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Growth of wolf population helping create healthier ecosystem, expert says By
Natalie Larson
The reintroduction of the wolf is causing profound effects on the ecosystems of Central Idaho and Yellowstone, according to a wildlife expert who spoke at USU. Hank Fischer, the director of the Northern Rockies Defenders of Wildlife, has worked with wolves since1977, and has helped instigate a compensation plan for livestock owners in wolf-populated areas. "Nature is to be found in her entirety and no better than in her smallest creature," he said Oct. 4. In the five years since reintroduction, the wolf population has risen from 31 to about 200, Fischer said. The goal is to help the population expand enough that wolves can be taken off the endangered species list. The wolves were originally transplanted from Canada to Yellowstone, and for them "it was like winning the lottery," he said. Fischer said the wolves' diet is 98 percent elk, and the area they were moved into has one of the densest elk populations anywhere. Fischer said the elk herd in this area has not had any larger predators to threaten them . "Wolves are the natural predators that elk evolved with," he said. The average age of an old elk elsewhere is generally about 6 years. Here the average is about 15 years. This age increase causes the herd to be less productive because the older animals don't produce as many offspring. According to Fischer, the effects on the elk herd have been positive. There is a projected decrease of 5 percent to 20 percent. Since wolves prey on weaker animals, the herd is strengthened. Fischer said the wolves kill about 1000 elk a year, compared to 2000 that hunters kill. Where wolves prey on the weak, hunters often kill pregnant females. "The biggest impact the wolves have made is making food available to other species," Fischer said. "Their kills leave red meat on the ground all year. This distribution of carrion is very important to the other ecological systems." Despite these benefits, there is still friction between wolves and the livestock owners that live in the surrounding area. According to Fischer, there are three ways to deal with the human/wolf conflicts: compensation, control and proactive means of prevention. He said the compensation plan is done by a private organization. A federal compensation program costs too much and takes too long to implement. "The wolf reintroduction ultimately rests with peoples tolerance," Fischer said. "Our compensation plan has been very successful." In the past 13 years, Fischer said the organization has given about $150,000 to ranchers for damages. "It will likely that the predation will increase as the wolves population increases," he said. Fischer said control means getting directly involved with the wolves by first moving them when they attack livestock. The second time they attack the wolves are removed into captivity, and the third time the wolves are killed. "We do this because we recognize that wolves are intelligent animals who teach their offspring how to hunt," Fischer said. If problem wolves are moved or eliminated, Fischer said, the hope is that future generations of wolves will not attack livestock. Proactive means of prevention, Fischer said, involves working with the livestock owner in efforts to protect both livestock and wolves. An example would be sharing the cost of building an electric fence or getting guard dogs. "We're trying to craft a solution to avoid conflicts and keep a wolf pack out of trouble, Fischer said. "We're finding ways to help the two co-exist." The videos Fischer showed during his presentation featuring the wolves in Yellowstone filmed by Bob Landers are available to students in the Natural Resource libraries.
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