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Reintroducing wolves to national parks
Essays on wolf reintroduction
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Over a century ago, humans fought animals for dominance of the landscape and we regrettably won, now they’re in need of our protection. The Government and Organizations have come to the rescue of wildlife species all across the U.S. Their main goal is to protect wildlife species from over harvesting and also their loss of habitat due to industrial and residential development. The beauty and curiosity of wildlife captivates all of us for different reasons. For certain species, they are the link to our existence Animals are not being hunted into extinction because the government is protecting certain wildlife areas and are controlling the animal populations within those certain areas. While increasing a wildlife species population and removing from the endangered species list, a predator such as the gray wolf, is sure to be seen as a success to some and a threat to others. Juliet Eilperin’s informative article “Once Nearly Extinct, Wolves Now Fair Game” explains that when they brought the wolves population back, protester are happy that the wolf population has thrived, but hunters and ranchers see a threat to other wildlife and cattle. He added that many of his fellow hunters exaggerate wolves' impact on both livestock wild game and the aspen trees. The aspens have declined by more than 75 percent causing others affects such as cooler streams and more vibrant animal populations. As many activists thought that hunting the gray wolves’ would again drive their population down, this would not be the case. “Montana's wolf population actually rose 15 percent after last year's hunting season, to a total of at least 650, prompting the state to allow unlimited hunting of wolves between Sept. 1 and Feb. 28. It also has allowed trapping for t... ... middle of paper ... ...harvesting and also their loss of habitat due to industrial and residential development. Works Cited Eilperin, Juliet. "Once Nearly Extinct, Wolves Now Fair Game." Washington Post 17 Sept. 2012, sec. A: 1+. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 22 Jan. 2014. Gibson, J. William. "The New War on Wolves." Los Angeles Times 8 Dec. 2011, sec. A: 25. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 24 Jan. 2014. Ives, Mike. "Rhino Horn Craze Threatens Species." Los Angeles Times 8 Apr. 2012, sec. A: 3. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 22 Jan. 2014. Jonsson, Patrik. "Open Season: Will Rebounding Wyoming Wolves Thrive without U.S. Protection." Christian Science Monitor 1 Sept. 2012: n. pag. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 22 Jan. 2014. Mertens, Richard. "Wolf Hunting Returns to Wisconsin: But How Humane Will It Be?" Christian Science Monitor 14 Oct. 2012: n. pag. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.
The history behind the extirpation of the grey wolf in the United States dates back to the very first European settlers that colonized eastern North America in the late 16th century. The killing of gray wolves was done primarily out of fear in an attempt to protect livestock, and, in some cases, to protect human life within the colonies. As more settlers expanded West, the practice of killing wolves was considerably increased to protect livestock that included cows, pigs, and chickens. As waves of European settlers expanded westward, they began to deplete the deer, moose, and elk populations. The gray wolves food source continual depletion gave rise to wolf populations actively targeting the settler’s livestock, causing great financial loss. The fiscal loss of livestock became such an issue to wealthy ranchers and settlers that they began to offer cash rewards for wolf pelts. This practice gave birth to a lucrative cottage industry of professional hunters and trappers. As the wolves began to move further West, and into Wyoming, they began to diminish the elk and moose population. To respond to this threat, Congress approved funding in 1914, to eliminate the native gray wolves from
This makes them seem less menacing and scary like the first article makes them look. Sharon Levy says in part "It is only in the two decades that biologists have started to build a clearer picture of wolf ecology….Instead of seeing rogue man-eaters and savage packs, we now understand that wolves have evolved to live in extended family groups.." (ll 19-22) This article also explains the positive overall effects of the wolves moving back to Yellowstone. Not only did the wolves have a new home filled with beautiful elk for prey they were also protected from hunters. This changed the attitude of the wolves as well as their population, of course their population grew and stayed more
By the 1880's the majority of the bison were gone, so the wolves had to change food sources. This meant that they turned their attention to domestic livestock, causing farmers and ranchers to fight back. There were even some states offering bounties for the wolves. Montana had a bounty on wolves that totaled more than $350,000 on 81,000 wolves. Due to the lack of a food source, as well as the bounties being offered, a wolf was no longer safe in the lower 48 states.
Instead of constantly expanding the borders, some argue that expanding only widens the areas for endangered species to travel to. This makes tracking species much more difficult. Wolf sightings made in 2014 were measured at 6%, this is a 45% drop since 2014. Dennis Miller, a pilot and researcher flew for 4 days and didn't spot a single wolf. On the fifth day, he spotted a white wolf trekking through the forest, 2 helicopters swooped down and tranquilized it for further tracking and data research. With rapidly decreasing populations, we are knowing less and less of what's causing such a drop in indigenous species in Alaska. Hunters and trackers alike, hypothesize that the increase of natural predators are to blame. Shortening the borders and enacting predator control is thought to be an effective way of stabilizing and rebuilding the population of species and keeping the predator count low. This is thought to be an effective plan because hunters and trappers can use this to hunt predators for food, and at the same time rebuild the wildlife levels to a stable
Poaching threatens the dying out of endangered species. Lions have virtually disappeared in Africa causing animal activists to protest for stricter rules on hunting big game. Damian Aspinall, director of the Aspinall Foundation, said,
Coyotes and bears are a common sight in the woods. These animals, along with others, are predators that help to control deer population but also decrease the amount of land allowed to the deer. In Western NC, deer rates have fallen and bag limits have been reduced. In Pennsylvania, biologists have conducted a lengthy study to determine fawn mortality and predation. Predators killed 46% of fawns, (Hart). A study about coyotes in Ohio found that even though they kill numerous fawns, the population of deer continues to grow, (Hart). It would be critical to maintain...
The controversy surrounding the reintroduction of the wolves are many from both sides. Some local farmers are against it because some wolves hunt their animals. However, if the farmers can prove their animal was attacked by a wolf, then the government would reimburse them for the animals value. Another problem is that some taxpayers are against the reintroduction because it cost them money to get the wolves back into the park. Another issue for taxpayers is that they have to pay for the damage the wolves do to the farmer’s animals.
“…and this is why the caribou and the wolf are one; for the caribou feeds the wolf, but it is the wolf that keeps the caribou strong”― Farley Mowat. This quote is a great example of the wolves keeping balance in nature, and the partnership between two different animals. The gray wolf was reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995. They were reintroduced by the government due to the endangerment of their species. The reintroduction of the gray wolf was beneficial because it improved Yellowstone’s ecosystem, protected the wolves, and it attracted tourists.
Gibson, J. William. "The New War on Wolves." Los Angeles Times. 08 Dec. 2011: A.25. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 21 Feb. 2014.
...rs livestock. The government put out a program so farmers could kill wolves that they saw attacking their livestock, or if they felt that their own lives were threatened. 18 months after this program was out only ten wolves were killed. which proved that there would be no abusing the law or pushing the wolves to extinction. (Meersman)
When the reintroduction of wolves began in the state of Wisconsin, a goal of 350 wolves was set, and this number was reached successfully in a short amount of time. Once this was reached, however, the population continued to rise dramatically and exponentially, and is now in the upper 600s (Allen). The problems now come down to a few simple questions that have complex answers. Will a regulated hunt get out of control, and a repeat of the past begins? Are the wolves posing any sort of threat in the present? Who or what would a hunt benefit? First, the issue of the past must be addressed. Back in the earlier years of the United States, wolves roamed free, and when farmers moved their livestock into what was then the wolves' territo...
The wolves’ were hunted in late 1800 s’ and early 1900‘s in the United States because farmers wanted more land for their cattle’s to graze upon. As farmers were moving out west they felt threaten that the wolves would hunt their cattles so the farmers thought that the best solution would be to take them out of the picture. This was possible because at the time there were no government regulations on hunting....
Shukovsky, Paul. "Public hearing on Makah whale hunt brings out opposition." Seattle Post- Intelligencer 02 Online. Internet. 3 Febuary 2003. Available www:seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/maka021.shtml.
De-extinction is a process that has been experimented with for many years, but has never been completely successful. The ethics and consequences of this idea have been questioned but, de-extinction has the potential to be truly helpful to humans and the environment, and many of the scenarios that people think could happen, are actually impossible. To actually revive a species, there are certain conditions that must be met, and the terrible situations that people think could happen, are unable to actually occur because of the lack of . Bringing species back that are beneficial to the environment could preserve biodiversity, restore diminished ecosystems, advance the science of preventing extinctions, and undo the harm that people have caused in the past. The true potential of the revival of species cannot be realized because people overdramatize the effects and possible outcomes. Once we realize and understand how beneficial the process of de-extinction can be we can better improve our world, our lives, and our ecosystems.
Refuges are trying to help these wonderful animals. “In 1973 the Red Wolf Recovery Sharp 2