Posts Tagged: science

Wolves have always slipped easily into the part of the human brain that processes symbols and metaphors. In the Inferno from his Divine Comedy, Dante (~1265–1321) used wolves to represent greed and fraud. In the Middle Ages Europeans called famine, … read more

Recently, some state governments began pursuing aggressive efforts to reduce wolf populations through programs that include liberalized hunting and trapping seasons, and efforts to incentivize killing (e.g., bounties). These efforts represent a departure from policies of the recent past, raising … read more

Historically the wolf (Canis lupus) was hated and extirpated from most of the contiguous United States. The federal Endangered Species Act fostered wolf protection and reintroduction which improved the species’ image. Wolf populations reached biological recovery in the Northern Rocky … read more

The status and trend of the northern Yellowstone elk herd has been an enduring conservation issue throughout the history of Yellowstone National Park. It is the largest of about seven migratory elk herds that graze the park’s high-elevation meadows during … read more

Resource management agencies commonly defend controversial policy by claiming adherence to science-based approaches. For example, proponents and practitioners of the “North American Model of Wildlife Conservation,” which guides hunting policy across much of the United States and Canada, assert that … read more

For many of Yellowstone’s species, spring’s arrival not only brings relief from winter’s challenges, but also resets the biological calendar that governs individuals’ lives. As April’s temperatures rise and its expanding daylight weakens the veneer of snow and ice, many … read more