Wolves without the myths: reintroduction, super packs and what research shows
Biologist Diane Boyd takes apart the super wolf myth and explains why she opposed reintroduction, Harland Williams and Joe Rogan argue team people versus team animals, and Michael Waddell and Luke Bryan give the hunter's view of wolves and other predators. Wolves draw stronger opinions than almost any other animal, so it helps to see the field research beside the arguments.
Were the wolves released in Yellowstone a foreign super wolf? Show answer
No. Diane Boyd says wolves form one continuous population from Yellowstone to near the Yukon, and individuals cross that range on their own.
What single animal does Boyd use to make the point about one population? Show answer
A female she collared as a pup in Glacier National Park that was shot seven months later 540 miles north in British Columbia.
What does Boyd say really cut the northern Yellowstone elk herd? Show answer
The herd was around 20,000, far above what the land could support, and then the record winter of 1996 to 1997 killed huge numbers. She doubts 35 wolves killed 10,000 elk.
Why does Boyd doubt reports of a 400-wolf super pack? Show answer
Wolves live in family groups and defend territories, often to the death, against unrelated wolves. Typical packs run 10 to 15.
Why do wolves hunt in packs, according to Boyd? Show answer
They are not very efficient killers. A wolf has only its teeth, so big prey like elk, moose and bison take teamwork.
What is the leading cause of wolf deaths in Yellowstone? Show answer
Other wolves. Boyd says wolves killing wolves accounts for around 70 to 75 percent of wolf deaths there.
Why did Boyd, a wolf biologist, oppose the Yellowstone and Idaho reintroductions? Show answer
Wolves were already arriving on their own from Canada, and she holds that people tolerate what arrives naturally better than what is forced on them.
What went wrong in Colorado's reintroduction, by Boyd's account? Show answer
A ballot deadline and other states' refusals led Colorado to take 10 wolves from Oregon, about half with a history of killing livestock. The one breeding pair went on to kill calves.
What does Joe Rogan mean by ballot box biology? Show answer
Wildlife decisions made by votes of people who will never experience the animals. He says biologists and people in the field should decide.
Where do Rogan and Boyd disagree about danger to people? Show answer
Rogan says wolves were eradicated partly because they killed people. Boyd says attacks are now extremely rare and does not accept his historical examples as established.
Do Boyd and Rogan accept that wolves transformed Yellowstone's rivers? Show answer
No. Both call the claim overstated, though both grant wolves a role in restoring balance.
What is Boyd's advice for seeing a wild wolf? Show answer
Go to Yellowstone's Lamar Valley in winter at dawn or dusk, with a spotting scope or a guide, and look for people pulled over.