Options for Recovery

To help the wolf populations recover, reintroduction into national parks is a good start. An example of reintroduction can be seen in Yellowstone National Park. Since the wolves have been introduced again, it is said that Yellowstone is in its most natural state (Smith, et.al, 2015). Although this will help, the wolves need an opportunity to migrate and expand their gene pool. Although reintroduction in parks is a start, the wolves ultimately need more room to roam. In 2014 a wolf that was marked in northern territory was found in Arizona.  Another case was when a marked female wolf had traveled 540 miles away from its starting point before getting shot. In order to help wolves maintain a continuous increase, they need to be able to disperse in that same way, and have more room than just the parks. However, if they migrate to more open plains, they are able to be shot, so tightening laws on restricting the killing of wolves will also help.

According to the Wolf Management and Conservation of Washington, it is essential that wolves gain an increase in social acceptance, (Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife). Without it, wolves will continue to have a bad reputation, ultimately leading to people not caring about their well-being. Social acceptance can also help limit illegal killings of wolves. Although there is a high probability that these illegal killings will still happen, more intense penalties can be given to those who participate in the killings. In order for wolves to have a successful reintroduction, people must be on board with protecting them. It is also vital that people keep track of the trends surrounding these wolves, and be aware of which territories get reestablished.

Photo: New York Times

Print Friendly, PDF & Email