Were Wolves ever really Endangered?

By Duane Fronek


What is the definition of Endangered? According to The World Conservation Union, it’s “Generally, an endangered species is an organism in danger of disappearing from the face of the earth if its situation is not improved.” http://library.thinkquest.org/25014/what/definition.html Did you get that. The face of the earth. Yet this is posted on the Wolf. “Endangered in USA except Minnesota; Threatened in Minnesota (USA) http://library.thinkquest.org/25014/what/definition.html

  Do you see what I’m getting at here. Wolves never were in any danger of becoming extinct or even threatened for that matter. The wolves range stretches across N. America, Europe and into Asia, and still thrive today. What happened was there home range changed due to civilization In the lower 48, they still thrived in Canada and other areas of the globe. But groups like the Humane Society of the United States decided to use the wolf as a poster child for their agenda which basically is an end to sport hunting. It’s been ingrained in every school kids minds growing up about the plight of the Wolf, especially back in the 1970’s when these animal rights groups started to really take off. Targeting children’s minds, knowing that it would be of a benefit to the HSUS and other groups in years to come.

  Those years are now, with all the controversy surrounding the wolf and why it’s been a difficult battle for us. Those children are grown up now, the wolf issue is here and the mindset is the wolf was and still is in peril in the minds of many due to putting the wolf up as a poster child for animals rights, you may as well be trying to regulate hunting someone’s puppy the way some have been misled. While the wolf was scarce in the lower 48, they thrived in Canada and not because wolves wouldn’t cross international bounderies, because animals don’t recognize human geographical boundaries. No, they thrived because the habitat was better in the north and the US was at the fringe of this home range. We don’t have alligators in WI, but that doesn’t mean their endangered, we just don’t have all the conditions here for them to flourish, but they do down in Louisiana. So why isn’t the HSUS putting these on posters? Because their not as cute  and fluffy.

  The wolf battle has been a tough one, but if we keep up the fight, point out the flaws in the animal rights statements and reasoning, we can get it done. So, were wolves ever endangered? That would be a resounding NO. The lower 48 is the fringe of their home range plain and simple due to civilization and need to be managed.