Wolves in the Wild

A History of Wild Wolves in North America

The moment the first wolf faced its fear and stepped into the circle of light cast by man's fire has been lost in time. In that now obscure moment, the history of man and wolf was forever changed. Since the moment wolf first trusted man, and man first trusted wolf, many things have changed. For centuries, the indigenous peoples of the Americas depicted the wolf in their art and stories. Most often, the painting or story displayed wolf and human joined as one powerful creature. In some legends, the wolf is given healing powers and in others the wolf saved the people from the great flood. Many Native Americans believed in man’s brotherhood with the wolf. By: Annie White

The Trophic Cascade

Since the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park in 1995, we have learned much about the effect large carnivores have on an ecosystem. In the past it was thought that an ecosystem was built from the bottom up... with plant life as the basis from which everything grew. Once healthy plants were established, insects, small rodents, birds, larger herbivores and finally the top predators fell into a balance with each other. Almost all conservation and reintroduction efforts were based on this idea. In a damaged area, biologists would first try to rebuild the plant life before doing anything else. However, some ecosystems could not be fixed before reintroducing an endangered top-level animal. In Yellowstone National Park, the US Fish and Wildlife Service were required by the Endangered Species Act to reintroduce wolves before balancing the plant base and herbivore populations. By: Annie White

Seeing Wolves in the Wild

Have you ever wanted to catch a glimpse of a wild wolf? If the answer is yes, you're in luck. With the amazing recovery wolves have made in the US over the past 14 years, it is now easier to find them than it has been in over a century. Thousands of people every year have the privilege of seeing a wolf in its natural habitat. Now remember, that doesn't guarantee that you will find a wolf whenever or wherever you look. It takes dedication, persistence and the right equipment to be successful. By: Annie White