![]() ![]() We help educate the public about the reality of wolves, that they are inherently shy and avoid conflict and that they are fiercely loyal and loving to their family units, or packs, things to which many humans can relate. Wolf restoration has always been a priority at my conservation organization, Defenders of Wildlife. ![]() Yet, wolves account for less than 0.01% of livestock fatalities. Ranchers with livestock herds in states where wolves are present express concerns about the potential for depredations. It is in these shadows where the battle between science and emotion plays out and where the fate of the maligned wolf hangs in the balance. Each of these populations still confronts smear campaigns that seek to demonize the wolf as a predator lurking in the shadows, waiting to collide with human activity. Gray wolves were also reintroduced to Idaho, followed by Mexican gray wolves to the American Southwest, and red wolves, a critically endangered species, to North Carolina. The gray wolves of Yellowstone, however, is not the only successful wolf-reintroduction story in the U.S. Today, wolves are not only the lynchpin to sustaining the vibrant ecosystem of Yellowstone National Park but also the economies of surrounding towns as they are one of the most sought-after wildlife sightings in the nation. The restored streams and corresponding restored fish populations provided food sources to species like the bald eagle, otter and fox. Once unmanaged elk populations were rebalanced by wolf predation and the tree and plant life they overgrazed returned to riverbanks, improving eroded shores and inviting back beaver populations. With the wolves’ return, the park’s ecosystem, in a state of crisis at the time, not only rebounded but flourished. This year, as we celebrate Wolf Awareness Week, we are reminded that 25 years ago the gray wolf was returned to Yellowstone National Park. They’re known as a keystone species, responsible for a trophic cascade of biodiverse benefits. Wolves are an apex predator that keeps ecosystems in balance. Today, we must dispel the myths once and for all and honor wolves and the heroic role they play in the world of wildlife. The “big bad wolf” may be the longest-standing villain in the animal kingdom. ![]()
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