Greater Yellowstone and Wolves

Yellowstone National Park and the Greater Yellowstone Eco-system are essentially the same as they were before European-American’s started settling the Western United States, with the exception of a few developed towns such as Jackson Hole. This area has turned the clock backwards another notch, beneficially, with the re-introduction of the wolf, an apex predator. Apex Predators are critical to any eco-system, because they are at the top of the food chain, hence the term apex. This makes them an important indicator of the state of any eco-system, and one we can gauge the overall health of the wilderness by. With the wolf back in the GYE, a critical missing component of the eco-system has been restored, and we are already beginning to see the impact of having Yellowstone's 'top dog' back in its natural habitat. The park and surrounding areas have become much healthier as a result.

A wolf circling a kill that has been stolen by a grizzly bear.

Though wolves and men do not always co-exist peacefully, they can, if we take strides to understand the wolf and its needs, and see how we can accommodate them at the same time we tend to the needs of our own citizens who have chosen to make this beautiful area their home.

Arguments against the re-introduction of wolves to the GYE have been many, and the fight still goes on to this day. Ranchers and others in the area have valid concerns about wolves that need to be addressed with sensitivity, such as wolves that kill cattle, sheep and other domesticated animals. In fact, many people would dearly love to see the wolf eradicated again from the area. I believe that most of this attitude is present because people misunderstand wolves and their place within the eco-system, as well as misunderstanding that there are steps we can take to keep the wolf population in check, and provide safety for our domesticated animals.

As an apex predator, wolves keep elk, bison and deer populations in check. They also thin out the old and diseased animals from the herd, keeping the herd healthier. Wolf kills often feed grizzlies, who take over the kills when the happen upon them, much to the chagrin of the wolves. After all, who’s going to argue with a thousand pound (about 450 kilo’s) Grizzly bear?

Wolf kills also feed a number of smaller animals such as crow, eagle, fox, coyote, etc. giving them an edge, especially during the tough wintertime when food is needed most. Wolves tend to keep coyote populations down, which leaves more food for the fox population. Elk numbers being kept down means more aspen trees growing to full size as the elk tend to stay out of open areas where they might browse on these young trees. This means more food for beavers. The list of effects the wolf has on the eco-system just keeps going on and on, in an effect called a Trophic Cascade. This is why they are such a critical component of the GYE. Somehow we must find a way to co-exist with these animals, to keep Greater Yellowstone healthy.

Yellowstone National Park and Bio-Diversity

There are, unfortunately, many influential people who don’t understand the value of keeping the GYE exactly as it is today. Let’s examine exactly what the concept of a Greater Yellowstone really is, and what it means to people in general.

Right now, anyone can drive, walk or bike into Yellowstone, or any National Park, and see the wonders of it, because we all own it. We all own this wonderful, natural treasure, a comparative rarity in the lower 48 states, a large, intact eco-system. When you enter Yellowstone, in fact, for the most part as soon as you enter the Greater Yellowstone Eco-system, you are in a wilderness area. I don’t think most people understand this fact, let alone appreciate it. Yellowstone is a wilderness, people! Yes, you can drive a car into it, stop at Old Faithful, or other places in the park, eat lunch, even stay the night in a comfortable hotel room; you are still within a wilderness. You can go right outside and see wild animals, including bear, cougar, wolf, moose, elk, deer, bison, etc., most times from within your car. This is not a zoo; these are wild, dangerous animals, which can and will kill or injure you if provoked. This is a good thing. Why, you ask?

Because it means you are in a place that isn’t completely controlled and ruined by the hand of man.

Mankind has put his hand to most of this planet, especially in the last 150 years or so, and tamed most of it. The majority of it has been changed substantially by mankind, to the point where it is unrecognizable compared to what it once was. Wilderness is increasingly rare as are places that have intact eco-systems essentially the same as they were before man entered the picture. Yellowstone is one of these rare places. The value of such a thing as a place where we can go to get in touch with the primitive sides of our soul is valuable in and of itself, let alone its value in a biological sense as a control against our uncontrolled development in other places.

The fact is, bio-diversity is a valuable thing, something we are just beginning to recognize and appreciate. The bio-diversity of the thermal areas alone has already proven to be of incredible value, as research done on the bacteria from some of the thermal features led to modern DNA identification