Controversial Predator

l a i s r e v o r Cont

r o t a d e r p A GLIMPSE AT THE HISTORY AND IMPACT OF WO LV E S WRITTEN & DESIGNED BY ANDREA KO E H L E R

OF WOLVES & WAYS 1 AMERICAN WOLF MEMOIRS 3 A WILD WITHOUT WOLVES 7 THE WORLD ON WOLVES 9 IS IT ONLY ABOUT US? 11

Of Wolves & Ways

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he wolf is a c T history linked t may see the w an legends. In Turkic mytholo humanity due form loyal fam

contentious apex predator with an ancient to many cultures. The folklore of one culture wolf as an evil, savage beast, like in Zoroastricontrast, another culture’s folklore--such as ogy--may view the wolf as the originator of to their undeniable intelligence and ability to mily bonds.

In modern times, the global wolf population is a mere fraction of what it used to be and especially so in the United States.

This zine explores the cultural and historical influences that led to the destruction and restoration of the wolf as well the impacts they have on nature and humanity.

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American Wolf Memoirs

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lf

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HisToric US

Wolf Population:

500,000

Current US

Wolf Population:

18,000

Source: nywolf.org

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A Wild Withou

n ecosystem is unbalanced without A an apex predator. The most documented example of this is Yellowstone National Park and surrounding areas. In the 1920s, the gray wolf was exterminated in Yellowstone, triggering a trophic cascade, a side effect that occurs when a vital species in an ecosystem is removed.

W ithout the wolves, the elk population exploded, resulting in severe overgrazing of both grass and trees.

Many elk died during the winter due to depleting food stores and diseases that spread throughout the herds.

T he overgrazing affected the beaver population as they couldn’t acquire the wood needed for their food, shelter, and dams.

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Beavers nearly disappeared in the northern range of Yellowstone. Many species of flora and fauna depended on the wetlands created by beaver dams, which turn streams into larger marshy bodies of water.

S cavenger species like bears suffered from the lack of food. They depend on fishing near beaver dams, the carcasses from elk left by wolves, and berries which disappeared from elk overgrazing.

W ith the return of wolves, the ecosystem slowly returns to normal. Elk numbers drop, beaver colonies increase, scavenger species no longer starve, and smaller creatures thrive.

ut Wolves

5 years without wolves proved 7 well for people living in the areas surrounding Yellowstone National Park. Hunters depended on the large elk population to feed their families.

When wolves were reintroduced, elk numbers can be as low as zero in the areas closest to Yellowstone.

build 6ft concrete walls around their property isn’t so simple. Ranchers preserve the small ecosystems in their land. Without their ownership, the land would be divided up and turned into individual housing or industrialisation. Solid brick or concrete walls would keep out species

“The cowman who clears his range of wolves does not realize he is taking over the wolf’s job of trimming the herd to fit the range.” - Aldo Leopard anchers do receive compensation R for damage caused by wolves, but how much and how well this is enforced depends on the local government. A death of a calf could mean a month’s salary.

Telling ranchers to move away or

that depend on the preserved flora.

Many ranchers are not against the return of the wolf. Some have changed their methods to coincide with wolves, such as improved herd management and opting for wild breeds of cattle with herding instincts.

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JAPAN In historic Japan, grain farmers left food offerings near wolf dens, believing they would protect their crops from wild boars and deer. In time, many wolves developed rabies and attacked humans leading to a widespread fear of wolves and aggressive hunting policies. By 1905, both the Ezo wolf and Honshu wolf became extinct. In modern Japan, the overpopulation of deer are responsible for millions of dollars in crop damage each year as well as bark stripping, soil erosion, reduced tree diversity, and sustained damage in at least 30 national parks.

Despite this, public and political opinions of wolves have not changed. As of 2020, Japan remains wolf-less.

UNITED KINGDOM The campaign against wolves in the United Kingdom has been documented since 1000 AD. Wolf hunts were a way to pay tribute to kings. Servants could be granted land if they rid the land of wolves. It is said the last wolf was killed in the late 1700s in Scotland. While official reintroduction and protection is a hotly contested topic, two wolf packs have established themselves in the South Wales-England borders and Lake District National Park-the former naturally and the latter with human help.

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The World

INDIA In India, the Indian Wolf (also known as the Iranian wolf) has a reputation for being clever, but the general opinion depends on the region. In areas where wolves prey on wild ungulates, wolves are rarely prosecuted.

In areas where wolves often prey on sheep and goats, wolves were hunted. Between 1871 and 1916 during the British rule in India, over 100,000 wolves were killed for bounties due to fatal attacks on humans, game herds, and livestock. India has a long history of non-rabid wolves preying on children with incidents being recorded in 1876 to 1999. The attacks are usually in areas with high human density of low economic status, little wild prey, and heavily guarded livestock. Today, there are approximately 7,000 wolves living in India.

NORWAY Though Norse mythology depicted wolves as both malevolent beasts and symbols of loyalty, one can assume these beliefs were done away with by Christianization. Norway and Sweden share a wolf population of approximately 400 and issues over management arise due to Norway not being part of the European union. In Norway, both traditional rural and modern recreational hunters agree that they will never accept wolves. The current wolf population is not of the original Scandinavian wolf, which died out in the 1960s--they are related to Eurasian wolves and were said to have naturally traveled from Russia.

d on Wolves

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Is iT Only about Us?

By zeroing in on the complicated relationship between humans and wolves, I hope you, the reader, walk away with a better understanding of the integral role humans have in shaping our world.

I believe that the people directly impacted by wolves deserve their voices to be heard and at the same time, I believe that wolves deserve to thrive in their natural environments. As time goes on, I hope that a balance can be achieved and the lives of wolves will be less of a controversy. Thank you for reading.

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Picture Credits: (In order of appearance) Marc-Olivier Jodoin 3d model by laddari3d Philipp Pilz Yannick Menard Marcel Langthim Erika Iser Darren Welsh Library of Congress Griffin Wooldridge Marcel Langthim Nicole YC Rakesh Nagula Luca Dugar Robert Bye Tom Pottiger Casey Horner Harry22 Sources: Earthjustice.org Wolf.org Wolfmatters.org Nywolf.org The Lost Wolves Of Japan.

Walker, Brett L. (2005).

The Trouble with Wolves.

Collin Monda. (2018).

Richarz, Allan. “How Do You Convince Japan to Embrace Wolves?� Atlas Obscura,, 6 Feb. 2020, www.atlasobscura.com/articles/are-wolvesextinct-in-japan.

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