Hunting season is beginning in some states in the Northern Rockies where most of the wolves in the lower 48 states live.  The current population of wolves in the Northern Rockies is approximately 1,600 and the wolves who live in this region are not protected under the Endangered Species Act (1), (2).  Although the hunting of wolves within Yellowstone National Park is prohibited, should wolves move outside of the park’s boundaries, they are allowed to be hunted (3).

Wolves are keystone species which means they have a purpose and reason for being here.  According to a report in Nature Climate Change by Schmitz et al. 2023, “Rewilding nine wildlife species (African forest elephants, American bison, fish, gray wolves, musk oxen, sea otters, sharks, whales, and wildebeest) would contribute more than 95% of the annual requirement to achieve the global target of extracting 500 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by 2100.  This in turn would help cap the global temperature rise to less than 1.5 degree Celsius.” (4)

Keystone species are the blueprint to help keep our ecosystems balanced and intact.  Saving them is a simple solution to help save our planet because healthy ecosystems provide us with healthy water, oxygen, and sequester carbon.  

As many scientists agree, we have crossed the threshold and are in Earth’s sixth mass extinction crisis where by 2050, 40% of Earth’s species will be extinct (5).  The population of wolves and other endangered species are declining at a time when their presence on this earth is paramount.  

According to the report by Schmitz et al. 2023, “There is an urgency because we are losing populations of many animal species at the very time that we are discovering the degree to which their role in ecosystems can enable carbon capture and storage.” (4)

This IS the time to ban trophy hunting of wolves and all endangered species.  Thank you for being a voice for the voiceless and signing and sharing this petition far and wide!

Resources:

1. Northern Rockies and Yellowstone Wolves, www.wolfwatcher.org 2023

2. Gray Wolf Recovery News and Updates, www.fws.gov 2022

3. Grable, Juliet, Without Federal Protection, Yellowstone’s Wolves Are Being Decimated, www.sierraclub.org 26th, January, 2022, https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/without-federal-protection-yellowstone-s-wolves-are-being decimated#:~:text=Though%20hunting%20of%20wolves%20is,under%20the%20Endangered%20Species%20Act.
 
4. Schmitz, O.J., Sylvén, M., Atwood, T.B. et al. Trophic rewilding can expand natural climate solutions. Nat. Clim. Chang. 13, 324–333 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01631-6
 
5. Thomas, C., Cameron, A., Green, R. et al. Extinction risk from climate change.Nature 427, 145–148 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature02121
 
**Photo courtesy of National Park Service