The Yellowstone Wolf Conflict

The gray wolf was once an endangered species due to over hunting, but it has now made a comeback due to their reintroduction to Yellowstone National Park.

  1. History

    • Gray wolves were absent from Yellowstone Park for almost 70 years before being reintroduced in March,1995. Although controversial, the program has been very successful and the wolves have reproduced at a very rapid rate.

    Significance

    • Introducing gray wolves back into Yellowstone Park has kept the elk, moose, bird and small rodent populations balanced. According to the Yellowstone National Park website, visitors who come to see the wolves bring in an additional $35 million to the local economy each year.

    Conflict

    • Farmers and ranchers were against bringing the gray wolf back to the park due to fears of livestock losses. Hunters were opposed to it because it limited areas they could hunt in the park, and they feared the wolves would cause a large decline in moose and elk populations.

    Today

    • The gray wolf has now been taken off the endangered species list. This causes conflict with conservationists who fear the hunting of the gray wolf could again lead to them being endangered.