Wolves Placed on Endangered Species List
When you hear about the wolf you probably
think of Little Red Riding Hood or The Three Little Pigs. Well these are only stories, and in
these stories the bad guy is a wolf. But in real life the wolf species is not bad. Humans just
wrote stories in which the wolf was bad. Are humans really that big bad wolf that is written
about in these stories??? I think so. I think we humans were big and mean, and we knew it,
but we did not want to admit it. So we blamed something else, and the wolf was our target,
our scapegoat. There has never been a documented case of a non-rabid wolf killing a human,
while humans killed wolves, and still do, legally in Alaska, and illegally in the Northwest.
As a matter of fact there were laws up to the mid 1900s that gave people rewards if they killed
a wolf. Now, nearly extinct in the lower 48 states the wolf is making a comeback, both on it's
own and in a pair of reintroduction projects, at Yellowstone National Park and at Idaho
Wilderness.
However, the wolves' return is not welcome
by everybody, especially western ranchers. These ranchers consider the wolf as a tangible symbol
of their troubles. The wolves' reintroduction represents change and intrusion, not only of
carnivores capable of killing cows, but of people who care about the environment, that is,
environmentalists.
Even worse are federal regulations.
The wolf has even been placed on the Endangered Species List. The list includes both threatened,
and already endangered populations.
The following classifications are correct ...
In the 48 states, the wolf currently occupies only about 3% of its former range.
Most of the wolves' former habitat in the lower 48 states is unsuitable and probably never
will be suitable, because their habitat has been ruined by buildings, cities and towns.
Public attitudes toward the wolf are mixed, with, many residents of wolf range being
strongly anti-wolf.
Opponents of the Endangered Species classifications, for the wolf in the 48 states, counter
with these arguments . . .
There are over 1000 wolves in Minnesota alone, and their numbers are stable or increasing.
Even if all the wolves were exterminated from the continuous 48 states, there are still
plenty in Canada, and Alaska.
Inclusion of wolves, and thus cost the government control program is over $100,000 per year
to minimize wolf damage to livestock. Earlier in my report, I mentioned laws giving rewards
if you killed a wolf. Here I have those laws.
New England Massachusetts Bay Colony 1630-1653. In 1630 it was ordered every English man
that killeth a wolf in any part within the limits of this patent shall have allowed him 1 d
(one penny) for every beast and ob.(half a penny) for every weaned swine and goat in every
plantation, to be levied by the constables of the said plantations. In 1637 it was ordered that
there should be 10 shillings allowed for such wolves as are killed. In 1640 it was ordered that
every man that kills a wolf with hounds shall have 40 shillings allowed him and who so ever
kills a wolf with a trap, piece, or other engine, shall have 10 shillings allowed to him
to be paid by the town where the wolf was killed, and if he be killed out of any town bounds
it shall be paid by the treasurer. In 1644 it was ordered that there shall be a bushel of
Indian corn or three courts of wine to any Indians by the constables of every town for every
wolf killed, within the boards of the town. But the Indian must make good proof where it was
killed. New Plymoth Colony 1636-1661 ordered in 1636 that whoever killeth a wolf, and make it
sufficiently known to the Governor or some assistant shall have 4 bushels to be raised by the
constablerick or liberties. In 1642 it was enacted by the court that all the towns within the
Government shall make traps and check them daily. Neglected traps will be charged a penalty of
10 shillings. The number each town is to make is as follows: Plymoth 5, Sandwich 3, Yarmouth 3,
Duxbury 5, Taunton 2, Marshfield 2, Scituate 4, and Barnstable 3.
MY THEORY, I do not understand
why people thought wolves were so bad. The dog species kills an average of about 3 people per
year and wolves kill zero people per year, so in conclusion dogs are far more dangerous then
wolves.
by
Running Deer
Clouds
by
V. Mahler
Information from Running Deer's Longhouse
Used with Written Permission.
Although Running Deer's Site is no longer online,
her banner is left here due to respect.
|
| |
