Gray Wolf Repopulation So Successful It's Time To Kill Them

5 years ago Nature

The decision was made Friday to lift the Federal Endangered Species Act protections offered to Gray Wolves in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, deferring control of the 1,500 animals to the states.

2001319850298544831_rs.jpgImage from Daryl L. Hunter on Flickr

The wolves are, I imagine, pretty thrilled to have enough of their population to not need the protection--I can imagine how cranky I would be if there were only 750 women in the world--but would have more than a few reservations if they knew that hunting permits were about to be auctioned off.

Idaho is already in the planning stages of their hunt-- and bracing for a lawsuit designed to stop it. With a desire to bring the number of wolves down to approximately 900, the state is preparing for litigation from an organization called Earthjustice, which believes that the wolves will not be secure in their environment until the population rests between 2 and 3,000.

This represents the latest in a twenty-year battle between advocates for the animals, who have even compiled a fund to compensate ranchers for losses inflicted upon livestock, and those who believe the wolves are a menace, who have previously rallied under the slogan "No Wolves, No Way." If the wolves were to fall below 800 in population again, the expectation is that the federal protections would resume, a cold comfort to supporters of the species.

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Comments

Old Comments

Daryl Hunter says

Mar 31st, 2008 at 12am
Earhtjustice was fine with the initial re-introduction plan and now they and the environmental community wants to move the goal post. As you may deduce from my photo above, I love wolves and I was one of the few I knew that was for re-introduction. A goal was set, then met, there were many like me that were for it because of its limitations. I love wolves, but I also love my farming, and ranching neighbors and I want them to be able to stay in business. The environmental community reached a good compromise that brought wolves to where many didn't want them, and they should HONOR it! I think Green Peace founder, Patrick Moore would agree with me that environmentalism is getting an integrity problem and moving this goal post is another anecdotal example of it. I am a conservative that used to write as an advocate for more wildernesses, but I quit because I didn’t want to be mistaken for an environmentalist as I have found, often times, their tactics lack ethics. As I used to see it, a conservative conservationist could sell an environmental cause to conservatives better than a liberal could. Environmentalism could use a few conservative voices; environmentalism should stop alienating the few that they have!

L says

Mar 31st, 2008 at 12am
To Mr. Hunter (above). You are quite impressed with yourself I see. Unquestionably (in your eyes anyway) your voice is the sound of reason. Yeah, right. If you love wolves, yet see nothing wrong with the government allowing your neighbors to shoot one if it "annoys" their livestock - I feel sorry for anything or anyone you "love." You are a menace to idea of wilderness, your self-promoting post nothwistanding.

jim says

Mar 30th, 2008 at 12am
Glad to see the government is ensuring their own future employment by letting species fluctuated between barely safe and not safe at all. Imagine all that paperwork to process if gray wolves were to be "endangered" again!