Environmental groups are fighting to protect wolves in the USA. After nearly being hunted to extinction, gray wolves have made enough of a comeback that, in some states, they are no longer protected by law.
Some are worried that growing numbers could now be a threat to people and livestock.
Frances Read reports from the USA.
IN: (WOLF FX) "It's the sound…"
OUT: Los Angeles
DUR: 2,36"
http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0410Wolves-fr-gen.mp3
VO1: It's the sound of the wild. And numbers of wolves in the USA have increased. Especially in here in the west, where wolves were hunted almost to extinction.
"Wolves are what make the wild wild, there is no wild without wolves."
VO2: Amaroq Weiss is from the Centre for Biological Diversity in California.
"There's about 55,000 wolves in very limited parts of the country and to a lot of people that sounds like a lot but it isn't it's a fraction of what there once was in this country. So most people don't know that when Europeans first came here there were an estimated 2 million wolves in all of North America. In the western United States right now there's maybe 2000 wolves total, so what we're talking about here is an endangered species but the federal government efforts to bring wolves back have been really limited."
VO3: And so lawsuits in the US have been filed to try to make that happen. In particular for gray wolves. Because government agencies say the animals aren't threatened.
"What you have to do is bring them back in enough numbers and in enough different multiple populations and different places that's what gives a species resiliency."
VO4: But not everyone would welcome this resiliency. Farmers, ranchers and sports hunters have all said they're concerned growing wolf numbers could be a danger to people and livestock. And across the world, many don't want the wolves at their door. Cristina Eisenberg is the chief scientist at the environmental charity, Earthwatch Institute.
"The big issue has to do with raising sheep, sheep farming is a big thing and wolves do tend to prey on sheep. But even so wolves don't kill that many sheep. They prefer to eat wild prey"
VO5: And statistics for wolves killing people are low. In all of North America in the last century only one killing of a human by wolves has been confirmed. But many fear the big bad wolf could still huff and puff and blow their house down.
"Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs are myths that arose in the western world they depicted the wolf as this beast that was going to eat kids and hurt humans and hurt livestock. There is a total disconnect between that and the reality of the science."
VO6: Wolves continue to be an enigma across the world. But there are many here in the United States who say that now needs to change. And they're prepared to fight to make it happen. Frances Read Los Angeles.
Some are worried that growing numbers could now be a threat to people and livestock.
Frances Read reports from the USA.
IN: (WOLF FX) "It's the sound…"
OUT: Los Angeles
DUR: 2,36"
http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0410Wolves-fr-gen.mp3
VO1: It's the sound of the wild. And numbers of wolves in the USA have increased. Especially in here in the west, where wolves were hunted almost to extinction.
"Wolves are what make the wild wild, there is no wild without wolves."
VO2: Amaroq Weiss is from the Centre for Biological Diversity in California.
"There's about 55,000 wolves in very limited parts of the country and to a lot of people that sounds like a lot but it isn't it's a fraction of what there once was in this country. So most people don't know that when Europeans first came here there were an estimated 2 million wolves in all of North America. In the western United States right now there's maybe 2000 wolves total, so what we're talking about here is an endangered species but the federal government efforts to bring wolves back have been really limited."
VO3: And so lawsuits in the US have been filed to try to make that happen. In particular for gray wolves. Because government agencies say the animals aren't threatened.
"What you have to do is bring them back in enough numbers and in enough different multiple populations and different places that's what gives a species resiliency."
VO4: But not everyone would welcome this resiliency. Farmers, ranchers and sports hunters have all said they're concerned growing wolf numbers could be a danger to people and livestock. And across the world, many don't want the wolves at their door. Cristina Eisenberg is the chief scientist at the environmental charity, Earthwatch Institute.
"The big issue has to do with raising sheep, sheep farming is a big thing and wolves do tend to prey on sheep. But even so wolves don't kill that many sheep. They prefer to eat wild prey"
VO5: And statistics for wolves killing people are low. In all of North America in the last century only one killing of a human by wolves has been confirmed. But many fear the big bad wolf could still huff and puff and blow their house down.
"Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs are myths that arose in the western world they depicted the wolf as this beast that was going to eat kids and hurt humans and hurt livestock. There is a total disconnect between that and the reality of the science."
VO6: Wolves continue to be an enigma across the world. But there are many here in the United States who say that now needs to change. And they're prepared to fight to make it happen. Frances Read Los Angeles.