#wolf conservation

[basil-kat]

Nearly a century after they were extirpated from the state, wolves return to California

[evilfoxboygenius]

hii zephyr. hiiiiiiiiiii.

[littlefeatherr]

Los Angeles records its first confirmed gray wolf sighting in over 100 years — see the video

Los Angeles records its first confirmed gray wolf sighting in over 100 years — see the video

GPS data shows a young female wolf traveling hundreds of miles into the San Gabriel Mountains, signaling a rare moment for Southern Californ

[seaslugg7]

“But wolves kill livestock”

Next time you hear someone say that, here are some facts to change their mind.

1. Wolves are keystone regulators. remove them and ecosystems collapse

A wolf isn’t just an apex predator; it’s a trophic sculptor.

When wolves disappear:

• Deer and elk populations explode

• Overgrazing strips riverbanks

• Forest regeneration stalls

• Songbird, beaver, fox, and raptor populations tank

• Rivers literally change course

Yellowstone is the textbook case: wolves returned, and then elk behavior changed, they stopped over eating all the flora, willow and aspen rebounded, the beavers and birds came back, and because of this the river erosion slowed and biodiversity soared. This is measured in peer-reviewed ecological data. No livestock industry can replace that ecological labor.

2. Wolves prevent disease and suffering in prey populations

They cull:

• The weak

• The sick

• The diseased

This reduces:

• Chronic wasting disease spread

• Overwinter starvation die-offs

• Malnutrition in herds

Wolves produce healthier, fitter ungulate populations than any human hunting regime ever has.

3. Livestock losses to wolves are statistically tiny

This is the part ranchers never want to admit.

Across the U.S.:

• Over 90% of livestock deaths are from weather, disease, birthing complications, parasites, or malnutrition.

• Wolves account for well under 1% in most states.

• And ranchers receive compensation programs anyway.

The outrage is performative; the numbers dismantle it.

4. Non-lethal deterrents work, but many ranchers refuse to use them

Research consistently shows:

• Fladry (flag lines)

• Range riders

• Night penning

• Guardian dogs

• Light-based deterrents

• Carcass removal

…reduce wolf–livestock conflicts by 60–90%.

But these require effort. Shooting a wolf is easier, and then they complain when new dispersing wolves move in and the problem repeats.

5. Killing wolves causes more livestock losses

This is the wolf irony that ranchers never expect:

When you disrupt a pack by killing key adults:

• The pack fractures

• Younger wolves disperse

• They lose coordinated hunting skills

• They switch from elk to easier targets (livestock)

Studies in Washington, Oregon, and Wyoming all show that lethal removal increases future depredations.

Wolves breed conflict when you destabilize them.

6. Wolves bring in millions through ecotourism

In places like:

• Yellowstone

• Montana

• Minnesota

• Colorado

Wolf watching produces more revenue for local communities than livestock ranching does — often by several orders of magnitude.

One Yellowstone wolf pack generated millions in tourism value alone.

A dead wolf earns someone a Facebook trophy photo. A living wolf sustains multiple livelihoods.

7. Wolves are native; cattle are the invasive species

Wolves evolved on this land.

Cattle didn’t.

Cattle overgraze, destroy riparian zones, emit methane with their constant farting and require massive water inputs. Wolves reduce ecological damage by controlling ungulates; cattle cause ecological damage by existing in massive numbers and needing protection.

If anyone’s an “invasive threat,” it’s not the animal that was here for 10,000 years.

8. Wolves aren’t morally obligated to respect human property

A wolf doesn’t know what a deed is.

A calf that’s unguarded on open land is prey.

Expecting wolves to behave like domestic pets is ecological narcissism.

[r0bita]

Since I'm not seeing any new sbout this here still guess I'll post it.

House To Vote On Delisting Gray Wolves From Endangered Species Act

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on ending gray wolf protections on Thursday.

[v0id-of-the-mountains]

Image Credits: Champions for Wildlife, Nancy Arehart

Red wolves (Canis rufus) are a critically endangered species from southeastern U.S.. Habitat destruction, hunting, and predator-control led the species to be extinct in the wild in 1980. Captive breeding programs have been working to help bring the red wolf back into the wild, released at the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. In 2012, there were around 100-120 in the wild, but this has dropped to only around 15-17 wild red wolves. Red wolves are the most endangered wolf species in the world.

Red wolves and other species need your help. The Trump administration is dismantling regulations that protect endangered species, with proposed regulations that would significantly weaken the Endangered Species Act. Their plans will allow them to encroach on habitats of endangered species to drill, mine, and log. Removing these protections will put thousands of species at risk. Protections for wolves are being destroyed, with programs like the National Gray Wolf Recovery Program being cancelled. Hunting and organized killings of wolves threaten crucial wolf populations.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has announced four proposed rules that will weaken endangered species protections. The 30-day comment period begins on November 21st.

Press Release: https://www.fws.gov/apps/press-release/2025-11/administration-revises-endangered-species-act-regulations-strengthen

https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/current

https://www.regulations.gov

FWS–HQ–ES–2025–0039 (Section 4)

FWS–HQ–ES–2025–0044 (Section 7)

FWS–HQ–ES–2025–0029 (Section 4(d))

FWS–HQ–ES–2025–0048 (Section 4(b)(2))

More Resources:

Red Wolf | Wolf Conservation Center

The Endangered Red Wolf The red wolf (Canis rufus) is one of two species of wolves in North America, the other being the gray wolf (Canis lu

Team Wolf | Relist Gray Wolves

Gray Wolves are still in grave danger. Join Team Wolf— an evolution of The #RelistWolves Campaign— and act now to ensure their long-term rec

Sidenote: The proposed regulations are not explicitly targeted towards red wolves, though they are still affected. Originally, this post was going to be part of another, which is why I wrote more about red wolves, but I ended up separating them and adding information about weakened endangered species protections to this one. I am especially interested in red wolf conservation, which is why I kept it in this post.

[slpffow]

a landlord bought a wolf preserve's land, denied use of the water well on it, and eventually took them to court for not getting a fictional insurance policy. now they've been given until march 15th to move everything.

EDIT: the judge denied the stay order that would give them more time

https://www.seacrestwolfpreserve.org/donate

further context:

https://www.facebook.com/seacrestwolfpreserve

[necro-om-nom-nomicon]

@wolfnanaki