The grey wolf is listed as an endangered species in Wyoming. However, it has now grown to numbers acceptable for de-listing. This has been a hot debate for several years. Many ranchers and hunters in Wyoming believe the state’s wolf population has grown unacceptably high since wolves were reintroduced in Yellowstone in the 1990s. Wyoming has fought for years to try to get state control of the wolves.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission voted April 25, 2012 to allow hunters to kill up to 52 wolves in the state starting this October. The plan would allow trophy hunting for wolves in a zone around Yellowstone National Park. Wildlife managers say there are currently about 270 wolves in Wyoming outside of Yellowstone and the hunting would last until 52 were killed or until the end of the year. The agreement would require Wyoming to maintain at least 10 breeding pairs of wolves and at least 100 individual animals outside of Yellowstone National Park and the Wind River Indian Reservation. Wolves in the rest of the state would be classified as predators that could be shot on sight year-round.
The grey wolf re population has been a great success and environmentalist believe all their efforts could be destroyed if the de-listing occurs. The wolves benefit the ecosystem because they eat elk and deer, reducing their numbers. The elk and deer become fearful and spend less time eating in one place. In Yellowstone, researchers saw that open fields became more vegetated when they reintroduced wolves. The wolves also provide leftover food for scavengers.
Governor Matt Mead said he remains hopeful that Congress will act to exempt the state’s wolf management plan from legal challenges he expects from environmental group.
Interesting page indeed! Keep on posting for more.
It’s too bad that we humans can’t leave our fingers out of the pie. It seems that whenever we try to reintroduce we end up with a whole new set of problems…When left alone, nature has a natural ebb and flow, and the pendulum usually swings mid-road eventually. What was a great idea to begin with becomes problematic quickly because species in a new environment don’t ‘act’ in expected ways. Are you close enough that the wolves are a problem in your area?
The wolves aren’t a problem for me, but they do pose a problem for the cattle ranchers. I agree with you that things are cyclical and eventually nature will return to a balanced state.
If the wolves aren’t posing a direct threat to the human population, abducting children in the middle of the night, I say leave them be.
Lol. No abductions. They are killing livestock, though.
We humans, as good of intentions that we have, don’t always look at all aspects of something before we do it. The wolves will have unattended consequences just like anything else. Another thing.. just because they can now be hunted until a “certain” number have been killed doesn’t mean ranchers and people severely opposed to the wolf haven’t shot at a few. We have coyotes on this side of the country 🙂