It's been only 15 years since gray wolves, after years of near-extinction, were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park. The initial group of 66 オオカミ were transplanted into the park from Canada beginning in 1995. Now, もっと見る than 1,545 オオカミ roam Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.Biologists say that a minimum of 2,000 to 3,000 オオカミ are needed within the area in order to keep them from disappearing again.The オオカミ have had tremendous 人気 support from the beginning. Their reintroduction has been によって far the most publicized and celebrated of any wildlife reintroduction in the U.S. The オオカミ complete the Yellowstone ecosystem, which, without them, had too many hooved animals. The overabundance of some of the wolves' natural prey was altering the natural plant communities along stream banks, due to excessive trampling. With the オオカミ back on the scene, the Yellowstone natural community is much closer to what it was before most of the surrounding states were profoundly altered によって development and livestock ranching. The success of the growing 狼, オオカミ population has made a lot of money for the park, in sales of 狼, オオカミ paraphernalia, such as 狼, オオカミ T-shirts, sweatshirts, coffee cups, and 本 from park gift shops. The オオカミ have also drawn thousands of tourists and wildlife supporters to the area,people who pay to sleep and eat in the park. Ranchers and hunters have been opposed to the 狼, オオカミ reintroduction from the beginning. Hunters say the オオカミ compete with them for native game, particularly elk. Ranchers say the オオカミ kill their calves. オオカミ do occasionally kill calves and sheep. The ranchers and hunters apparently are concerned only with their own livelihoods and recreation, respectively. They don't appear to care about wolves, which were here long before we were. オオカミ in the U.S. were decimated によって an unprecedented extermination campaign in the early 1900s, funded によって the U.S. which distributed posters encouraging people to shoot オオカミ on sight, and even offered a bounty for dead wolves. It worked. There were virtually no オオカミ left in the lower 48, although before Europeans settled North America, オオカミ were common throughout every region of the continental United States. If US Fish&Wildlife's plan to take オオカミ off the endangered species 一覧 goes through, hunters and trappers would be allowed to obtain permits to kill wolves. As long as at least 450 オオカミ survived, the animal would remain fair game. If their numbers dropped below 300, they'd be put back on the endangered species list. If あなた want to help protect wolves, consider supporting Natural Resources Defense Council's campaign to protect them from delist