“Save our wolves!”
The ongoing battle…
Save Our Wolves! How to Save the Creatures Who Howl At the Midnight Sky.
“The iconic Algonquin Wolf is the only threatened species in Ontario that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry deliberately allows people to kill.” – Dianne Saxe
LOVE THE WOLF? LET OUR ELECTED FAT CATS KNOW!
Laws to protect endangered Canis lupus — the wild wolf — have been in and out of favour in North America, Northern Europe and other countries of the world for decades. Punched back and forth like a hot volleyball.
In 1973 President Richard Nixon signed The Endangered Species Act into law. The U.S. Supreme Court called it “the most comprehensive legislation for the preservation of endangered species enacted by any nation.” They were right. President Nixon is still respected around the world for the ESA. Including here in Canada. Along with Teddy Roosevelt, Richard Nixon is a hero of mine.[1]
Last year, we read this headline: “President Joe Biden’s administration is sticking by the decision under former President Donald Trump to lift protections for gray wolves across most of the U.S.”
In the decades between, no President has matched Richard Nixon’s courageous stand. Most Presidents have struck down the protections. Groups such as Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, Humane Society of the United States and others have gone to court to have the ESA kept in place.
One such successful year was 2008. Here’s what “saving wolves” should look like.
“Gray Wolves Returned To Endangered Species List” a Guest Article by Marlene Affeld
Wolves are once again protected in the northern Rocky Mountains of the United States. On Tuesday, October 14th, 2008, a court victory for environmentalists returned gray wolves to the Endangered Species List.
“The northern Rocky Mountain gray wolf is returned to the list of endangered and threatened species. With each of its component populations having the same status under the Endangered Species Act,” said Federal Judge Donald Molly, in a written ruling handed down in Missoula, Montana. Twelve groups had challenged the United States Government’s decision in February 2008 to delist the gray wolf in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.
Passionate in their commitment to protect gray wolves, the challengers refuted claims that the reintroduction of the magnificent animal had been a success. It was feared that delisting the species would lead to hunting of wolves, sanctioned by the authority of the individual states.
Before the early settlers arrived, gray wolves ranged across most of the continental United States.
As the settlers moved in and encroached on the wilderness, the once massive herds of bison, elk and deer were scattered or annihilated. Natural predators, the carnivorous wolves began to attack domestic livestock and the settlers retaliated.
US government agencies and ranchers paid a generous bounty on the pelts of wolves trapped or shot by hunters. Ironically, wildlife studies have shown that wolves have minimal negative impact on deer and elk populations. They feed primarily on sick, weak or disabled individuals.
Until the introduction of the species in the early 1980s, gray wolves had all but disappeared in the mainland United States. At that time wolves began colonizing northwestern Montana near Glacier Park. In 1995 and 1996, sixty-six wolves from Canada were released in Yellowstone National Park in the hope that they would survive and multiply.
Since the release, the wolf population has increased through dispersal and natural reproduction. US Forest Service studies report over 1200 wolves in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.
The gray or timber wolf is a social animal and lives in family-centered packs. Which bond together to hunt large prey and to defend their territory against other wolves. Montana has 73 packs with 415 total. This estimate includes 38 breeding pairs. Wolves normally have 4-6 pups per litter. Mineral County conservatively reports that there are 36 wolves in 7 packs. Mineral County represents less than one percent of Montana’s land mass, but has 18% of the state’s Canis lupus population.
Wolf Facts
The average pack is about 6-8 animals. The pack grows and shrinks dependent on the season. In the spring and summer months, wolves focus on raising their young and stay in small groups to feed their pups. In the winter months, wolves form larger packs to facilitate hunting and traveling. Wolves range over large distances with a territory size that varies from 50 to 1,000 square miles.
The timber wolf is a magnificent creature. Canis Lupus plays a critical role in the natural ecosystem by restoring balance to Montana’s diverse wildlife population. The unique experience of encountering a wolf in the wild is a rare gift. A breath-taking, heart-pounding moment that few will ever have the opportunity to savor.
With the reinstatement of the endangered species designation, perhaps the midnight howl of a gray wolf will be heard by future generations.
- “Thanks, Marlene, for your insightful article.” – Brian
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FOOTNOTES:
[1] “The great question of the Seventies is shall we make our peace with Nature? And begin to make reparations for the damage we have done to our air, to our land, and to our water.” – Richard Nixon. Among his many other accomplishments for protecting our Living World is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). See The Environmental Legacy of President Nixon.
For more on the history of hunting wild wolves, see WOLF HUNT: Wolfers of the Old West & Canada.
About the Guest Author:
Montana writer Marlene Affeld’s articles have appeared on ArticlesFactory. Her most recent works include “The Decline and Resurgence of the American Bison” and “The Resurgence of Wild Turkeys in Montana.” Source: Free Guest Posting Articles from ArticlesFactory.com.
SAVE OUR WOLVES! How to Save the Wolves – Endangered Species Act
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