in human history to understand that science divorced from emotion and ethical considerations is not the whole picture […] Taking the science and putting it in the context of society, of right and wrong, of what is moral and what we are willing to tolerate — that’s what allows us to do things properly.”
Dr. Shelley Alexander
Dr. Shelley Alexander is a Professor of Geography at the University of Calgary. She has over 30 years of experience studying human-wildlife coexistence, specializing in wolves and coyotes. She founded the Canid Conservation Science Lab, embracing non-invasive methods and the principles of Compassionate Conservation.
Shelley started her wildlife career in 1991 as a field researcher working for Dr. Paul Paquet on the first study of recolonizing wolves in Banff National Park, Canada. She also studied briefly with Dr. Jenny Ryon (Dalhousie University) monitoring captive wolf family dynamics, in-den behaviour, and play in coyote pups.
Shelley became an international expert in road ecology and geospatial analysis for carnivore conservation. Since 2006, she has led the Foothills Coyote Initiative, investigating topics from coyote ecology and social intelligence to human-coyote conflict and the effects of urbanization on coyotes, landowner experiences with and media portrayal of coyotes, spatial epidemiology, and the intersection of colonial ideology, ethics, and coyote killing. She also created UCalgary Living with Wildlife — an active evidence-based wildlife coexistence program on campus.
In November 2024, Shelley was elected to the College of Fellows of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, recognizing her contributions to raising the profile of Canada’s natural heritage at home and worldwide.
Additional resources
- Shelley M. Alexander’s research
- Films featuring Gudrun Pflüger
- Learn more about our Wolf Conservation Program
Topics discussed
[00:53] – Shelley’s introduction
[01:50] – Formative experiences that led to studying wolves
[05:50] – VHF collars and radio telemetry
[09:07] – Transitioning to satellite collars
[11:38] – Ethical considerations of using leg hold traps
[12:36] – Tracking Pluie the wolf
[15:30] – World Wildlife Fund Carnivore Conservation Project
[17:00] – Canadian Geographic article “The Wolf Man”
[20:45] – Challenges and obstacles faced as a woman
[23:10] – Working with Jenny Ryon
[26:15] – Play development in coyote pups
[26:30] – Working with sheep herders
[27:05] – Developing a unique set of skills
[28:30] – Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and habitat modelling
[31:00] – Coastal wolves in British Columbia
[33:55] – Impacts of logging on wolf habitat
[36:40] – Animal sentience and emotions
[38:30] – Similarities between social carnivores and humans
[39:40] – Compassionate conservation
[40:05] – Implications of indiscriminate killing
[42:00] – Camera trap data and measuring emotions
[44:15] – Play in coyotes to understand impacts on quality of life
[45:30] – Implications of removing key individuals
[48:00] – Science, ethics, and emotional capacity
[49:50] – The remarkable story of Diane
[53:40] – What have wolves taught you about yourself?
[54:50] – Advice for young women and girls
About Raincoast Radio
Raincoast Radio is created by Raincoast Conservation Foundation. It is produced by Sofia Osborne with additional audio editing by Oumar Salifou. Fact checking by the Raincoast team. The wolf photo in the podcast art is by Mark Williams. Music by Crypt-of-Insomnia and Luca Francini.
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