Wolf Hunt Article

The article I chose for my current media piece concerning my research topic was taken from MNN’s website and was just released this past week.  MNN is the Mother Nature Network, a News website devoted to topics surrounding our earth and the creatures that inhabit it.  The article is entitled “Wolf Politics Raise Hackles in U.S. West” and it discusses the current controversy surrounding the newly legalized wolf hunt in the western United States.  The article begins by stating the cold, hard, facts:  the wolf hunt is now legal in the U.S. for the first time in nearly 40 years.  The Grey Wolf was only recently removed from the endangered species list in many of the states thanks to determination in wolf conservation over the years.  The article specifically focuses on the state of Montana and the opinions of its two-legged inhabitants.  The new laws particularly please ranchers and hunters in the area, due to the fact that wolves could pose a threat to their livestock and elk.  Even local politicians are speaking out in support of the new wolf-hunting season, claiming that the hunt will cause more conflict between humans if wolf hunting is not legalized.  The article also shares the importance of the wolf in the ecosystem, especially surrounding Yellowstone National Park.  The wolf is said to be the “keystone predator” involved in the development of a healthy park ecosystem—this benefits all living creatures in Yellowstone.  The opinions of those opposed to the wolf hunt are also mentioned.  Some complain that the trapping of the wolves is “inhumane” and “unnecessary”.  Others claim the trapping and killing of wolves will cause the Livestock owners even more loss of life due to the abundance of young and inexperienced wolves hunting.  The article closes by saying how the disputes over the wolf hunt will likely continue long into the future, and hopefully there will be a healthy compromise on the issue.

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/blogs/wolf-politics-raise-hackles-in-us-west