The Wolf Wars

Everybody knows that dogs are supposed to be "man's best friend." Used once for hunting and herding livestock, the dog has transitioned into a household animal around the globe. However, our domesticated canine has a well-known relative that is not nearly as worshiped as Lassie or Shiloh - the wolf.

When Europeans settled present-day North America, they brought with them their religions, values and beliefs from the Old World. Inspired by fairy tales, such as those of Brother Grimm's, many Europeans arrived to America with the perception that wolves were evil and should be feared and destroyed. In fact, just ten years after the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620, the Massachusetts Bay Colony began offering bounty for every wolf that was killed [1]. Colonists were able to earn a month’s salary for a single wolf kill [2]. In the 19^th century, the fur trade sprung to life. In addition to trapping and hunting beavers and mink, wolf pelts were added to the list of desirable fur, and a greater number of wolves were killed each year to support the economic demand.

Over time, colonists spread outward and encroached farther into the wilderness where the wolves roamed. As deer were hunted by humans for food, forests were destroyed for logging, and farms became more common, domestic livestock replaced the white-tailed deer as the wolf’s primary prey. In retaliation, a large anti-wolf campaign swept through America, and in just a quarter of a century, hunters killed over 80,000 wolves in Montana alone [1]. Due to this overhunting and habitat destruction, wolves disappeared from New York State around 1900 [3].

Yet, this has not always been the case. Native Americans believed that wolves were closely linked to their spirituality, and thought them to have mystical powers. Even in ancient times, wolves carried an element of respect. As Roman legend has it, Ancient Rome was founded by two twin brothers who had been abandoned as infants and raised by a she-wolf until a farmer found them.

In recent decades, scientists have also put greater effort into researching and understanding wolves, and now realize how dependent ecosystems are on their primary predators. With the absence of wolves in the Adirondacks, populations of white tailed deer and other species that wolves would prey on have increased unchecked. Herbivores, like deer, have overgrazed grassy regions, depleting vegetation, which has strong impacts on local water quality and the ecosystem [2]. Additionally, coyotes have become more prominent in the park, killing cats and endangering livestock [4].

In response to the work of ecologists, wildlife groups around New York State have been advocating for the reintroduction of wolves in the Adirondack State Park. In addition to the ecological benefits, some push for the reintroduction of wolves simply to return the park to its natural, pre-human state. However, there has been pushback from farmers stating that the reintroduction of wolves to the park will create further economic distress, as wolves will cause more livestock loss. What is the right answer? Should we mess with nature more and reintroduce wolves to the Adirondack Park? Or are we morally obligated to do so, since we humans were the ones who eliminated wolves from the park not long ago?

Sources:

[1]: http://www.kidsplanet.org/tt/wolf/reading/history.PDF

[2]: http://www.adirondack.net/adirondack-advocacy/2015/09/rewilding-the-adirondacks-the-influence-of-wolves.html

[3]: http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2015/03/will-wolves-return-to-the-adirondacks.html

[4]: http://www.esf.edu/pubprog/brochure/coyote/coyote.htm