The Silving Lining to Wolf Hunts

Environmentalists are upset that wolves can now be legally hunted in Idaho and Montana. Michael Hutchins provides some necessary context to this emotional issue:

https://www.mdifitness.com/hr9g0yab There is no doubt that some individuals and organizations will have a difficult time shifting from a mindset where wolves are rare creatures that need every protection to one where wolves are common and can become pests.  To quote a 2005 article by Jim Robbins in Conservation in Practice (October-December: 28-34), “In the wake of successful wolf reintroductions, managers who once fervently defended wolves are now faced with killing them. Are we ready for modern predator management?”

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Hutchins then points to a similar “transition” that had take place when the alligator population rebounded in Florida.

https://www.salernoformazione.com/irnjdsjlo4o Once perilously close to extinction, these large reptiles have recovered as the result of government protection.  There are now some 1-2 million in Florida alone.  In order to manage potential conflicts between alligators and people, the state of Florida sanctions a regulated annual hunt.  In addition, it removes another 15,000 or so gators a year following public complaints of aggressive behavior.

https://yourartbeat.net/2025/03/11/i4ta02n As a conservationist, I can only hope that we are faced with many more of these dilemmas, as it will mean that carnivore conservation has been a roaring success.