Gray Wolf: Endangered Species

The gray wolf is an endangered species. Its population has decreased drastically over the years. At one time there were around 400,000 gray wolves living in North America, but now there approximately only 3,700 of them left (The Humane Society). This is due to governmental programs supporting the capturing and killing of this animal in the mid 1900's. The gray wolf needs to be protected because they help control the other animal populations, they help prevent genetic weakness, and they provide for a healthy ecosystem.

Without the gray wolves, animal populations would be out of control. Wolves tend to eat a lot of herbivores, which are animals that eat plants, like elk and moose. If the wolves were gone, the herbivores would eat most of the vegetation left. This is a problem because the vegetation is the main part of an ecosystem. Many other types of animals feed off of the same plants and if the plants were gone, they would have nothing to eat and eventually they would die and possibly become extinct. The wolves would feed off many of these animals so those animals would not be eating all of the plants. This would allow the plants to produce more energy.

Over time, the wolves improve their prey's genetics. When a wolf hunts down a certain animal, that animal will continue to get hunted down until it is faster than another species. Animals can become faster by their genetics evolving with their lifestyle. Without wolves, animals would stay the same and their genetics will not change. This is not a natural part of life and can be left behind as times change.

Wolves are a naturally occurring species in their ecosystem and without them; things can go wrong and really shake up the life cycle. They help keep coyotes from wandering out of their natural environment and possibly endangering humans and their pets. They do this but purposely leaving meat on carcasses they killed for coyotes. Wolves also help the ecosystem by killing many of the sick animals before they can spread their sickness with other creatures. Animals can also use the dens that wolf packs are done using. Wolves' fur is used by birds for warmth and to help create their nests. The wolf provides for many animals and helps make the ecosystem take course naturally.

The gray wolf is on earth for a reason and it provides many benefits. They control the population, they allow for animals to evolve, and they help protect other animals. They are an endangered species that is slowly disappearing. The gray wolf needs to protected to allow the ecosystem to perform naturally and provide for a more healthy world.

Works Cited :
The Feds Push the Gray Wolf Back into the Dark Ages of Protection. 26 Mar 2003. Online. 14 Sep 2007. The Humane Society