Tuesday, May 15, 2007

"Scientists Protest Plan to End Wolves' Safeguards"


According to the Washington Post's "Washington in Brief" column today:
More than 230 scientists have signed a letter opposing plans to remove wolves in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho from Endangered Species Act protection. The scientists said wolves still face threats there because their numbers remain relatively small and because the wolf populations in the Yellowstone National Park area, in central Idaho and in northwest Montana do not intermingle......The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says that figure is more than four times the number of wolves needed to consider removing a species from federal protections.
Comment: It used to be that I had faith that the scientists at the Fish and Wildlife Service did a good job, and that the agency reported their conclusions fairly. Now I wonder whether the Bush administration is overriding scientific judgments in order to please a conservative constituency in the West. JAD

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why do you want so cute wolves be taken away from a place that they lived there a long time and I'm a wolf fan!

Anonymous said...

Why is that we as humans feel we have the right to DESTROY other species. This is getting way out of hand. Please leave the wolves alone. There is no evidence or statistics to justify killing them.

Anonymous said...

Wolves are God's Creations as are all living beings and as such deserve our utmost respect and compassion. We have no right to kill any of God's creatures.I do understand there are certain circumstances that require drastic action however, there is no reason why those actions can not include calling on those who wish to preserve the wolves for assistance in relocating wolves preying on thier livestock.

John Daly said...

Thank you for these comments.

I agree that wolves and other creatures deserve our respect and compassion. I too am opposed to the extinction of species, especially species as elegant as wolves, and even extinction in a range rather than as a species.

But I would point out that the natural order is for predators to kill other beings, and that the survival of obligate predators depends on such killing. I guess that gives them a "right" to kill.

ILOVEWOLVES said...

WOLVES ARE MY FAVORITE ANIMALS!!! IF THOSE SCIENTISTS LAY A HAND, EVEN A FINGER ON THOSE BEATIFUL, HARMLESS ANIMALS, THEY'LL WISH THAT THEY NEVER EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT TAKING THEM OFF THE ENDANGERED SPEICIES LIST! AND WHAT'S EVEN WORSE, HUNTING THEM! I WOULD DO ANYTHING TO STOP THEM FROM DOING THAT!

Anonymous said...

Wolves are fascinating creatures why should they have to be taken from their homes because of some poxy humans its not right! Leave the wolves as they are and stop killing them its not fair they because they have the right to live in the world aswell! shannon xxxxxxx plz save the wolves plz

Unknown said...

im a wolf fan, i think wolves should stay in there habitiat,
maybe they already adapted to the enviorment,
moving them could cause there population, LET THE WOLVES STAY until the population goes returns to normal!!!

Caroline Marrelli said...

"then God said, 'let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind:cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth,each according to its kind', and it was so." - Bible, Genesis 1:24. We really should leave them alone, and follow the bible.

John Daly said...

Thanks again for the comments.

I think wolves can be very dangerous if you don't treat them with respect. They are smart and tough, and work together very well.

But the danger of a few hundred wolves is tiny, and we should be able to find a way to live with them.

It is really wonderful when you have a chance to see wild animals in their natural habitat, and I always feel there is something fundamentally right about a world were they can exist with us.

Anonymous said...

PLEASE PLEASE READ THIS COMMENT EVERYDOBY!!!!!!!!!!! read ALL of it too dont just stop in the middle please.

Wolves are my FAVOURITE animals of all time, they are such divine creatures and guess what, WE'RE DESTROYING THEIR HABITAT AND SPECIES. if you think about extinction carefully, you figure out what it means right? extinction = a species of animal gone. forever. never coming back. whiped of the face of the earth. like the dinosaurs. and we will never EVER see them again. they will simply be another myth. I personally DO NOT I REPEAT, NOTT!!! WANT THAT TO HAPPEN!! and I sure as hell don't want US HUMANS to be RESPONSIBLE for their extinction!! it's been said many times before, "treat others as you would like to be treated" THAT GOES FOR ANIMALS TOO, right now not only are we doing enough to get them extinct, but we're putting them through extreme pain on the road to that extinction!! skinning them ALIVE ring a bell?? heres a link: http://www.peta.org/feat/ChineseFurFarms/index.asp
I GUARANTEE ALL OF YOU WILL NOT WANT TO FINISH WATCHING THIS VIDEO CLIP. (yes I know it starts out with a raccoon but it gets to the dogs,etc, enventually and SADLY)
please, we NEED to do something to STOP everything cruel thats happening to them, im even not sure how exactly I can help yet but by spreading awareness at least im (WE'RE) doing something right? SHARE THE LINK WITH OTHERS!!

Anonymous said...

PLEASE DONT!!!!!!!! I am a young teen and I am in love with wolves they have been such a intrest to me since I was little and still I find them fasinating... I dont understand a lot of things that people do and think they can get away with.... I find it disturbing and unhumain!!!! That people that call themselves "scientists" that think they can research an animal and then have a right to DESTROY that breed!!! NO!! Nobody should be able to do that!!!!!! I mean come on totally wipe the wovles out that is retared and I want my future kids and other generations to come, to have seen this wonderful CREATION that GOD has made!!! Not for us to oooo and aww about but they are living creatures and yes people kill people and which is so nasty and twisted in some ways and then people kill animals too!!! People have a reason and purpose to do something but killing is sinnful!!!! and retarded!!!! and I dont see or hear a good enough reson or purpose to wipe out the wolves. So I have a reason and purpose and that is to put my words into actions and HELP the save the wolves..........!!!!!

Anonymous said...

JOHN DALY.... okay so ya this is the young teen speaking and I am disturbed by your thoughts and quite puzzled on your thinking aspects..... so let me get this... you say perdators such as the wolf.... are getting out of control??? so that gives you the right to kill them??? let me ask you this do you believe in god???>>> you dont have to answer just wondering... but the food chain of animals isnt our problem.. let God take care of it and it will all work out even if that does mean something has to die...(which it usually does) let it be by nature!!!!!not scientists!!!!

Anonymous said...

I love animals! I dont think it is right for us to think they arent as good as humans. Wolves are just like dogs a.k.a mans best friend. In fact they might have been mans best friends just more friendlier because we treat them well and thats how we probably got dogs. I'm in middle school. That doesnt mean i dont know alot. I'm upset. I WANT THIS TO BE SPAMED ALL OVER A SOME FAMOUS PERSON'S EMAIL OR SOMETHING JUST TO PROVE WOLVES NEED PROTECTION!

John Daly said...

Thank you all for your comments. I have blocked a comment, which I felt to be immoderate and one which appeared to be commercial spam.

I continue to believe that our country should be able to find a way to allow wolves to live and thrive in wilderness areas, and that they are important both in themselves and as keystone species in the ecosystem.

Anonymous said...

i love wolves but i cant find any good place to get some good information can anybody help me!!!!!!!!!!!!

John Daly said...

Click here for a posting to help you get started finding more information on wolves.

Anonymous said...

Why wold anyone even want to remove such a beautiful animal from the home its learned to love and protect?!? It would be a crime to do this, and for the thought to even cross these peoples mind, there has to be something wrong with their heads.i may only be 13 but i know that it would be the biggest sin in the world for these people to get what they want!What right do we have to kill out such a wonderfull animal? none thats what!so i beg you, please help save the wolves as best you can!!;)GO WOLVES!!

Anonymous said...

i love wolves,well all animals really, but wolves are my favorite. i have been able to get up close and personal with them through a a job i have taken, and they are the most beautiful animals that have graced the earth!!(well to me at least) to kill them or remove them from the home they have learned to love and protect is wrong. I may be only 13 but i know that for the thought to even cross the minds of those people, gosh there has to be a probelm with their heads!!What gets me is that humans are kill each other all the time, but does the gov't try to take them away from their homes and kill them?NO!!!And what right do we have to kill such a beautiful animal? NONE thats what! so please help the cause if you can-the wolves are counting on you!!! ~Annie S. Dust Montana

Anonymous said...

Save zee wolves! Those scientists are IDIOTS! Why do humans think we can take away the wolves habitat
just because its an "inconvinience" to us??!! I hate humans, we suck!!!!!