The Gray Wolf

Photo taken at Woodland Park Zoo by myself.

The Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) is native to many areas in North America, and was once one of the world's most widely distributed mammals. It has sadly become extinct in much of Western Europe, Mexico, and the US. There are currently only 19 known packs in Washington with an estimate of at least 90 individuals. 15 of the 19 packs are actually located in Eastern Washington, so while they are currently listed as an endangered species, most of the protection efforts involve the Western Packs. Farmers and livestock operators in Eastern Washington are at liberty to hunt and kill gray wolves that prey on their livestock.

Humans are by far the biggest threat to the species. Not only have people forced wolves to maintain smaller and smaller territories by building homes in areas where they once called home, but they also hunt and kill them to "protect" livestock. In many situations, wolves are killed simply because someone spotted them. Many people in rural or farming areas will panic at the "threat" of a wolf in the area despite the fact that gray wolves are known to be wary of humans. The other big factor here is that wolves are frequently forced to hunt livestock due to people hunting and killing off the wolves natural prey, like deer for example. It's all well and good to place protections on gray wolves, but if their prey isn't protected as well then they'll have less to eat.

Climate change is another threat to gray wolves. Rising temperatures has caused snowpacks to decrease in size, and snowmelt to occur earlier in the year. The result is that there is less water in late summer. This is a problem not only for gray wolves and other predators, but for their prey as well. The decrease in water supplies as well as the change in vegetation patterns due to heat and other environmental changes forces prey species to migrate to areas where they will have enough to eat. Also, the speed that temperature and other environmental changes is occurring can cause stress to wolves and other species, as they may not be able to adapt quickly enough to the changes.

Wolves have called Washington home for a very long time, but they are significantly vulnerable to interactions with humans, decreases in habitat size, decreases in local prey, and major environmental changes. Human assistance is needed to help the species recover. The Wolf Conservation and Managemant Plan (Wolf Plan) helps to manage the species and protect it until the current packs are distributed across the state's recovery areas. Also, some farmers believe that they need to go out and hunt nearby wolves to protect their wares, but the state didn't just forget about them when policies were made. There are compensation funds available for farmers and livestock operators who have experienced losses from wolves and other predators.

I chose to research the gray wolf because I feel it is unfair how they are often depicted as these terrible predators that only cause trouble for farmers. During my senior year of high school, I attended the veterinary assisting program at Sno-Isle Tech. Towards the end of our school year, some wolves and other animals were actually brought to our classroom. The handlers walked one of the gray wolves around by students, the wolf stood all the way up to my hips and was wary and cautious of every person it walked by. It wasn't scary at all, it just required some amount of respect to understand. I found out something rather interesting while doing my research. As it turns out, herds of big game, such as elk and deer, are actually healthier and better maintained when there are wolves in their habitat. Wolves typically prey on the weaker members of a herd, and because of this only strong and healthy members of the herd are able to breed. Wolves aren't just some awful predator, they're beautiful creatures that have every right to live in the place they call home.


Sources:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/gray_wolf/
http://www.conservationnw.org/what-we-do/wildlife-habitat/gray-wolf
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/3746/0
http://westernwildlife.org/large-carnivores-in-a-changing-world/