Protecting the Wolves
By Devon J.
We all know the wolf. Few people know, however, that wolves are a mandatory part of the ecosystem…and that they have been on the endangered species list for quite some time. There are many different types of wolves, such as the grey wolf, red wolf, and two Grey wolf subspecies: the Mexican wolf and the Arctic wolf.
These wolves can be found in America, but their population is sparse. Wolves were listed as an endangered species in 1974, and were all but gone in the contiguous United States at that time. Yet, under the Obama Administration 35 years later, their status as “endangered” was nearly revoked. In fact, wolves have enjoyed a noticeable change of being taken off the endangered list during the Obama Administration.
In March of 2009, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar affirmed the FWS decision to remove endangered species protections for wolves in Idaho and Montana, as well as parts of Washington, Oregon, Utah, and the western Great Lakes. In April of 2009, wolves in the Northern Rockies were also removed from the endangered species list. The delisting rule went into effect on May 4, 2009.
As of today, wolves are still on the endangered list, but not as much as they were 45 years ago – and hopefully not at all in the near future. Our current president, Donald Trump, is thinking of taking all animals off of the endangered list. He wants the endangered list to go extinct! Because of wolves’ influence on our ecosystem, we as individuals should do our part to help the President’s goal by not supporting those who hunt endangered animals. This includes not only being mindful when hunting, but also not purchasing furs and taxidermy objects of animals on the endangered species list. Hunters should make sure they aren’t hunting animals that have an unstable population. If everyday people do their part to preserve and protect, our Earth and its ecosystem – as well as all of the animals on the endangered species list – will be much healthier and safer in the decades to come.
