Rocky Mountain Gray Wolf population drops after release endangered list

When an animal is taken off the endangered species list because its population has risen to a healthy level, it’s considered a win for the environment. It shows that conservation methods are working and that the system actually work. What happens do those animals once the protection is lifted?

The Rocky Mountain Gray Wolf is present in several states, including Montana, Wyoming and Ohio. The populations had grown so much that the animals were taken off the endangered species list in 2012. This meant that the individual states could now decree that they animals could be hunted.

A year later, the species numbers are once again beginning to decrease without the protection of the Endangered Species Act. According to the Fish and Wildlife service, there was a seven percent decline in wolf populations since 2011.

This comes after years of increasing population numbers and is a direct result of increased hunting. Will this mean they will be hunted to near extinction again? Probably not, at least not in the near future. It’s estimated that more than 800 wolves were killed by hunters, but that there was 670 new baby wolves to take their place, leaving a total loss of only 130.

It’s estimated that there are more than 100 breeding pairs and each one has litters of 5-6 puppies each. While this doesn’t mean each will have the opportunity to grow up into an adult wolf, it is encouraging. Still, the number of wolves is declining even if it’s not at a rapid rate.

The states have control over the hunting of these animals, which are prized for their pelts and may be a nuisance to nearby farmers and communities. Instead of allowing their numbers to dwindle through hunting, the states should have continued the moratorium on hunting for the next several years.

This would allow the populations to increase to a point where hunting may not have been able to compete with breeding. Instead, hunters were given carte blanche to kill these animals and in all likelihood, the Rocky Mountain Gray Wolf will once again make its way to the endangered species list.

Photo courtesy of animals.nationalgeographic.com