Grey Wolf Proposed for Delisting
Reduced Protection Under Endangered Species Act for One Population
The grey wolf population in northern Rocky Mountains has exceeded target recovery rates. Proposed delisting is causing concern but how justified is it?
Wolf predation of cattle and sheep is an important concern to ranchers, although some non-lethal methods of prevention seem to be working very well. Many ranchers support the delisting which will allow them more leeway in dealing with the growing wolf population.
On the other side of the debate are the pro wolf groups who insist that the wolf will be wiped out yet again if they are no longer protected under the Endangered Species Act. This is probably overstating their case.
Good wolf/Bad wolf
So, which animal is the wolf? Ravenous machine that kills for sport? Or benign control for local ungulate populations?
The answer is, of course, neither. Wolves do not only take the sick, weak and old. Hunting in well coordinated packs they can take down a healthy adult. The operative word is can. It doesn’t happen often enough to threaten herd health, largely because it is hard, dangerous work which only succeeds occasionally. But it does occur and to deny it is to deny a very real part of what a wolf is.
Do they kill for sport?
Probably not. Reports of partially eaten livestock upset people. But, the carcasses of wild animals are not always completely eaten by the wolves either, especially if the hunting is good. Then they may only utilize the most nutritious parts. But other species, such as vultures, eagles and foxes, benefit from the kill, sometimes days or weeks later.
‘Rogue’ wolves do exist, animals that have found domestic livestock to be easier prey. These animals make sheep or cattle their main food source. If not for the danger of being shot by humans it would be a very good survival strategy. But many of those animals are killed or otherwise removed from the population. Not removing them imperils the whole reintroduction program.
What the proposal might mean
The grey wolf was reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park in the mid-1990s. This Northern Rocky Mountain Distinct Population Segment (NRM DPS) has met recovery goals set for it for the last 3 years. This is good news. But wolves do require a large home range and as they move out of the national parks to find new territory, they are at risk from hunting. The grey wolf is one of the species, along with the grizzly bear that would benefit from the Y2Y corridor.
There will, however, continue to be some protection. States in the region must ensure that they have 10 breeding pairs and 100 wolves each. And, if/when only 15 breeding pairs are present in an area the level of protection goes up. So the population won’t go unmonitored. Add to that the fact that the delisting will only occur when all states have a suitable management plan in place and that lawsuits to prevent the delisting will buy some more time before an actual change takes place and the chances are good that the wolf will survive.
