The Gray Wolf: Extinction on the Rise
Can you imagine a world without any animals? No birds to listen to or watch fly around. No fish to watch jump or swim. This may seem extreme, but it could in fact happen if more and more animals are allowed to become extinct. One animal in particular is the Gray Wolf. This animal is currently on the United States endangered species list and is being threatened into extinction everyday. The extinction of this animal is a very serious subject and should be seen as one example of the larger problem at hand and how it can be stopped because of ecological effects and the importance of conservation.
The Gray Wolf has been seen as a savage killer to most for decades. Stories such as "Little Red Riding Hood" give this animal a bad name. The general public sees this animal as a hostile and dangerous animal so they fear it.
English: Wolves chasing an elk
Mollies Pack Wolves Baiting a Bison
Reintroduced wolves being carried to acclimation p...In Europe and Asia, there are many stories of wolves attacking people; a rumor that adds to the fear. Farmers and hunters have killed the wolves until very few remain. The reason for this is that they thought the animals were killing their livestock and hunting game. This was not the case. "The number of livestock killed each year by wolves is still being studied, although some biologists say wolves are responsible for only about one percent of total livestock loss across the United States, bud individual ranchers who are particularly close to wolf territory are likely hit harder."1 Researchers have shown that wolves usually take livestock only when wild prey is unavailable. Ever since the wolves have been become the prey to the people, other problems have arose.
One of those problems is the rise in deer herds around...