The science and ethics of tracking wolves with Shelley Alexander

02/25/25 • 57 min

In this episode, 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.

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.

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
- A Woman Among Wolves
- Running With Wolves
Learn more about our Wolf Conservation Program

Raincoast Radio is hosted by Chelsea Greer and produced by Sofia Osborne, with additional audio editing by Oumar Salifou. This podcast is a production of Raincoast Conservation Foundation, a team of conservationists and scientists empowered by research to protect the lands, waters and wildlife of coastal British Columbia. Learn more and support our work at raincoast.org.

Additional resources:

Shelley M. Alexander’s research
Films featuring Gudrun Pflüger
- A Woman Among Wolves
- Running With Wolves
Learn more about our Wolf Conservation Program

Previous Episode

Wolves, biodiversity, and food security with Susan Bragdon

In this episode, international lawyer and natural resource ecologist Susan Bragdon discusses her early work as a young girl studying wolves in captivity. She shares the groundbreaking discovery her observations led to about the role of female wolves, challenging the biases that had shaped previous understandings. We also explore the dynamic nature of wolf interactions and the importance of considering personality in understanding wolves and advancing wildlife conservation.

From wolves to multilateral negotiations, Susan shares how her desire to protect wildlife and biological diversity led her to recognize the importance of agricultural diversity for food and nutrition security. Driven by a passion for both science and advocacy, she discusses her career as an international lawyer working with the United Nations and the founding of Seeds for All — a non-profit dedicated to supporting and expanding agroecology by amplifying the voices and participation of small-scale farmers and promoting inclusive, democratic governance.

Susan H. Bragdon is an international lawyer, natural resource ecologist, and U.S. patent agent with more than 25 years of experience working with governments, United Nations agencies and multilateral institutions and donor organizations on policy and science related to sustainable food systems, biological diversity, small-scale farmers, and agroecology.

She served as Legal Advisor to the Convention on Biological Diversity and was the first attorney-senior scientist hired within the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) at a senior level to develop and implement policy strategy on plant genetic diversity and food security and to leverage its role through critical partnerships. Susan also developed and led the Food and Sustainability Programme at the Quaker United Nations Office in Geneva and was a Policy Advisor for Oxfam Novib’s Sowing Diversity=Harvesting Security Programme.

Susan is the Director of Seeds for All, a non-profit organization with a mission to support and expand agroecology by amplifying the voices and participation of small-scale farmers and building democratic, participatory and inclusive governance at all levels.

Additional resources:

Seeds for All
Susan H. Bragdon’s early wolf research
- Scent rubbing in wolves (Canis lupus): the effect of novelty (2011)
- Mutual Rearing of Simultaneous Litters in Captive Wolves (1982)
Books mentioned throughout the episode
- The Wolf: The Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species by L. David Mech
Films featuring Gudrun Pflüger
- A Woman Among Wolves
- Running With Wolves
Learn more about our Wolf Conservation Program

Next Episode

Wolf genetics and ecology with Astrid Vik Stronen

In this episode, conservation biologist and genetics researcher Dr. Astrid Vik Stronen discusses her journey into wildlife research and conservation, beginning with her early passion for ecology and evolving into a focus on wildlife genetics and genomics.

From tracking wolves through the dense forests and rolling hills of Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba to analysing hundreds of wolf scats collected in the coastal temperate rainforests of British Columbia, Astrid offers captivating insights and stories from both the field and the lab.

Delving into the fascinating world of conservation genetics, we explore an innovative and rapidly expanding field that enables researchers to track and understand wild animals, often with minimal disturbance. Astrid explains that by collecting hair, scats, and other genetic materials, we can create genetic profiles for individual animals, which allow us to assess relatedness among pack members, inbreeding levels, population structure, and even disease movement. She also emphasizes the critical need to preserve genetic diversity and understand how wolves and other wildlife are adapting to the challenges posed by human disturbance and rapid environmental change.

Dr. Astrid Vik Stronen is a wildlife biologist and researcher in conservation genetics and ecology, primarily working on wolves and other larger carnivores. Recent research projects include genomic analyses of wild species and threatened domestic breeds in Europe and Canada, including wolves, golden jackals, bears, European bison, Mediterranean monk seals, and native cattle and dog breeds at risk.

Astrid is interested in contemporary evolution resulting from human activities, and how we can best preserve wild species and their habitats in the face of rapid environmental change. She also has a strong interest in applied conservation genetics, and in projects that integrate ecology, evolution, and conservation and connect these fields to human dimensions including ethics and human-wildlife interactions.

Since 2018, Astrid has been living and working in Ljubljana, Slovenia, as part of the “ekozivali” (animal ecology) group at the University of Ljubljana’s Biotechnical Faculty, and she is also a co-founder and researcher at the Biotechnical Faculty’s spin-out company DivjaLabs. During the past years she has had the chance to participate in several research and conservation projects in Slovenia and beyond, and she appreciates the opportunities to continue to get to know this beautiful and biodiverse region.

Additional resources: