The Reintroduction of the North American Gray Wolf to Yellowstone

Ryan P. Curley

EVSP 201, American Military University

May 26, 2011

The Reintroduction of the North American Gray Wolf to Yellowstone

Introduction

The howling is back in the historic landmark that is known as Yellowstone National Park and the monumental Rocky Mountain area. One of the world's top predators is on the prowl chasing and killing it is pray consisting of everything from the smallest animals, such as the vole, to the largest animals, such as the majestic elk. These animals are what some scientists say are the ones putting the ecosystem back in balance. There are numerous implications, both positive and negative, that occur when reinstated wolves enter into a population. The largest problem being when wolves leave their safe haven of Yellowstone National Park and venture into private land where the dinner menu turns from its natural food resources to livestock consisting of ranchers sheep and cattle.

As you would imagine this directly affects the livelihoods of many ranchers trying to sustain a living for their families. There are various views on this issue from the people in the community to the ranchers on the front lines as to what should be done to combat this issue. As for now the gray wolf has reclaimed his place in the Rocky Mountains and Yellowstone Park. In this paper, I will be discussing the following points as I break down the history, the current status, the impact, and the future concerning the re-integration of the gray wolf population, I will also discuss what that means to the economy and people of the Rocky Mountain region.

History of wolves in the Rocky Mountain area

Yellowstone National Park is located in North America, a large majority being in Wyoming, although some areas of the park cross into Montana and Idaho. Covering a total area of 2.2million acres it was officially opened in 1872 as the world's first national park, its main attraction being a large number of geysers, which are hot underground springs which sporadically erupt throughout the day. The park also boasts one of the largest natural freshwater lakes in the world, covering 136 square miles also many elevations ranging from 5280 to 11400 feet. When the park first opened Northern Rocky Mountain wolves were native to the area, but during the 1900's predator control programmes were responsible for the killing of many wolves and by 1970 no scientific evidence of a breeding pair could be found. In 1987 the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) launched plans for a Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf Restoration Plan, and reintroduction of wolves finally began in the winter of 1995. Wolves were captures in the Fort St. John area of British Columbia, Canada and released into the Yellowstone ecosystem, to begin with 14 wolves were transplanted in soft release programmes, which meant they were temporarily held in areas of suitable habitat to prevent long distance dispersal. In 1996 a further 17 wolves were introduced, and in that year 4 packs produced 14 ...