Image from: https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/blogs/yellowstone-hazing-wolves-help-them-avoid-hunters
Now I will leave with my conclusions on the Yellowstone wolf reintroduction project, its effects, and what I think we should expect moving forward. Overall, I think the goals of the project were met and then exceeded. The wolves acclimated well to their new environment with little difficulty aside from the case of wolves #9 and 10. Their populations have grown to the current estimate of around 94 wolves across 8 packs, but the exact number is subject to fluctuation (How Many Wolves Are In Yellowstone?). Elk populations have become more manageable – though possibly to a fault – which has allowed many other plant and animal species to flourish. Willow, beaver, aspen, cottonwood, fish, songbirds, bison, and many more have grown in numbers that had previously been hinged on overgrazing elk. Despite some ongoing controversies, the reintroduction and restoration of Yellowstone’s natural ecosystem is hard to deny.
Looking ahead, I’m sure we will see more illegal wolf killings, protests, and legislation changes. As a result, I think it is important that the language used to talk about the project, or experiment, is consolidated to a version all parties can understand. Though the wolves live in a protected, “natural” environment, they influence the public, scientists, legislators, hunters, and more. With so many different groups brought together over the wolves, it is essential that everyone can communicate clearly and effectively. This is especially important when navigating new conflicts between groups as they arise.
I believe allowing wolf hunting under certain circumstances is important to make sure the population does not grow out of control. Letting the wolves numbers and range grow beyond reason will endanger both people and their property, such as the cases with livestock. However, I fear this is a slippery slope that if not managed effectively, could ruin the experiment, its successes, and lead Yellowstone’s ecosystem back to a state of imbalance that is not so far in the past. Preserving this mostly “restored” ecosystem is vital, especially under an administration that routinely disregards environmental issues.
In conclusion, I believe it is important that locals, environmentalists, and all other parties tied to this issue stay educated on the state of the project and the state of legislation. A lot of careful work by many people made the reintroduction of the wolves a success and the results are important for humans as we move forward in an era of environmental chaos. There is still much to gain by studying this project and its continued outcomes so protecting the wolves and the project itself is necessary for the environment and us as well.
I hope you enjoyed your journey through my site and grew connected to these wolves. There is still work to be done!
Go Bucks!
References:
“How Many Wolves Are in Yellowstone?” My Yellowstone Park, 6 Mar. 2020, www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/how-many-wolves-yellowstone.