Great, now we have fairy stories taking up space on the opinion page (“Freed wolves move into their old niche.” Such a heartwarming tale about a grey wolf being freed by its captors; then it goes on to find food and love In the forest. In one brief segment, this wolf balances the ecosystem, finds true love, establishes a family, and improves the landscape.
To be fair, do wolves kill and eat the weakest thereby culling the herd? Yes, they are opportunist and to conserve energy they take down the easiest; but how many lame elk do you see a year? The easiest animals to kill are deer fawns, elk calves and livestock calves. How they kill is the most damning in my mind. The story says the cow elk died in minutes. That’s a bunch of bull. Wolves kill from behind by biting the back legs and hamstringing the animal. Then, when the prey cannot walk, they start tearing into the animal and eating while it is still alive. Let us not get romantic about wolves; they do not provide a pleasant death. It is most horrible.
Yes, “their prey will learn things.” They will learn to raise fewer calves and fawns. They will learn to keep on the move and abandon their bedding and calving grounds. They will learn that there are fewer of them. They will learn constant fear.
Michael Olsen, Salt Lake City