Zabinski 1

Emily Zabinski

Mrs. Barnes

English 112

22 May 2017

The Rehabilitation of Wolves

Years ago, wolves were vastly common throughout the areas of North America. They

were also once prevalent throughout Canada, Alaska, and some of the states in the U.S.

However, Euro-American settlers such as farmers, hunters, and ranchers saw wolves as threats to

both themselves and their lifestyles. To farmers and ranchers, wolves were seen as threats to

their livestock. Hunters saw them not only as predators to themselves, but to the game they

hunted which led them to begin hunting and poaching them. Their removal from the food chain

eventually caused major problems in the ecosystem. Wolves, which are major and key organisms

to the ecosystem should be reintroduced successfully to their appropriate habitats without the

reverberations of being hunted or killed.

The extensiveness of their removal was detrimental to their species, with the only gray

wolves being a small population living south of Canada by the 1960s. Just about 500 lived along

northern Minnesota and on Isle Royale. In 1967, they were considered an endangered species,

which is any species that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its

range (Carpenter). The severity of the situation caught the attention of the U.S Fish and Wildlife

Service, who worked on plans to reintroduce wolves into Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho for

almost three decades. This period of time was spent discussing scientific debates and
 Zabinski 2

often-contentious public relations battles. Under provisions declared by the Endangered

Species Act of 1973, they began initiating their plan of releasing wolves.

With the focus being to rehabilitate wolves into areas with ideal resources, Yellowstone

National Park was deemed most suitable because of its dedication to the protection of the

countrys resources and wildlife. However, a four year study process took place before any

advances were made, with studies consisting of local, state, and federal laws. In 1955, thirty-one

wolves were taken from Canada and brought to Yellowstone. Since the rehabilitation, evidence

shows that wolves are returning to their place in the ecosystem, reducing populations of moose,

elk, and other traditional prey(Wilton). With the number of grazing species being reduced, it

allows for the balancing of other organisms until the environment is steadied naturally.

Nowadays, there are at least 98 wolves ranging through 10 packs living in Yellowstone, with an

additional 528 wolves living along the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (Wolves in

Yellowstone).

Unfortunately, their reintroduction is not welcomed by everyone, and the national debate

over whether they should be or not is still being discussed. The main concerns are that of farmers

and ranchers, whose livestock are in danger of being preyed on. There is also the fear of

dangerous human interactions, as wolves are not aware of park boundaries and occasionally

wander into areas where humans live. So far, there have been between twenty and thirty wolf

attacks on humans throughout the twentieth century, and about forty attacks on livestock as of

2015 (Auerbach). In retrospect, the reasons for wolves attacking humans are due to the close

proximity or the intrusion of human activity too close to a wolfs habitat. This can be resolved

through more awareness of humans in areas with wolves or a steady movement of wolf packs
 Zabinski 3

further from human populations. As for livestock, new studies published by the scientific journal

PLOS One and explained by Robert Wielgus, a Washington State University ecologist, have

found that killing wolves may actually increase the risk of livestock being attacked. Such studies

say that when a wolf was killed, the chances of livestock getting killed increased the following

year in that stateby 5 to 6 percent for cattle and 4 percent for sheep (Cornwall). While the

exact reason why this happens is yet to be understood, scientists suspect it has to do with the

behavior and relationships of the packs.

Looking into the other side of things, wolves being returned to the ecosystem could

highly improve the balance of organisms and create a greater biodiversity. Placing them back

would help lower the overflowing number of elk and deer, which will allow a greater abundance

of plants to grow. Along with that the carcasses of the animals wolves prey on can be beneficiary

to scavenging species and bears. The number of coyotes may also decrease because of the

aggression displayed to them by the wolves, which benefits smaller species such as rodents or

predators like birds of prey.

Besides information concluded through research, additional information was gathered

through student surveys. Most of which were answered in support to wolves being rehabilitated,

with a small percent answering against it. Regardless, most answered in agreeance with the side

supporting the side taken on this issue, most of which had similar reasons as to why. Wolves are

part of the wild, and they belong to the wild. Without them, food chains and habitats remain

unbalanced and unsteady, which could potentially lead to more major consequences. Their

restoration can help prevent such things from occurring, and ultimately lead to better ecosystems.
 Zabinski 4

Works Cited

Auerbach, Michael P. Point: Wolf Reintroduction Negatively Impacts Humans & Existing

Ecosystems. Points of View: Wolves in U.S. Parks, Mar. 2016, p. 2.Points of View

Reference Center, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&an =5377017

4&site=pov-live&authtype=cookie,ip,custuid&custid=infohio.

Carpenter, Michael. Counterpoint: Wolves Should Be Reintroduced onto Federal Lands to Help

Balance Natural Ecosystems. Points of View: Wolves in U.S. Parks, Mar. 2016, p. 3.

Points of View Reference Center, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?dir ect=true&db=

pwh&an=53770175 &site=pov-live&authtype=cookie,ip,custuid&custid=infohio.

Cornwall, Warren. Why Killing Wolves Might Not Save Livestock. National Geographic,

National Geographic Society, 7 May 2017, news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014

/12/14120 3-wolves-hunting-livestock-ranchers-endangered-species-environment/.

Accessed 14 May 2017.

Wilton, Michael. Wolves in US Parks: An Overview. Points of View: Wolves in U.S. Parks,

Mar. 2016, p. 1. Points of View Reference Center, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=pwh&an=53770173&site=pov-live&aut htype=cookie, ip,custuid&

custid=infohio.
 Zabinski 5

Wolf Restoration Continued. National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior,

www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/wolfrestorationinfo.htm. Accessed 14 May 2017.

Wolves in Yellowstone. National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior,

www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/wolves.htm. Accessed 14 May 2017.

Zabinski, Emily. The Reintroduction and Rehabilitation of Wolves. Survey.