Argumentative Essay: Why Wolves Are The Dogs

“Wolves are the dogs that stayed behind.” The world is a cruel place. A thing that can be treasured in one instance can be a threat in the next. For many people, we stare at the natural world and see its rugged beauty and wish that we could captivate it for ourselves. The case is no different for our modern dogs. Bred from the “empty canvas” of a wolf, we’ve modified, altered, formed, transformed, reformed, and remodified wolves to be one of the closest companions we have still today: dogs. But through all of our perfecting and reshaping that we’ve done to our best friends’ closest ancestors, wolves have prevailed, echoing their famous legacy still throughout the world. Wolves, now in danger of extinction, are one of the greatest controversies
In addition to eliminating weak members of elk herds, hence strengthening the heard as a whole, wolves keep herds on the move and maintain the balance of the herd in reform to the fragile wilderness. In moving the herd frequently, wolves preserve groves of aspens and other smooth-barked trees, improving the stability of the ground and preventing damaging erosion, especially near river and stream banks essential for the survival of fish, beavers, and even aquatic-oriented birds. An imbalance in the wolf population has repercussions on the entire ecosystem, ranging from the more easily seen populations of elk to the more blurred effects on fish and expanding even further to animals who depend on fish, ultimately affecting even markets in our economy. This “trophic cascade,” named by biologists and ecologists, have a wide array of repercussions which can occasionally be irreversible. Entire populations can easily be wiped clear from existence, giving way to a devastating mudslide of devastation and a whole new era of demanding complications. In a field study, Ecologist William Ripple and his Oregon State University colleague Robert Beschta reported that “within three years after wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park elk populations fell, pockets of trees and shrubs began rebounding. Beavers returned, coyote numbers dropped and habitat flourished for fish and birds.” And yet, people
They care for each other as individuals and form friendships to such a degree that they care for each other when a member of the pack is sick or injured, transfer collective knowledge to the pups of the next generation, and, through established roles of each member, communicate with each other effectively and fluidly. Each pack, much like human civilization, has its own individual homeland, history, knowledge, and even culture. Wolf Biologist of 43 years Gordon Haber observed the wolves of the famous Toklat Pack in Danali National Park, Alaska in 2005. He was astonished to experience the Toklat pack analyze the movements of their favorite prey, the nimble Dall sheep, and adjust their hunting strategies to anticipate the agile sheep’s evasion tactics across the slippery Danali slopes, staging an ambush where the sheep would normally escape. He also witnessed firsthand the tragedy of the downfall of the Toklat pack. In the winter of 2005, the Alpha female was caught in a snare. Two other females from the pack