In 1995, 14 wolves were released in Yellowstone National Park.
No one expected the miracle that the wolves would bring.
It started with the wolves hunting the deer, this led to a rapid decrease in the deer population. The wolves' presence also made the deer avoid parts in the park where they were and easy prey.
Thanks to the deer's absence, those parts started to regenerate. Forests of aspen and willow trees started to flourish.
That's when things really started to happen. With trees and bushes came more berries and bugs. As soon as that happened, various bird species started moving in.
With the increasing tree population, also another species was attracted. The beaver, previously extinct in the region, moved back. And the dams they built provided habitats for otters, muskrats and reptiles.
The wolves also killed coyotes, which meant more hawks, red foxes, badgers and weasels in the park. Even the population of bald eagles and ravens rose.
But here's where it gets really interesting. The wolves changed the behavior of the rivers. With more balance between predator and prey came the possibility for other species to thrive. There was less erosion because of increased vegetation. And the river banks were stabilized, the channels narrowed, more pools formed, and the rivers stayed more fixed in their courses.
So the wolves did not only transform the great ecosystem of Yellowstone, they also changed the park's physical geography.
The mountain ranges of #Andalucía in southern #Spain were home to #wolves for centuries. But then, habitat loss, #hunting, and poaching began to take their toll.
The wolves slowly dwindled. By 2013, the Spanish government could find almost no sign of them. This summer, they were declared totally extinct.
It's illegal to hunt and kill a wolf in Yellowstone National Park.
But it isn't illegal to lure a wolf across the park's invisible, man-made boundary with bait, or by playing recordings of howling wolves.
Two years ago, one in five of Yellowstone's wolves were killed when they unknowingly strayed into the wrong part of Montana. It was the worst hunting season on record for them.1
The #Montana Fish & Wildlife Commission has just proposed a plan to kill more #wolves right on #Yellowstone 's doorstep ... but that's just the tip of the iceberg. The state is trying to set a goal of killing hundreds of wolves across the state this winter.
After tens of thousands of wolf lovers spoke out Montana did start proposing somewhat lower goals than in past years, including around Yellowstone.
International Wolf Day: Why Canadians are no longer afraid of the ‘big bad wolf’ https://theconversation.com/international-wolf-day-why-canadians-are-no-longer-afraid-of-the-big-bad-wolf-209569
"Who is afraid of the big bad wolf? Turns out, fewer Canadians than you might think. But that was not always the case.
Aug. 13 marks International Wolf Day. But 100 years ago, it is hard to imagine there would have been any ability to even conceive of such a day, at least on the part of settlers. Celebrating wolves would have seemed ridiculous, even dangerous. " #Wolves#WolfDay
Wolf Harvest Incentive Program https://mdgreenview.ab.ca/departments/agricultural-services/wolf-harvest-incentive-program/
"How do you qualify?
A wolf must be humanely harvested on or within 8 km of the agricultural area. You will be asked for a legal land location for our records."
(There are still bounties on wolves in AB, B.C. Ont. Saskatchewan, Quebec, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, N.S. has no wolves)
'California has a new gray wolf pack in Tulare County... it is at least 200 air miles from the nearest known pack in northeastern California.... Gray wolves are native to California but were extirpated in the state by the 1920s. In late 2011, OR7 crossed the state line to become the first wolf in nearly a century to make California part of his range before returning to Oregon to form the Rogue Pack."
Really great to see Nina Eydelman of Animal Protection of New Mexico standing up to ranchers:
“Wolves belong in the #wild and each individual wolf is essential to the species’ survival. Ranchers who choose to place their domestic cattle on our #PublicLands should have to accept the conditions that come with those public lands, including the presence of healthy populations of native #carnivores. #Wolves were there first.”
#Idaho is doubling down on its goal of slaughtering most of the state's #wolves.
This spring, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission voted unanimously to approve a plan that calls for reducing the wolf population, from more than 1300 to as few as 500.1
If Idaho succeeds, it'll be a heartbreaking slaughter of #GrayWolves across the state.
A recent article questions the sincerity of #Colorado 's commitment to #wolf recovery and #conservation. The article delves into the debate sparked by the proposed #reintroduction of wolves in Colorado. Even before the wolves have arrived, there are already plans being made for #hunting seasons, raising questions about whether Colorado is bringing back #wolves solely for the purpose of hunting.
A significant portion of #Colorado 's wild lands are being leased for #mining and #drilling exploration, contradicting the #preservation of habitat necessary for the #wolves ' survival. While there is still wilderness in Colorado where wolves can thrive in their ancestral habitat without hindering agriculture or recreation, the author argues that the draft plan falls short if the goal is genuine recovery.
I wonder if brown bears (Ursus arctos) had the sense to stay away from the herds of cows people used to release in the woods for the summer in olden times Finland. There would be plenty to eat and a large-ish cow with horns and a dozen friends would probably not be the first meal to consider what with plentiful berries and mushrooms... But I do wonder.
For reference, here's a stock photo of some heritage breed but modern Kyyttö cows in a forest from an organic operation, because it's amazing.
@sinituulia not to mention #bears are solitary and #wolves do hunt in packs, thus being able to single-out individuals from groups and take far-more powerful animals down.
Reducing the risk per individual that is hunting and increasing the reward...
This doesn't work for highly territorial non-social predators like bears.
Even then wolves will more likely steal something a bear caught instead since that's easier for them to pull off.
Cuz predators - including humans - are lazy...
WOLVES COULD SLOWLY BE MAKING THEIR COMEBACK IN THE NORTHEAST
An article in #TheNewYorkTimes explores the story of a #wolf that was killed by a hunter after being mistaken for a #coyote in central #NewYork. The article points to conservationists who question if #GovernmentAgencies are doing enough to safeguard #wolves in the region— especially if wolf territories continue to expand back into their native regions.