Wolves in the U.S Should Deserve a Second Chance

Northwestern wolf

Two conservation groups have recently put up a reward of $20,000 to help condemn poachers responsible for killing two breeding female wolves in eastern Washington. One of the females' carcass was found on December 5 by the staff of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) fifteen miles southwest of the city of Republic in Ferry County. The female wolf's radio collar had stopped functioning in early November, which triggered the search for her body. She was a member of a wolfpack known as the Profanity Pack, who was fitted with a radio collar in 2016 to help the department personnel to track the pack as seven of its eleven members were shot to protect the ranchers' cattle. According to Police Captain Dan Rahn of the WDFW, the female was able to survive the shooting and most of 2017 while traveling on her own until she was killed by a poacher. The second breeding female was found dead by hunters on November 12 roughly ten miles southeast of Colville in Stevens County. She was found within the range of the Dirty Shirt pack and was assumed to be its member. The conservation groups that put up the $20,000 reward were Conservation Northwest and Cascadia Wildlands; each contributed $10,000 toward the reward.

With 45-60 animals left by 2016, the red wolf is on the brink of extinction in its native North Carolina homeland. A push for an end to the state's wolf recovery program by Republican senators has further put the species into jeopardy.

I find it very disturbing and saddening that these two female wolves lost their lives in the murderous hands of poachers. Both of these animals were breeding females, which conservationists had high hopes for regarding the restoration of wolves in the northwestern U.S. But now, those hopes have been shattered hindering the researchers' works and putting the region's wolf population in jeopardy. It goes to show that wolves in the U.S are not getting a second chance to recolonize areas where they had long disappeared, due to human persecution. What is more shocking is that wolves in Washington coexist alongside domestic livestock without incident, yet people resort to lethal methods to eliminate them just to protect their animals. Furthermore, the federal government is also involved in this issue about the relationship between wolves and making decisions that are disheartening to conservation groups committed to protect the animals and ensuring their survival and well-being. In November this year, Republican senators pushed for an end to North Carolina's red wolf recovery program putting the animal's life in jeopardy. It is extremely appalling that the federal government makes such a decision that would spell doom to a species that is on the brink of extinction because of human persecution and pressure. In addition, the relationship between people, especially ranchers, and conservation groups concerning wolves is very strained. Nick Cady of Cascadia Wildlands stated that whenever the group takes legal action, it gets threats. The public needs to understand that these groups are not only trying to save wolves, but also helping farmers and ranchers to peacefully coexist with them. However, there are also people who simply do not care about wolves and would rather see them go extinct. These people could be in Washington, North Carolina, Arizona, or anywhere in the country where wolves are present and they show their colors by sending threats to conservation groups in an attempt to stop them from doing what is right for both wolves and the public. These are the kind of people that should be substantially dealt with. Both gray wolves and red wolves are part of the United States' natural heritage and should deserve a second chance.

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