Wolves

Since the beginning of human history, wolves have graced us with their presence. They have protected us, they were companions of our ancestors, and because of our relationship with them, we have our modern-day companion animal, the dog. Why are wolves labeled as “evil” animals? We see wolves portrayed as “man-eaters” in children’s books like Little Red Riding Hood, and similarly portrayed in the movies. This couldn’t be further from the truth since there has never been one documented attack on anyone from a healthy wolf.

Unfortunately, wolves, like many animals, have had to endure the consequences of our ignorance over the years. Throughout the 1970s a war was waged on wolves in America. Centuries of persecution have virtually eliminated wolves from the wild. You couldn’t find a wolf anywhere in the U. S. except in northeastern Minnesota, where about 1,000 gray wolves remained. In spite of a number of efforts to restore the wolf population, the species is almost nonexistent throughout most of their historic range.

We have not learned from our past mistakes and may be on the verge of wiping out these beautiful animals again. Hunters do not like the wolves because the wolves are cutting down on the number of “big game” kills. Ranchers despise the wolves because occasionally one individual wolf will kill a sheep or cow, which may cost the rancher a few bucks. Never mind that the rancher is grazing his cattle on public land where wolves and other animals may live. The loss of an occasional head of livestock is hardly a good reason to exterminate an entire species. But, in a greedy and malevolent society like ours which is run by the animal agriculture industry and Monsanto, wolves have no monetary value. Actually, society and the environment would be much better off if the entire animal agriculture industry disappeared.

All wolves wish to do is eat, play and enjoy life, like every other species on earth, yet we can’t let them do that because of the hatred they get from hunters, cattle people and bought and paid for politicians. Hopefully things will change in the near future before wolves become totally extinct.