Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Can wolves help save U.S. national parks?
Research suggests that reintroducing small, managed populations of wolves to U.S. national parks can help restore damaged ecosystems.
These areas, says Daniel Licht of the U.S. National Park Service, have been environmentally impacted by population growth of hoofed mammals (ungulates), which have prospered in the absence of "top-level" natural predators.
The introduction of wolves would reduce ungulate populations, leading to greater plant biomass and diversity.
Yellowstone National Park has the highest concentration of large and small mammals in the lower 48. It's now the premier place to see wolves from the roadside, according to wildlife biologist Doug Smith, head of the Yellowstone Wolf Project.
Thirty-one gray wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone from 1995 to 1996. By 2008, there were an estimated 400 wolves in the region. The controversial animals feed primarily upon elk, but are loathed by ranchers in neighboring regions, because they are seen as a threat to livestock.
Researchers say reintroduced wolf populations could possibly be controlled by surgery or contraception (don't you need opposable thumbs to put on a condom?) and all animals could be tagged and tracked by GPS to monitor and prevent predation on domestic species. Physical and virtual barriers such as electric fencing are also an option.
The Yellowstone wolves have provided recreational and economic benefits. In 2005, the park experienced an increase in visitors, and expanded ecotourism spending by $35 million, because the wolves are so popular with tourists.
The Lamar Valley is the best place to view wolves in Yellowstone. Another hot spot outside the park is Jackson Hole, Wyoming's, National Elk Refuge, and (if you want to cheat) Yellowstone Bear World, in Rexburg, Idaho.
RELATED: Top Ten Most Badass Animals Native to the USA
Filed under: Activism, North America, United States, Ecotourism, News
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 3)
A. Scott Mar 20th 2010 3:27PM
OK Duncan. The Canis Lupis that were native to our Northwestern states were animals that weighed approximately half of what these imported wolves weigh. They did not travel in packs numbering in the twenties. They did not decimate the ungulate populations as these imported wolves are doing. Obviously, you have not taken the time to look at the website www.saveElk.com where all the statistics and photos are for the world to see. The theory that wolves eat the old, sick and weak is a total myth. These wolves prefer to attack pregnant females in order to tear the unborn from their bodies. Look at the pictures. It's not just a few wolves that do this. It is common behavior for these wolf packs. They do not kill to eat nearly as much as they kill for sport. The proof is in the statistics. You need to educate yourself on the subject of these imported wolves. They are beyond destructive.
karen lyons kalmenson Mar 20th 2010 3:12PM
i am a wolf by karen lyons kalmenson
i am a wolf and before you came
i ran safe and free
now all that's changed
my land is gone
my numbers stunted
by so many people
who too much hunted
down my packs
for trophy and sport
or because this was
their way to cavort
this was my land before you came
now things can never be the same
Steve-o Mar 21st 2010 12:32AM
I think you got indians and wolves confused in your poem.