![]() ![]() 1995–2003: Wolves prey on livestock outside Yellowstone much less than expected: 256 sheep, 41 cattle are killed.1997: 10 wolves from northwestern Montana relocated to Yellowstone National Park US District Court judge orders the removal of the reintroduced wolves in Yellowstone but stays his order, pending appeal.19: 31 gray wolves from western Canada relocated to Yellowstone.More than 160,000 public comments received-the largest number of public comments on any federal proposal at that time. 1994: EIS completed for wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone and central Idaho.1991: Congress appropriates money for an EIS for wolf recovery.1975: The long process to restore wolves in Yellowstone begins.1974: The gray wolf is listed as endangered recovery is mandated under the Endangered Species Act.1926: The last wolf pack in Yellowstone is killed, although reports of single wolves continue.Late 1800s–early 1900s: predators, including wolves, are routinely killed in Yellowstone.The wolf is a major predator that had been missing from the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for decades until its restoration in 1995. (NPS policy also calls for restoration of native species where possible.) By 1978, all wolf subspecies were on the federal list of endangered species for the lower 48 states except Minnesota. The FWS is required by this law to restore endangered species that have been eliminated, if possible. ![]() One such law was the Endangered Species Act, passed in 1973. Many suggested at the time that for such regulation to succeed, the wolf had to be a part of the picture.Īlso in the 1960s and 1970s, national awareness of environmental issues and consequences led to the passage of many laws designed to correct the mistakes of the past and help prevent similar mistakes in the future. In the 1960s, NPS wildlife management policy changed to allow populations to manage themselves. During the 1980s, wolves began to reestablish breeding packs in northwestern Montana 50–60 wolves inhabited Montana in 1994. However, no verifiable evidence of a breeding pair of wolves existed. A wolf-like canid was filmed in Hayden Valley in August 1992, and a wolf was shot just outside the park’s southern boundary in September 1992. By the mid-1900s, wolves had been almost entirely eliminated from the 48 states.Īn intensive survey in the 1970s found no evidence of a wolf population in Yellowstone, although an occasional wolf probably wandered into the area. Between 19, at least 136 wolves were killed in the park by the 1940s, wolf packs were rarely reported. At the time, the wolves’ habit of killing prey species was considered “wanton destruction” of the animals. After all, the Yellowstone National Park Act of 1872 stated that the Secretary of the Interior “shall provide against the wanton destruction of the fish and game found within said Park.” But this was an era before people, including many biologists, understood the concepts of ecosystem and the interconnectedness of species. Today, it is difficult for many people to understand why early park managers would have participated in the extermination of wolves. The gray wolf was present in Yellowstone when the park was established in 1872. Other predators such as bears, cougars, and coyotes were also killed to protect livestock and “more desirable” wildlife species, such as deer and elk. Predator control, including poisoning, was practiced in the park in the late 1800s and early 1900s. With the prey base removed, wolves began to prey on domestic stock, which resulted in humans eliminating wolves from most of their historical range. Much of the wolves’ prey base was destroyed as agriculture flourished. In the 1800s, westward expansion brought settlers and their livestock into direct contact with native predator and prey species. ![]()
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