Yellow Stone Wolf Research Paper

Words: 1558
Pages: 7

livestock losses increase, if a great quantity of wolves are killed to reduce livestock deaths, wolf numbers eventually drop so low that wolves wind up back on the endangered species list. Although there has been considerable progress in restoring wolves into nature, there has not been a legitimate recovery. Figures, such as, Doug Honald, the managing attorney in the Montana office of the environmental law group called Earth Justice, relatively challenges the interior department’s decisions regrading the delisting of wolves. Honald has spent most of his professional life working on protecting wolves from extinction, and although he earned his degree in law at the University of California, Berkeley, having the ability and opportunity to earn …show more content…
According to Brendan, "Gray wolves and elk have been coexisting for 10,000 years. The problems really stem from people, who are contributing to habitat degradation and forest fire suppression." Studies show that wolves play vital roles in maintaining healthy ecosystems, and could even help stave off some of the effects of climate change. These mammals are also very much needed to help keep certain populations in check. For example, within the borders of the yellow stone national park, a little over a 100 wolves are part of the landscape. Researchers that are a part of the yellow stone wolf research project lead teams of researchers documenting the return of wolves and their effect of the neighborhood. Without these “predators”, yellowstone elk population exploded and was overgrazing the range, but the return of wolves has restored the balance of nature in yellowstone. Besides keeping the elk population in check, they also leave scraps of what is considered food to other carnivorous species. However, although the positive aspect of wolves may have people, that are not exactly in the actual setting, going against shooting wolves and wanting them back in the western landscape, it’s also important to understand the people from rural areas, such as those from Montana, having to live with the reality of wolves. These ranchers deal with wolves, have sleepless nights, constantly worrying about their sheep and cattle, which is something many people don’t deal with or even fully understand, which is an issue that needs to be greatly addressed as well. Ranchers are different than suburbanites and have different needs, such as the fact that they need a great amount of land for their livestock. Fundamentally, we have a system of public land where everybody owns it and has a say, creating an understanding of the importance of