Wolves strengthen prey herds through selection

Feb. 24, 2013

The science is crystal clear: as apex predators, wolves are a valuable part of Michigan’s ecosystem (“Wolves are not ecological balancers,” Feb. 19).

Wolves go after the weakest animals in a herd. If they went after the strongest ones, they’d be more likely to get trampled than get a meal. They also reduce the spread of devastating illnesses like chronic wasting disease.


All of this means that having wolves around actually create healthier and stronger elk and deer herds.
Wolves used to roam almost the entirety of the continental U.S. in much higher numbers than they do today, and there were abundant elk and deer as well.


Wolves promote better elk and deer herds simply by being part of the food chain. This is why we can’t risk wolves’ recovery by instituting a hunt so quickly after delisting.


More information about how you can help stop this from happening can be found at www.keepwolvesprotected.com.


Cheryl Barea
Kalamazoo

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