Yellowstone Wolves

By Vansh Amin

Wolves are a very crucial part of Yellowstone. Did you know that at one point in Yellowstone’s history all the wolves were extinct!?!?  Most people would think that wouldn’t affect anything, but it had a huge impact on the Yellowstone ecosystem. Since the wolves weren’t there, many of the hoofed mammals, like deer and elk, overpopulated. This was the reason people killed the wolves, because they wanted more deer and elk. But it was very bad because the deer and elk eat trees, especially deciduous trees. This destroys riparian habitat for animals like birds, beavers and otters who can’t hide behind trees while resting, drinking or raising their young. Also, the deer and elk would eat all of the food.

The Yellowstone biologists decided to reintroduce wolves in 1995. They couldn’t just bring in some new wolves from anywhere. After 80 years of wolves being gone, they had to find wolves that were used to the habitat and prey found in Yellowstone. That is when they got the idea to bring in wolves from Canada just north of the Montana border where they also hunt elk and bison. The wolves have repopulated Yellowstone and have changed the environment in a good way. Riparian plants and trees like aspen grew back, which brought back the beaver. This benefitted the whole wetland ecosystem and all the species that need that habitat. This is why wolves are a keystone species.

The average wolf pack size is about 10 wolves. They inhabit most of the park. When they are active the most is at dawn and dusk. Many other animals benefit from wolf kills. For example, when wolves kill an elk, ravens and magpies arrive pretty much instantaneously. Coyotes arrive soon after, waiting nearby until the wolves leave. Bears often attempt to chase the wolves away, and are often successful. Another benefit is that the wolves are also keeping the elk population in balance, otherwise the elk would overpopulate and it would mess up the food chain. Also the ravens, magpies, vultures and other scavengers wouldn’t have as many sources of food, and then they would starve and food chain would be even more out of order. Wolves help keep wildlife populations healthy just by hunting and surviving.

Editor’s Note: These student essays were printed as they were provided by Pioneer School and were unedited by Out There. To learn more about the school, visit Pioneerschool.com.

Learning about thermal features, wolves, and more during an Expedition Yellowstone trip. // Photo courtesy Pioneer School.

Every other year, 4^th and 5^th grade students from Pioneer School participate in Expedition Yellowstone, a National Park Service program where school groups get to choose a theme, such as history, ecology, and wildlife for a hands-on learning expedition. Pioneer School is a K-5 accredited, non-profit school for gifted and highly-capable learners in Spokane Valley.

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Gray Wolf pups in the Methow Valley, Washington. // Photo Courtesy of Conservation Northwest.

Lot’s of things. You may not know about these controversial endangered animals, including the latest on the Okanogan poaching case, that’s why we called Conservation Northwest’s Jasmine Minbashian for the latest.Click here for brief interview with Jasmine Minbashian of Conservation Northwest.

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The Lands Council sent this new release to us today:

Help Protect The Northern Rocky Mountain Gray Wolf!

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced its 2nd attempt at delisting the gray wolf in the northern Rocky Mountains.

The first attempt was quickly reversed in July by a federal judge, but not before state management programs led to the killing of over 100 wolves.

The geographical area at issue with this proposal includes Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and parts of Washington, Oregon, and Utah .

A wolf pack (2 adults and 6 pups) was discovered near Twisp, Washington in July 2008. Although their territory is outside the area now proposed for delisting, the delisting could potentially isolate them from all protected populations in the U.S.

Please join The Lands Council in commenting against this second attempt at delisting the gray wolf, and in favor of the continued protection of the northern Rocky Mountain population of grey wolves by maintaining their federal listing until they truly are recovered!

You have until November 28, 2008 to submit comments regarding the USFWS proposal.

Comments can be submitted online here.

Always remember that personalizing your message will make it more effective, please include:
Where you live
Why you care about the wolves
Any personal, educational, or professional experience that informs your opinion

Points to make in your comments:

Rather than repackaging a severely flawed plan that has already been rejected by a federal judge, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must take a fresh look at the management of wolves in this region.
The proposal allows as many as 1,000 wolves to be killed as soon as they lose the protections of the Endangered Species Act — slashing the population by as much as two thirds. Such drastic reductions in wolf numbers would be a serious obstacle preventing wolves from establishing a sustainable and connected wolf population in the region, and would not maintain wolves above minimum levels necessary to ensure their survival.
The region’s population of 1,500 wolves still falls short of the numbers that independent scientists have determined to be necessary to secure the health of the species in the Northern Rockies. Maintaining wolves at such low levels endangers their long-term genetic variability and therefore the likelihood of the population surviving.
The current proposal is the product of a flawed process and will likely result in the same types of policy conflicts and legal battles that have plagued wolf management in the past.
The USFWS should work with wildlife biologists to revise the plan and collaborate with wildlife conservationists, ranchers, tourism officials, hunters and other interested individuals to develop new science-based state wolf management plans that are more informed, inclusive and balanced.
Thank you!!!

To support The Lands Council’s work to preserve and revitalize our Inland Northwest forests, water, and wildlife, please click here.

Visit our website for more information on protecting the Northern Rocky Mountain Gray Wolf.

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