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Irate Ranchers Howl at Wolf
Reintroduction
Wolves get a bad rap in legend and myth, gobbling up grandmas and generally fitting a profile of the animal kingdom's version of a heartless terrorist. Ranchers will tell you that the tales of wolf attacks on livestock are no myth or legend but a significant economic fact. Of course, to hear those who hold predators in the highest regard tell it, the noble wolf is sort of like nature's vacuum cleaner, simply culling the sick and weak from among herds of deer, elk and the like. The problem with that image is that wolves aren't particular about whether the critter that makes their next meal is wild or domestic. Cows and sheep are just as delectable to the wolf palate as deer and elk. Because of their attacks on livestock, wolves have been all but exterminated in many ranching states where they once roamed in great numbers. Gray wolves became so scarce that they were listed as an endangered species some 30 years ago. Under federal reintroduction programs, they were imported from Canada and have built back up to some 44 packs in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, as well as Montana and Idaho, according to a report in the Denver Post. The recovery program has been so successful that the Bush administration has moved gray wolves out of "endangered" status and into the "threatened" category. The reassessment means loss of some protections, loosening up rules about killing wolves that attack livestock. Some 17 environmental groups have filed suit to reverse the decision. Plans now are under way to bring wolves back into Colorado, Utah and other Western and Northeastern states as well, with the states managing the programs rather than federal authorities. Ranchers remain the primary objectors, though hunters also are concerned that reintroduction will diminish wildlife herds. According to a report in the Boston Globe, newly introduced wolves have not fed on domestic livestock anywhere close to the extent that ranchers feared. John Elvin is the national correspondent for Insight.email the author |