Too Many Reasons – Act Now for Wolves

They Belong Here

The Obama administration has announced plans to strip gray wolves of their crucial federal protections across most of the lower 48 states. This reckless proposal would slam the door on gray wolf recovery. Act Now to Help Protect Wolves!

Wolves are a natural part of a thriving, healthy ecosystem. Since their reintroduction, deer and elk populations have actually increased in areas not threatened by development. Chronic wasting disease, which was on the rise prior to reintroduction, has fallen in areas wolves now inhabit. The science pertaining to intact ecosystems is remarkably true.

Too many mistakenly blame the wolves for killing off the amount of deer and elk available for hunting (and on occasion stealing their jobs, women and whiskey) when in fact, their numbers are rising. Often, wolves take the blame for declining deer and elk populations in areas where ALL wildlife is declining due to continued development of our public and private lands.

Unfounded fear and lack of education is a dangerous mix.

Many of the anti-wolf crowd think wolves are going to eat their children if left unattended in the wild – seriously. I’ve seen it in person, via email and on Facebook. One of my old high school chums likes to post how he worries for his kids safety in his Idaho backyard. He sincerely believes that his kids are going to get eaten by wolves if left unattended. This, in addition to firmly believing that the wolves have eaten up all of his elk, vindicates his desire to eliminate the wolves as a whole. He’d rather ignore the facts and even eat chronically wasted meat than deal with the issue. In this case, ignorance is not bliss. Too much is at stake.

Even though this guy’s kids have a greater chance of being struck by lightning, no matter who tells him, he’ll forever keep the wolves in his cross-hairs. He reminded me that some people’s predispositions will be forever unwavering. He also reminded me of the many conversations I’ve had with public lands worker friends about how some folks can still be educated, while others are a lost cause. The key is to not spin your wheels with the ‘lost cause’ crowd and focus on the others.

I know this is a hot springs blog, but it’s my hot springs blog. I consider wild animals as part of the last bits and pieces of semi-untouched wilderness, just like most natural hot springs. They are the components of the last of the wild places. An attempt need be made to preserve all of the components of these vanishing ecosystems.

So, this post is for all of you ‘others’, in hope that you might defend wolves, and for that matter the environment as a whole, whenever possible.

You can get started with the link below…

Take Action for Wolves