Wolves have been misunderstood over the years and even killed. They have been thought to be deadly and wild. Many human hunters have killed wolves to a point where there were no more wolves in Colorado. The truth of the matter is that wolves are very intelligent and social animals. There is so much beauty in these predators that we might not have understood. Yes, they are predators but that is their role in the ecosystem. Take away one part of the food chain and the ecosystem suffers. Wolves are more than just killers, they have been seen to have affection towards each other. Here are the reasons why the reintroduction of wolves in Colorado is important.
When you take away the wolves, other predators will increase. This is not very good because there is a missing link in the chain. When the number of other predators increases, for example, the moose, they will eat up all woody vegetation. This is dangerous because as a result of not having enough vegetation, birds suffer. At the end of the day, birds migrate and Colorado is left with no bird species.
Scavengers are important to the ecosystem. When the wolves are around, they make their kill and leave leftovers for the scavengers. These scavengers benefit from whatever is left off. Animals that benefit from having wolves around include bald eagles, great gray owl, and even ravens.
When we watch wildlife documentaries and see wolves killing elks, we feel like it is unfair. We always root for the elk to run and not be caught. One thing we don’t consider id that wolves are predators and this is their food. Another thing we don’t know is that wolf kills benefit more than just the wolf. The carcasses benefit the soil significantly. Nitrogen and other nutrients increase where the carcasses are left. Here is more info about wolf reintroduction.
Wolf kills don’t only feed the wolves. First of all, more than one wolf will feast on the kill. So many other animals also benefit from this and it is evident from how fast the scavengers will clean the carcasses. This is a good thing because all animals get to thrive at the end of the day. Find more info by clicking here rockymountainwolfproject.org.
Another great thing about having wolves around is the fact that deer and elk will only stay in small groups. They are afraid of the wolves so they will stay far away. This is great because it reduces the likelihood of spread of disease among them. Click here for more info : https://www.huffingtonpost.com/leda-huta/why-the-latest-war-on-wol_b_14370670.html.