Cry Wolf

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address a situation created by the
human compulsion to control nature, it is crucial to discern how much human
interference is necessary. Human control must be tempered by respect and
restraint. Programs designed for the protection and restoration of wildlife must
reflect deference for the natural order rather than dominance over it.

The consequences of human actions involving the elimination of the gray wolf
have been especially acute in Yellowstone National Park, where the lack of a
natural predator has resulted in the overpopulation of bison, deer, and elk.
According to Sharon Begley of Newsweek magazine, "Absent a natural predator,
thousands of the ungulates have starved during tough winters, and there has been
no selection pressure to keep deer fast and moose powerful" (53).

Another issue is more subtle. As Ms. Begley points out, "The wolf has been the
only native animal missing from Yellowstone" (53). In one of the few places
where the wildness of the west could be ...

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learn not only how to hunt, but what to hunt as
well. Wolves are trained early to go after certain prey and leave others alone.
Since their prey is usually larger and stronger than they, wolves are taught
specifically to hunt the weak and sick in order to avoid injury.

Information given in Friends of the Forest describes the similarity between
humans and wolves. This publication states, "Like humans, some wolves stay with
their families until they die, others leave the pack during adolescence in
search of uninhabited territory and a mate" (1-2). Unlike humans, wolves
instinctively control their population. The number in a pack rarely exceeds
twelve and is determined by the ...

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