Little Red Riding Hood and Other Wolf Myths
 Myth #1: Wolves are a threat to humans
Reality: Humans are a threat to
wolves
Here’s
why: wolves generally shy away from humans, while people have persecuted and,
in many places, eliminated wolves. Would
Real Wolves Act Like the Wolves of the movie ‘The Grey’?
In the U.S. from
1900-2000, no healthy wolf killed a human being. In 2005, wolves killed a man
in Saskatchewan, but this was a very rare event. The truth is that wolves pose
far less of a threat to humans than lightning strikes. However, wolves are wild
carnivores, and we should use common-sense precautions when in wolf country,
much as we do in cougar, black bear, or grizzly terrain.
Myth #2: Wolves will drive
ranchers out of business
Reality: Wolves are not a
significant threat to ranching
Here’s
why: wolves in the Northern Rockies and Mexican wolves in the Southwest have
not been a major threat to livestock. In 2010, all carnivores combined and domestic dogs killed less than ¼ of 1%
(0.23%) of cattle in the US. In the Northern Rocky Mountains in 2010, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service verified a total of 188 cattle and 245 sheep killed
in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, which represent less than one percent of the
cattle and sheep inventories in
those states. Nationwide, carnivores were responsible for killing less than 4%
of U.S. sheep in 2009. Just 0.39% of all sheep deaths were caused by wolves. In
most cases, the ranchers were compensated for their loss. A much bigger problem
for ranchers is the fundamental problem that ranching is neither economically
nor ecologically sustainable in the western U.S..
Predation of livestock by wolves should be the rancher’s last concern. Despite the very small number of
livestock killed by wolves, many in the livestock industry have been crying
wolf all along by opposing any forward steps for this crucial carnivore. (See
NRM Wolf Report, pages 20-24.)
Myth #3: Wolves will harm
populations of prey species
Reality: Wolves are crucial for
healthy ecosystems
Here’s
why: wolves return balance to native ecosystems. With reintroduction to the
Yellowstone ecosystem, native flora and fauna are flourishing. That’s because
wolves, being the opportunists they are, tend to target the most abundant prey
species, such as elk. They not only influence the numbers of elk, they
influence where elk are found and how they behave. When Yellowstone was
wolf-less, elk negatively affected aspen, cottonwoods, and willow. When wolves
returned, aspen and willow stands flourished, providing habitat to beavers and
songbirds and resulting in flourishing biodiversity. Wolves also reduce
populations of smaller predators, thus benefiting the prey of those
“meso-predators” and provide carrion for a wide range of species, large and
small. In Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming all reported too many elk. To learn more
about wolf predation on elk read NRM Wolf Report pages 24-27; to learn more
about wolves’ trophic cascade work, read pages 31 to 32.
Myth #4: No one will miss wolves
when they’re gone
Reality: Most people support
wolf protection and recovery
Here’s
why: most Americans support endangered species protection and protection of
wolves in particular. The livestock industry, and the politicians that work at
their behest, are fundamentally out of step with the majority of the American
public. Upwards of 80% of Americans support a strong Endangered Species Act. Wolves
are a top tourism draw to Yellowstone ecosystem, bringing in approximately $36
million in annual revenue to local communities of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. There
has been strong public support for wolf recovery in the Northern Rockies and
the Southwest, which cuts across party lines and demographics. In the Southern
Rockies, public opinion favors wolf reintroduction by over 70%, crossing party
and gender lines, and includes hunters. But the federal government has refused
to bring this missing carnivore back to the Southern Rockies, timidly deferring
to the livestock industry.
Image: Little Red Riding Hood Etchings: Gustave Dore
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