Americans Demand Protection for Wild Carnivores; Will Wildlife Agencies Finally Listen?

The ongoing slaughter of wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains, the return of gray wolves to California, the perilous reintroduction of wolves to Colorado’s Western Slope, and the ongoing debates over removing gray wolves from the Endangered Species List underscore a fundamental divide: the American public overwhelmingly supports protecting wild carnivores, yet many wildlife agencies remain stuck in a bygone era of eradication and control.

A recent national survey conducted by Project Coyote and Colorado State University’s Animal-Human Policy Center highlights this rift between how the public values wildlife versus how policy makers manage wildlife—leaving wolves and other misunderstood species like coyotes, foxes, and bobcats vulnerable to outdated practices that defy public sentiment and scientific understanding.

Wolves, systematically driven from the American landscape through government-sponsored eradication campaigns (often to make room for cattle), were nearly exterminated by the 1970s. Then came the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, offering wolves and other imperiled species a slim lifeline. Landmark efforts like the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone in the mid-1990s proved the species could rebound when given a chance. Yet, half a century later, wolves and other carnivores are still routinely subjected to unscientific and inhumane treatment. READ MORE…