The Native American Wolf

With the reintroduction of the Grey Wolf into the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem there have been many people who are opposed. Mainly the ranchers in Montana

While highly controversial, the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone Park has provided many beneficial ecological changes to the entire parks ecosystem. After a nearly 70 year absence, in January of 1995, 14 wolves from separate packs were captured in the Canadian Rockies and transported to Yellowstone National Park in the states of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho (Sanders par. 2).

advocating for the grey wolf to remain on the endangered species list, through his format and use of lists and bolded literature. There do not seem to be any apparent violations within the conventions. The time line of these documents is in very close proximity as both of the memos were written during the month of October on day twenty-seven and twenty-eight, within the year of 2015. Some social and political issues that come into play during these memos is the issue that Oregon’s Commissioners is considering delisting grey wolves from the endangered species list based on propositions that I quote are “...not supported by science, the law or the public.” and “The continued insistence on delisting wolves seems motivated by politics and specious perception that it would make things easier for the agency.” (Page 4). It is apparent that the motive to remove grey wolves from the endangered species list would make it “easier” for the agencies that constantly have to monitor and deal with the problems that arise with having wolves in the state but, the current wolf population in Oregon is roughly eighty to eighty-three animals which is far below the carrying capacity of the state. ExigenceThe purpose for the

For one, by 1980, wolves doubled to 50. By then it was apparent, ‘balance of nature’ seems to be the force that guides nature. This shows that wolves should be introduced because they are needed for balance

There are approximately 50 Red Wolves left in the wild today! Out of the 250 Red Wolves that are known to exist only 50 are roaming in the wild. The rest are in zoos or animal centers being repopulated. In the 1960s, there were plenty of these Wolves. Until, us humans caused their habitat loss, and predator control programs. They were considered endangered in 1973 and efforts started to be made to protect these creatures since then. The Red Wolf Protection Act should be passed to protect their environment, to repopulate them, and to bring them back into the wild.

There are approximately only 150,000 gray wolves left in the world today, but the numbers are steadily decreasing because of us humans. The gray wolf is a strong and very powerful animal seeing as it has large canine teeth, powerful jaws, keen senses, and they have the power to pursue their prey at up to 37 miles per hour. Contrary to their name the gray wolf comes in all colors from black, pure white, and also a brownish red which can cause confusion between between them and coyotes. You can tell the coyote and wolf apart because the gray wolf has round ears and a broad snout. The gray wolf can live up to more than twelve years while protected but while unprotected they can only live up to seven or eight.

How wolves changed Yellowstone When someone mentions the word wolf, many people often times imagine a snarling, vicious killing machine. A creature that decimates farmers live stock, looks best dead in a trap, and something that is best dead for all concerned. And in the early 1900’s the grey wolf was all but gone from most of the United States and were completely eradicated in the 1920’s from Yellowstone National park. Little did people understand at the time that once the wolf was gone Yellowstone wouldn’t be the same for decades till their reintroduction. When a person thinks of the American West the mind conjures up images of buffalo, antelope, vast swathes of empty lands, and wolves.

Around the world, there are thousands of wildlife animals. Gray Wolves are one type of them; their small domestic animals that are very fast, move in packs, and hunt deer and other animals for food. Despite the fact that Gray Wolves hunt deer, they are helpful animals to the ecosystem. Gray Wolves keep the ecosystem’s movement in check. They actually help the environment more than hurt it. They can be as friendly like dogs if raised from pups. They’re very interesting animals and it should be illegal to hunt them because they are almost extinct, they keep the prey population in check, and are unique animals trying to survive.

While researching the gray wolf, I found out that it is actually a very touchy subject in Michigan. The hunting of Gray Wolves has been a very controversial topic. Gray wolves are native to Michigan but were nearly wiped out in the 19th and early 20th centuries by hunting and state-sanctioned bounties. In 1973, when Congress created the federal endangered species list, only six wolves were known to still exist in the Michigan wild, and gray wolves were considered an endangered species. By 2007, the wolf population in the Upper Peninsula topped 500 -- far exceeding the recovery benchmark of 100 set by the federal government, making the Great Lakes gray wolf one of the most successful recovery stories in the history of the endangered species list. The gray wolf actually came off the endangered species list in 2012, but as of December 2014, has been relisted.

Wolves have always been a symbol of the wild, free in spirit and roamers of the land. These animals are considered majestic and protectors of the wilderness. They have always roamed the western United States, although their population has fluctuated over time. Over the past 10 years wolf reintroduction into Yellowstone National Park has been a controversial topic to those of the United States. As of 1995, wolves have been reintroduced into the park. This has come with some strong opposition and yet has prevailed. The future of the wolf in Yellowstone park is now looking bright, although not certain since there still are those who want them banished again.

The state legislature has favored the ranching industry above ecology and continues to do so. Public polls “conducted by Boise State indicate that the overwhelming majority of Idahoans (nearly 70 percent) support wolf restoration” (Laverty, par. 4) and the legislature is seeking to remedy this by re-educating the public with “a balanced view of the impact of wolves on big game species, those sectors of the economy dependent upon sport hunting, livestock, domestic animals, and humans” (State, 3). Furthermore, the “cost of wolf reintroduction will be presented as a part of any public education program including direct and indirect costs” (State, 3).

The Mexican wolf is the southernmost subspecies of gray wolf in North America, its natural habitat was that of the southwest United States and Mexico, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona as their home range in the US. Mexican wolves typically feed on deer and elk. (Rinkevich, Murphy, & Barrett, 2011). The gray wolves were a menace to rancher’s cattle and farmer’s livestock. Depredation of livestock led ranchers and state governments to declare war on the Mexican gray wolves through public and private bounties. The Mexican gray wolves were successfully removed from the wild. (Foreman, 2004) The Endangered Species Act of 1973 was vital for the protection of the Mexican gray wolf. (Larkin, Noss, & Maehr, 2001) In 1990, the United States Fish & Wildlife Service coordinated and developed a Mexican wolf reintroduction recovery plan to establish a wild population of no less than 100 Mexican Gray wolves in March

These were all key factors to their near extinction. In 1974 the wolves were placed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), but were not protected for long. Many environmentalist agreed with this act because environmentalist knew how crucial this keystone specie was to the ecosystem. Without the grey wolves existence, the whole rest of the ecosystem would not function properly. Unfortunately, around the 1960s, the gray wolf population was basically extinct, which resulted in a huge controversy. Luckily, “In 1995, the first 14 wolves were introduced to the Yellowstone National Park to increase the wolf population”(Transplanted) that had been decreasing gradually. Over the years more Canadian wolves were introduced to the Yellowstone National park to increase the wolf population. This procedure was successful because the wolf population throughout the Yellowstone region was on the rise. The long term goal for the environmentalists and Yellowstone park rangers would be to have around 1,000 wolves roaming the region.

The red wolf is listed as endangered under the U. S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) (United States Public Law No. 93-205; United States Code Title 16 Section 1531 et seq.). Wild red wolves inhabiting the north eastern North Carolina (NENC), USA recovery area and a single island propagation site (St. Vincent NWR, Florida) are designated as experimental non-essential populations under Section 10(j) of the ESA. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species lists the red wolf’s status as critically endangered.

Wolves are important to society because of some of the animals they prey on. Wolves prey on a small animal called a vole. Voles are