Raising Awareness about Wolf Protection

There are organizations in place who's objective, through research and education, is to strive to bring the wolf back to healthy populations in the wild.  The goal of these efforts is to offer refuge for captive wolves and wolf hybrids, and to offer communities education about the part of the wolf on our environment's ecological systems, along with ways to co-exist with wolves and the wildlife that we share with them.

Wolves once populated all of North America with numbers ranging about two million.  Today there are less than five thousand, with all subspecies facing extinction.  This is because of destruction to their wild habitats and extermination by humans.  Research shows that this extermination has definite effects on the ecological system.  "In 1930, the last known wild wolf in Yellowstone National Park was shot." The absence of wolfs was seen even in the vegetation.  Herd animal populations rose to unnatural levels and some plant species were brought to near extinction.  Wolves were brought down from Canada to the park and shortly thereafter, scientists began to see the return of herd animals and endangered plant species return to healthy numbers. 

"The decline in wolf population in the wild has also had an effect on the ecological system in cities, especially along rural boarders," stated research director Jean-Jacques Maleval for the Wolfgang Schlichting Research LLC.  Coyote populations are drastically rising.  Coyotes are not as shy as wolves and are scavengers, traveling into cities for food.  Incidents have been recorded of coyotes attacking children in parks and eating neighborhood pets.  The decline of the wolf has also effected deer populations, causing them to rise to levels that are out of control.  The increase in deer activity is causing automobile accidents, destruction of vegetation surrounding homes, increased risk of rabies, even the occasional story of a deer being stuck inside of a shopping center.  If there were more wolves alive in the wild, predation would allow nature to control these outstanding populations.

In 1980, a study was done by the Wolf Conservation Center (WWC) that declared the red wolf extinct in the wild.  Re-introduction program was started by captive breeding of full blooded wolves and releasing them into the wild.  Today there are still only about one hundred and thirty alive in the wild.  WWC also reported that the Mexican Grey wolf once highly population the south western United States and Mexico.  This species has also suffered in numbers with their re-introduction program being even less successful than the Red wolf.  Both species of wolves are still critically endangered but were removed from the Endangered Species Act last April.  Today, there are an estimated four thousand wolves alive in the United States and Alaska and they only live in four states in our country. 

A study by the WWC that started in 2004 has stated that because of the merciless extermination of the wolf, "DNA reveals a severe decline in the genetic diversity of Grey wolves." This is important because it means that with less separate blood lines in the wild there is more inbreeding.  This results in lower immune system health, skeletal deformities along with a multitude of other defects that will effect the survival of the species.  An example is the necessity for the wolves elevated immune system to perform their role as disease control.  Wolves control disease by eating weaker or sick animals, because of this, their bodies are exposed to contamination.  Their immune systems have to be strong enough to fight off any threats and keep the individuals healthy.  This is just one of the many problems that may result from lower genetic diversity.

WWC reports an alarming increase of breeding wolves in captivity.  Here they are hybridized and sold in the pet trade.  "Today there are over a quarter of a million wolves in captivity, most living under less than optimal conditions." People buy them and realize they cannot take care of them, leading to the possible death of that animal.  Wolves and hybrids are illegal in several states, yet people disregard the laws and buy them anyway.  Owners of wolves often do not even know about the regulations of having a wolf or knowing how to keep them healthy in a domesticated environment. 

It is obvious to me that there is a great need for wolf preservation and conservation.  Research and scientific study could lead to a better way for humans and wolves to co-exist.  Sadly, these facilities are limited at best.  The need for education on these issues is clear and appears to be the only way for people to be enlightened about the wolves plight. 

                                       (This is a picture of a full blooded Timber wolf named Shadow; A hybrid named Bailey, and myself at a wolf conservation meeting at UACCB)