Two gray wolves (Canis lupus) photographed at Bush Gardens. The wolf is the largest member of the Canidae (dog) family, with a range extending through Alaska and parts of Michigan, Wisconsin, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Wyoming. Gray wolves share their ancestry with domestic dogs, coyotes, and wild dogs such as dingoes. Scientists consider the gray wolf to be the species from which most other wolf subspecies evolved. Gray wolves are know as a keystone species. After they disappeared from Yellowstone, the size of the park’s elk population exploded. The elk ate many plants, especially young seedlings and willows, growing along the rivers. Normally, the roots of these plants help hold the soil in place. So the dramatic decrease in these plants led to erosion along the riverbanks, which destroyed habitats for animals like beavers and songbirds. Biologists in Yellowstone began exploring the idea of bringing Canadian wolves to the park and on January 12, 1995 the first eight wolves arrived from Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada. In the years that followed, wolves brought the elk population down and protected the open valleys from overgrazing. However, the number of elk killed was double than estimated and many local hunters stirred controversy by protesting that the wolves will end up killing all of the elk. Today the debate is still strong, according to thoughtco.com, nwf.org and yellowstone.com. @jaypaulphoto #graywolf #wolf @buschgardensunofficial (at Bush Gardens) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpyl3RjuV-XVJG9XDQVxBQpt5wQAe8KRttXfBI0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=