I recommend reading the March 2010 edition of National Geographic Magazine featuring, “WOLF WARS, ONCE PROTECTED, NOW HUNTED.” You will discover how man hunted the wolf to near extinction, wolf recovery, discussion on current efforts to co-exist with them, and those who continue to paint a negative, unrealistic view of an animal that has long been misunderstood. This article has stirred me to ask a question: How do you view wolves? Do you love them? Hate them? Can you identify the positive things wolves do? **I’ll give you a few:
Did you know in Yellowstone alone, tens of thousands come to watch wolves each year, adding an estimated $35 million to the area’s economy?
Did you know after people killed the last Yellowstone wolves in 1926, park officials were killing elk by the thousands? The elk kept rebounding and overgrazing key habitats. Elk destroyed streamside willows, cottonwoods, and shrubs that prevent erosion in which many other animals rely on. People also saw a drastic increase in dangerous car accidents with elk. **A healthy fear of wolves keeps elk from lingering at streamsides, where it can be harder to escape attack. This helps increase growth of aspens, willows, cottonwoods, and other vegetations necessary to restore natural water flow, which in turn allows beavers, fish, amphibians, birds, small mammals, and a rich insect population to feed them.
**After wolves were removed, coyotes numbers climbed throughout the United States. Too small to control the elk population, coyote attacks on Yellowstone’s Pronghorn were high. The return of wolves helped Pronghorns bounce back. COUGARS began retreating to the rocky terrain where they normally inhabit when wolves arrived. **One of the most common opposition of wolves are ranchers. Ironically though, wolves are responsible for LESS THAN 1% of all livestock losses. Effective measures taken by ranchers other than exterminating wolves have been effective: range riders, dogs, burying their dead deep, ect. Wolves even walk right through cattle herds to stalk deer. In fact, they prefer WILD prey. Wolves work for their meal—this article even shows x10 wolves from the Slough Creek pack unable to kill ONE bison cow. Bison are large enough to give wolves a challenge because of their horns + hooves. Humans are not the only threat wolves face. Their numbers also decrease due to rivarly wolf packs, injuries from large prey, and the fact that average life span of wolves are 6-7 years (x3 years in Yellowstone!).
“Wolf Wars” concludes, “FOR OUR PART IT SEEMS WE NEED TO FORMULATE BETTER ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS POSED BY THE RETURN OF WOLVES—NOT THE WOLVES IN OUR MINDS BUT THE REAL WOLVES WATCHING FROM THE MOUNTAINSIDES.”
The Wolf Preservation Blog 