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The Packs Are Back

For centuries, gray wolves prowled the forests of the American West. They had few enemies until settlers arrived in the early 1800s. People feared the wild, sharp-toothed creatures. Wolves sometimes killed farmers' animals. People worried that they might attack humans too.

So wolves were shot. At one time, the government paid hunters a reward for each wolf they killed. Wolves were hunted even in wilderness areas like Yellowstone National Park. By the early 1930s, no wolves were left there.

But the disappearance of wolves left a big hole in Yellowstone's ecosystem. Coyotes, normally hunted by wolves, became too numerous. Foxes and badgers, which eat the same rodents that coyotes do, were going hungry. The ecosystem was badly out of balance.

To restore Yellowstone's natural balance, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided to bring back wolves. In 1995, 31 gray wolves from Canada were brought to the park. Since then, something incredible has happened: Yellowstone has come howling back to life.

Grizzly bears are no longer forced to strip the trees of nuts and leaves for food, because now they can eat the wolves' leftovers. There are fewer coyotes, because wolves have killed some of them. That means there is more of the coyotes' favorite food--little rodents--for foxes, badgers and eagles to eat. Even trees and plants are healthier now that bears and elk don't snack on them as much.

"Ecological change seldom happens before your eyes," says John Varley, a director at Yellowstone National Park. "I never imagined we'd see it."

An Unfriendly Homecoming
Not everyone is glad to see the wolves return. Ranchers near the park want to get rid of their old enemy. Since 1995, roaming wolves have killed 84 sheep and seven cattle.

An environmental group has paid the ranchers to replace the animals. But, complains rancher Vern Keller, "there's the stress of not knowing if wolves are in the area or when they'll strike."

Keller and others found a way to fight back: they went to court. They argued that the way in which Yellowstone's new wolves were brought into the park was illegal. Last month a judge agreed and ordered the wolves to be removed.

Environmental groups are fighting the decision. "It was an order to take 10 steps backward," says Thomas France of the National Wildlife Federation.

Will The Wolves Be Removed?
The original 31 animals have multiplied to about 90. They cannot be shipped back to Canada, because their old territory has been taken over by other wolves. Zoos aren't likely to take them. Says Yellowstone scientist Douglas Smith: "The options could come down to one thing--killing them."

For now, that's unlikely to happen. The judge's decision can't be enforced until the court finishes hearing arguments from people who don't want the wolves removed. That could take more than a year.

"I will fight with everything I have to keep the wolves in Yellowstone," says Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, who is in charge of the national parks. The wolves are used to being the focus of a fight. It's been that way for more than 100 years.

Next: A Disabled Golfer's Battle To Play