Our current outlook, often false perceptions, of predators such as the Wolf, follows a long history of not only being misunderstood, but hunted to almost extinction many times throughout history. As usual prejudice, hatred, and ignorance is the enemy of the wolf. As those who slaughtered the Buffalo, many hunters and trappers killing not for food or safety, rather for the photographic-moment.
Science Ignored
And yet scientific studies, the past and throughout our data collecting activities in history, show beyond a doubt the Wolf remains a positive element within their environment. Adolph Murie, a most noted and well respected biologist, observed Wolves for years.
Dr. Murie developed solid and trustworthy conclusions throughout those same years of observation. “It appears that wolves prey mainly on the weak class of sheep,” (i.e. The Wolves of Mt. McKinley) “that is the old, the diseased, and the young in their first year. Such predation would seem to benefit the species over a long period of time and indicates a normal prey-predator adjustment. . .”
This also stated overwhelming as fact within any wild environment the Wolf is placed, despite what breed they may be, and whatever wildlife may exist there. This is well researched data, heavily documented by many biologists throughout history, and all agree.
What many legitimate biologists (i.e. with no political agenda) disagree to is what is being stated today as truth, from both ranchers/farmers and our government regulators, is the fact of Wolves killing for the fun of it, or to kill unnecessarily. This is simply bogus information and not found within quantifiable data of any research, or from anyone who follows Wolves in the wild.
Wolf Packs
Dr. Murie had also noted the close relationships among each pack, and the “. . . remarkable friendship” among the members of the pack. This was born out time and time again throughout many more studies and throughout data from other biologists.
Wolves and Authorities
Also throughout the years it becomes quite obvious authorities never learn their lesson from history. Data overwhelmingly demonstrates that hunters and trappers, for Wolves in this case, are only able to use livestock losses as a rationale to kill them. And as history shows often, this rationale is flawed, and as in the past it is currently and greatly over exaggerated by livestock owners.
Reading the material, that is actual livestock killed by wolves, can be easily deciphered as untrue when compared to reality and even the slightest of investigation regarding the information. So within an ignorant context the wolves are once again killed for what appears to be bragging or photographic rights, rather than any ethical or required kill.
Doctor Keith Oberman, a Psychiatrist, states, “Oddly, the sociopath no longer accepts the plight of war for the leap into manhood, and within our warring society which has become common place. Currently it is either to become a gang-member or to become a hunter of wildlife, with their kills becoming their trophies. The photographic proof becomes the measure of their leap into becoming a man, so they think. This is so they can prove to one another their manhood, despite the fact they accomplished their kill within a totally safe environment, and only dangerous to the wildlife. A very sad circumstance prevails for the wildlife.”
Many die-hard trappers also remain totally uninformed about the Wolf’s ecology. Many state Fish and Game Departments also remain aloof to the Wolf and its positive attributes toward local ecology, mostly due to politics.
These same regulators of our wildlife assume hunting license sales and availability of the wildlife the priority, rather than any factual data showing the established kill-rate of wolves to be truthful or correct. Yet these same administrators knowingly lie to legislators to obtain funding for their programs, again obvious and contrary to fact with only a slight investigation into the material or data.
Legislator’s simply turn the other way in their ever present need for votes, and to blatantly ignore the useless killing and sacrifice of the Wolf. A psychological disconnection, so to speak, is promoted by a physical disconnection, a blatant cause with no cure.
The End of a True Species
Unfortunately, a simple fact blossoms into an enormous and disgusting reality. The different specie Wolves being killed today are the remnants of pure-breed stock. The Red Wolf, for example, known to come from early Pleistocene is, like so many other breeds that have become and are on the way of becoming, hybridized.
Their species become so diluted in the 1970s that a pure breed of Red Wolf diminished entirely within the wild. And on it goes with the only existing pure-breeds of wolves left in the world, in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Utah, and northern California. Yet this so significant of fact is ignored, set aside for, well, ignorance. True enough, sub-species exist, but in no way similar to their original blood-line.
So we find ignorance within our society to be consequential toward eliminating yet another class of wild animal specie, the Wolf. Ironically, this elimination is cataloged with further ignorance from the hunters themselves, a displaced pride in actually killing and eliminating an entire species. We also find, and see quite often, government regulators taking part in the elimination of the Wolf. Their responsibility to protect them obviously set aside – all for the kill and the temporary ignorant lust that seems to follow the kill.
Wolves are beneficial to our wild environment – research data is robust and available for all to review this as fact. Essentially, where wolves do exist a healthy wild life environment also exists. So why are we killing wolves? For nothing more than to have photos taken with the dead wolves! A sorry and sad reason for something so significant!
Photojournalist - Journalist 