The Return of a Native

From the time that European immigrants arrived on North American shores half a millennium ago, wolves have been hunted mercilessly and driven from the landscape. Poisoned, trapped and shot for their pelts or to prevent them preying on our livestock, millions of wolves were slaughtered over the last few centuries, ostensibly making the country safer for us all.

The truth is that wolves have never posed a serious threat to human populations. Verified accounts of wolf attacks on people are almost nonexistent. Also, confirmed losses of livestock due to wolf predation have traditionally been less than those due to coyotes, extreme weather or poor ranching practices. Despite these facts, by the mid-1900s wolves were systematically eliminated from nearly all of the lower 48 states. Biologists pointed out the ecological “hole” that the wolf’s removal had created and called for its return.

Yellowstone, the world’s first national park, became the site of a symbolic wildlife reintroduction. In January 1995, 14 wolves captured in Canada were transported to the northwestern corner of Wyoming, housed in large outdoor enclosures, and allowed to form cohesive social units prior to their release. Problems encountered during the early stages of the reintroduction were eventually overcome, so that wolves not only roam throughout Yellowstone once again, but have dispersed and successfully re-populated the neighboring Rocky Mountain states of Montana and Idaho. The renewed presence of wolves has also been documented or is suspected in Oregon and Washington, further re-establishing the presence of this threatened species throughout its former range.

The wolf’s “successful return” resulted in its removal from the Endangered Species List and is viewed as something of a mixed blessing. The loss of its endangered status reduces the level of protection afforded to re-established populations and renders them vulnerable to hunting once again. Simply stated, wolves appear to be winning the natural battle for survival, but the legal battle to protect this species continues.