Carnivore Project
WildEarth Guardians is dedicated to the restoration and protection of native carnivores throughout their range in the American West. Well known carnivores such as wolves, grizzly bears and coyotes—as well as lesser known carnivores such as kit fox and black-footed ferrets—have helped shape the ecological systems that they inhabit. The importance of these meat-eating mammals to the environment is both eloquent and profound—and is the root of our commitment to them.
Several carnivores that were once common in the American West have been eliminated, or relegated to small fragments of the remaining remote areas in the West. The contemporary challenge is to ensure that these carnivores are repatriated to the hunting grounds of their ancestors in numbers sufficient to ensure that their ecological role is rekindled. A few of the carnivores we champion include:
Wolves
These charismatic canids were eradicated from the American West by the mid-1900s at the behest of the livestock industry. Science now tells us that wolves are literally critical to the health of the landscapes that they inhabit. WildEarth Guardians uses a variety of tools, including policy advocacy, public education and litigation to advance the cause of weaving wolves back into the heart of the American West.
In the Southern Rocky Mountains (i.e. south central Wyoming, western Colorado and north central New Mexico), we are working to foment the recovery of gray wolves. Science shows the region could host over 1,000 wolves, but reintroduction will be necessary to jump start recovery. In the Gila Bioregion of southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona, we are working to protect Mexcian gray wolves from public fear and government removal.
Working to rekindle and protect the tiny population of Mexican gray wolves in the Southwest, WildEarth Guardians has joined with local, regional, and national conservation, scientific and sportsmen’s organizations, as well as concerned citizens to launch www.mexicanwolves.org. This website has everything related to the Southwest's lobos, including photos, news updates, ways to get involved and take action, information about the reintroduction program, a Kids Zone and more.
Grizzly Bears
The “Great Bear” frequented the mountains and the Great Plains of Western North America—including northern Mexico. Today, habitat destruction and human-caused mortality have relegated grizzlies to two percent of their historic range in the lower 48 states. Less than 1,400 grizzly bears still survive in the Northern Rocky Mountains, and as far as we can tell the bruins have been absent from the Southern Rocky Mountains since at least the 1980s. WildEarth Guardians hope to help these magnificent bears reclaim as much of the American West as possible.
Notably, a first step toward grizzly bear recovery in the West is to ensure that gray wolves are present on the landscape in numbers sufficient to provide carrion for other animals. So, as we move toward restoring wolves, we'll also be helping to make the West more hospitable to a restored population of grizzlies. In the interim, WildEarth Guardians will also work with policy makers and the courts to secure adequate recovery measures, including reintroduction, are established for grizzlies in the Southern Rockies and Southwest.
Lynx
With its short tail, long legs, large paws and tufted ears, the Canada lynx is an awe-inspiring wild cat. Yet lynx, native to the American West, were extirpated from the Southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado and New Mexico by the early 1970s.
Today, a successful effort to restore the lynx is underway in Colorado. In 1999, the Colorado Division of Wildlife released 41 lynx from Canada into the wild San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado, launching what has become a model reintroduction program for imperiled species. The program hasn't been without challenges, some of them growing more dire through time.
Global climate change, continued habitat loss, and inadequate legal protections in some areas threaten the success of lynx recovery in the Southern Rockies and throughout their former haunts in the American West. Fortunately, WildEarth Guardians is addressing these threats from many angles. We will maintain our no-nonsense advocacy efforts, public education work, and litigation for as long as it takes to ensure the recovery of these secretive cats.
Coyotes
Coyotes naturally occur in the western U.S. As a result of urban sprawl, they can come into close contact with people. There are relatively few conflicts due to coyotes avoiding humans. However, as a result of intentional and unintentional feeding of wildlife, as well as off-leash or unattended dogs, conflicts may occur. In those instances, WildEarth Guardians recommends people taking responsibility: secure trash, don't leave petfood outside or small pets unattended, keep dog(s) under strict leash or voice control, keep cats indoors, ensure that bird feeders are not attracting coyotes, and never feed a coyote. If coyotes become too habituated, scare them away with loud noises. With these easy steps, almost all - if not all - conflicts with coyotes can be avoided.
Coyotes have long been persecuted by people in North America. In response, they have increased their range three-fold. This is partly due to the extensive elimination of wolves, which historically kept coyote populations in check. Coyotes are also resilient: when persecuted, more of the surviving coyotes may breed, and they may produce larger litters. They play important ecosystem roles, holding smaller predators (such as foxes and even domestic cats) in check, for the benefit of birds and small animals. WildEarth Guardians promotes respect for coyotes and other wildlife and progressive, non-lethal approaches to coyote issues. This fascinating "song-dog" should be celebrated, not persecuted.
For more information about our strides to protect coyotes in Colorado, visit letlimpylive.com.
To view our coyote factsheet, which describes coyote behavior and how to co-exist with these "song dogs," click here.