The Wolf Mystique

The overwhelmingly enthusiastic reaction of friends to our Yellowstone wolf excursion surprised us. Even strident vegans/vegetarians were ecstatic to learn about our trip. So that got us thinking about why do many humans have a strong penchant for wolves? Is it because of their canine cousins? Is it because they are complex social animals like us? Is it because they travel in packs? Is it because they are rare? or wild? Is it because of their near extinction? Is it because they mate for life? Is it because they are elusive? Our wolf knowledge was limited so we decided to learn more.

Controversy

When Yellowstone National Park was created in 1872, it was literally "the wild west." The US government was at war with the Native Americans. The untamed west was dangerous for everyone including the settlers. The battle of the Little Big Horn was fought less than 300 miles away in 1876 and 4 years after Yellowstone became the world's first national park. Wolves were and are carnivorous predators that kill to live. The settlers saw the wolves as a menace to their livestock, family and livelihood. They hunted wolves as a result. During the park's early years there was no protection for wildlife; administrators, hunters and tourists were free to kill any game or predator they came across.

The last wolves were eliminated from Yellowstone in 1926 through government predator control programs. Rangers were on payroll to track and exterminate them. However, the lack of an apex predator caused drastic changes to the park's delicate ecosystem. Elk herds grew to unsustainable levels and thus began the destruction of the fragile vegetation in the river valleys due to the growing herds. In Where the Wild Things Were, William Stolzenburg wrote "It was the overly large elk populations that caused the most profound changes to the ecosystem of Yellowstone with the absence of wolves." So in the 1940s, park managers, biologists, conservationists and environmentalists set in motion a campaign to reintroduce the wolf. They hoped to rebalance the park's ecosystem. This program took almost half a century to take root.

The 1995 wolf reintroduction into the park's Lamar Valley reignited a debate that continues to this day. Ranches with livestock surround Yellowstone. Ranchers wish to protect their herds. In the 2017 article, "Why We're So Divided Over Saving Wolves" by Simon Worrall, author Brenda Peterson passionately explains, "You’re dealing with a fault line between cultures and, as we know from earthquake studies, fault lines are very volatile and active. On either side, you have people who have a sense of righteousness about their cause. One side, the hunters and ranchers, has been dominant since we began as a country. Now, all of a sudden, you have voices coming from the public, who are often urban and have an environmental passion.” Wolves are the peak predator within Yellowstone's borders. However, when they cross the invisible boundary to ranch lands, the wolf is no longer the big dog.

We don't know enough to take a stand on this controversy. It is easy to see the arguments on both sides. There is evidence the wolves have changed the ecosystem in Yellowstone for the better. Now, elk herds forage over much vaster territory and are healthier as a result which allows vegetation to flourish in the river valleys and helps beavers build dams to provide a habitat for more wildlife. Check out this interesting video on the wolf reintroduction and the ecosystem with over 32million views on YouTube.