The recent decision about grey wolves makes a mockery of the Endangered Species Act and will hurt legitimate designations in years to come. As an environmental educator, I have seen the attitude about wolves change in the last 30 years from the inaccurate image of demon to the inaccurate image of deity!
The stated goal of returning wolves to their original range is ludicrous. Will the proponents eliminate roads, towns and farms from this range, relocate humans and replant a wilderness?
Urban folks who do not live near them are quick to romanticize wolves because they are never exposed to consequences. Wolves are increasing to the point where, in Cook County, there are rising negative contacts with people, dogs and livestock. These encounters are not at the edge of the Boundary Waters but near the town of Grand Marais. Wolves taking suet from decks and attacking dogs with owners present is not typical behavior of a wild animal wary of humans.
Wolves will be the losers in the long run. Wolves are not noble characters in a nature movie. They are an apex predator species that thrives in “wilderness” habitat. They are a valuable part of our wild places and they are doing well in these areas of our state when we look at the scientific, not the emotional, evidence. When their numbers increase beyond what the wild places can sustain, no amount of wishful thinking can change the facts.
Karen Kobey
Lutsen
Leave a Reply