Wolf Reintroduction

Over time Yellowstone National Park have undergone factors that have destroyed their wolf population. With this decline, or as others say habitual extinction, individuals began to understand the importance that these animals (1) had on a working ecosystem. In 1975 the wolf reintroduction process to Yellowstone began, however, it is still going on today due to it being such an extensive course of action. How did wolves become extinct to this location in the first place? It all began with the idea of conservation. Conservation was founded on that of “the most productive use of the land,” (2) however, with this ideology there leads to destruction of wildlife. Game managers began to conserve species that were favored to hunt such as elk and bison,
To begin with in 1975 the “Federal government establishes [the] Rocky Mountain wolf recovery team.”(5) This team set out to make an organized plan on how to restore the wolf population, but there first detailed plan, made in 1980, failed. The plan, “fell woefully short of expectation by failing to address the issues of reintroduction, population goals, or the handling of problem wolves who attack livestock.(6) (7) Seven years later, the team organized a new plan, which was approved. For Yellowstone to use this plan, “two things had to occur: 1) an Environmental Impact Statement (“EIS”) with full public involvement had to be written; and 2) final rule making designating the reintroduced Yellowstone wolves as an experimental population had to be enacted.” (8) This process took another ten years, but it was completed, in detail, and helped to continue the reintroduction
Rangers were there to greet all the wolf kennels and load them into a horse trailer for the drive to Yellowstone. Once in Yellowstone, another group of rangers, along with the reintroduction project leader, foreman, superintendent, and secretary, unloaded the wolves. Once unloaded they were put on “Mule-drawn sleigh[s].”(26) They were put on sleighs due to the weather conditions (snow). Next, they were put into three different pens, a group of wolves in each pen to help them get used to what would be, possibly, their new packs. Two months after being put into the pens, the wolves were released into the greater Yellowstone area. Throughout the years wolves have become more and more welcomed to that of Yellowstone and with that “YNP have fluctuated between 83-104 wolves from 2009 to 2015.” (27) This average still consists today in 2017. With these positive results, there lead a change for all ecosystems. Restoring wolves to Yellowstone was truly the first step to protecting all ecosystems and their species. All in all, the extinction of wolves from Yellowstone was an idea that later was proved to be detrimental. A reintroduction plan had to be made, but this would only take place with an extensive process. It took over 50 years to completely understand what needed to be done in Yellowstone, however, once the plan was officially approved, action was