20 Wolves Were Recently Killed Just Outside of Yellowstone National Park
It’s a massive blow to the genetic viability of the species
RichardSeeley)
Not all too long ago, North America’s stock of endemic wolves was on the brink of extinction, numbering just a few hundred animals in the early 1900s. But after years — literally decades — of conservation work, North America’s gray wolves have rebounded; the species now includes around 2,000 examples spread out across the lower 48 states. Currently, all wolves in those states, with the exception of gray wolves in Minnesota, are considered part of an at-risk species, though lack federal protection; Minnesota’s wolves also remain unprotected.
As apex predators, their presence (in healthy numbers) marks balance, restoration, and sustainability in native ecosystems. But again: Humans are assholes. And hunters have recently been found responsible for killing some 20 of Yellowstone National Park’s renowned gray wolves that roamed outside of the park in recent months — the most killed by hunting in a single season since the predators were…
