Book explores the fall and rise of wolves at Yellowstone, and how the park’s ecology is recovering since their return
A wolf from the Wapiti Lake pack stands near a hot spring in Yellowstone National Park. (Jacob W. Frank/National Park Service/AP)
By Erin Blakemore
Dec. 19, 2020 at 7:00 a.m. CST
How did wolves go from feared, hunted and decimated to a protected part of Yellowstone National Park’s ecosystem?
“Yellowstone Wolves: Science and Discovery in the World’s First National Park” tells the fascinating story. Edited by Douglas W. Smith, Daniel R. Stahler and Daniel R. MacNulty, it’s a comprehensive look at what happened when wolves were driven out of Yellowstone, and how nature is recovering now that they’re back.
The park was once open to hunting, and wolves were eradicated there by the 1920s as part of a program that eliminated predators such as coyotes and cougars. But the well-intentioned plan backfired when elk, bereft of their natural predators, changed the landscape as they ate their way through the vegetation.
Then, in 1995, wildlife experts released gray wolves back into the park.
Their movements and effects have been studied ever since.
More:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/wolves...story.html
For any interested wolf fan, there is a wonderful live-cam in New York, near Salem, where they give shelter and close care to endangered wolves.
The Wolf Conservation Center:
https://nywolf.org/webcams
Here's a page of thumbnail photos of beautiful WCC wolves:
https://tinyurl.com/y6veten3
A wolf from the Wapiti Lake pack stands near a hot spring in Yellowstone National Park. (Jacob W. Frank/National Park Service/AP)
By Erin Blakemore
Dec. 19, 2020 at 7:00 a.m. CST
How did wolves go from feared, hunted and decimated to a protected part of Yellowstone National Park’s ecosystem?
“Yellowstone Wolves: Science and Discovery in the World’s First National Park” tells the fascinating story. Edited by Douglas W. Smith, Daniel R. Stahler and Daniel R. MacNulty, it’s a comprehensive look at what happened when wolves were driven out of Yellowstone, and how nature is recovering now that they’re back.
The park was once open to hunting, and wolves were eradicated there by the 1920s as part of a program that eliminated predators such as coyotes and cougars. But the well-intentioned plan backfired when elk, bereft of their natural predators, changed the landscape as they ate their way through the vegetation.
Then, in 1995, wildlife experts released gray wolves back into the park.
Their movements and effects have been studied ever since.
More:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/wolves...story.html
For any interested wolf fan, there is a wonderful live-cam in New York, near Salem, where they give shelter and close care to endangered wolves.
The Wolf Conservation Center:
https://nywolf.org/webcams
Here's a page of thumbnail photos of beautiful WCC wolves:
https://tinyurl.com/y6veten3
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