Wolves rely on us to protect them

3:50 PM, Jan 14, 2013   |  

 

Our wolves have been off the “endangered” list less than a year and already they want to hunt ‘em down? Why did our DNR bother to reintroduce the timber (gray) wolf back into Michigan in the first place if all they want to do is kill them off again?

First, it was the mourning doves and now our wolves. Are loons and river otters next? A Michigan moose hunt has also been suggested. Numbers must be in the hundreds by now!


It’s disgusting that we can’t mature beyond the “have to shoot something” mentality. Who is going to eat a wolf?


There are concerns about livestock endangerment attributed to the wolf. They’re only doing what nature designed them to do. If you choose to raise livestock in grizzly, cougar or wolf habitats, put up strong, high fences or prepare to lose a few. The wildlife should have “seniority!”

Gray wolf ecology is delicate. Their numbers can easily fluctuate due to habitat encroachment, availability of food sources, poaching, and disease such as parvo. Wildlife biologist, Rolf Petersen of Houghton, has spent decades studying and monitoring the fragile wolf population on Isle Royale. Their existence depends on these factors and his research.


It is the most thrilling and chilling experience to hear the haunting howl of a wolf in the wilderness. Few people will ever hear that rare and primal sound, but many should. It might change a lot of attitudes. It is a sound that could become even more rare now that Gov. Snyder signed this ridiculous bill.
Animals cannot voice their own concerns. They count on us. My hope is that someday our state government will stop the exploitation of our wildlife just for the sake of making money.
Jack Carlson
Battle Creek

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