Since federal protection for wolves ended, wolf hunting has increased sharply in certain states. The Trump Administration’s decision to delist came despite concerns from some of the scientists who performed the independent review that is required before the Fish and Wildlife Service can remove a species from federal protection.
Wolves were among the first animals shielded by the 1973 Endangered Species Act.
Before the arrival of Europeans, they flourished from coast to coast in North America, living in forests, prairies, mountains and wetlands. Two centuries of eradication campaigns drove them to near disappearance. By the mid-20th century, perhaps 1,000 were left in the lower 48 states, mainly in northern Minnesota.
Wolves’ numbers began to rebound after they were placed under federal protection in the 1960s. In the mid-1990s, the Fish and Wildlife Service took a bold new step, relocating 31 wolves from Canada into Yellowstone National Park. They multiplied quickly, and by 2020 about 6,000 wolves ranged the western Great Lakes and Northern Rocky Mountains, with small numbers spreading into Oregon, Washington and California.
Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/10/climate/wolves-endangered-species-list.html
Comments