Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

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`Global Warning` - Feb 7, 2006 - `Printable Version`
- Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
by Robin Buckallew

By Hawkeye W. Lowery*



*Because Robin Buckallew needed to take a little time off to pursue her academic endeavors, this column was written for her by her Welsh Corgi, who has an issue of grave concern he would like to share with you. Before you get the idea that Hawkeye is some sort of high-falutin' blueblood who is going to talk down to you and condescend to you, he would like to assure you that he is not a full-blood, and he possesses no papers, except those that are sometimes needed to do his important business without soiling the carpet. He believes his hardscrabble early days as a stray on the cruel streets of Oklahoma City have given him a unique perspective on the world, and he is certain that you will be open minded while considering his heartfelt plea.



             I would like to share with you an issue that is of some importance and concern to me. In fact, I consider it so important that I have taken time off from my important duties of chasing off the postman, lying in the sun, and herding cats just to write this article and lay this issue before you. I am convinced that this is a forum that will be open to hearing what I say, and that I will find I am not barking up the wrong tree. I would like to urge you to join me in speaking out against a barbaric practice that is taking place within the boundaries of the so-called "civilized" United States. This practice is the shooting down of wild animals from the safety of an airplane - in short, the aerial gunning of wolves.

             Now, you may think I have purely selfish motives in speaking out against this inhuman practice, that I am motivated solely by the fact that I myself am descended from wolves. This is, of course, a factor in my decision to take on this issue, as I feel a very close affinity with the wolf. Just as humans standing in front of the monkey cage at the zoo often feel a strange sense of relationship with its inhabitants as they see them behaving in ways that seem human, I feel a strange sense of wild yearning come over me whenever I hear a wolf howl. But my concern goes much deeper than that. I am concerned because I am an environmentally sensitive canine, and I recognize the important role that wolves play in maintaining a properly functioning ecosystem. Wolves, like all other top predators, are an important step in the wilderness food chain, and help to keep the system in balance by removing excess population of browsers and grazers. This serves to help maintain a healthy plant community by preventing overgrazing, and in turn, prevents additional deaths from starvation and disease of large herbivores such as deer, elk, caribou and moose. Although this cycle of starvation and death for deer and their relatives has been the predictable result of previous predator removal programs throughout the world, it seems humans aren't very good at learning from their mistakes. I often hear you can't teach an old dog new tricks. That may be true, but it seems you can't teach an old human ANYTHING.

             Aerial gunning of wolves is designed for the benefit of human hunters, who perceive the wolf as unacceptable competition for game animals. Humans are engaging in a practice of killing one animal so that they will have many more animals available to kill. Say what you will about it, this sounds rather uncivilized to me. The State of Alaska has been engaging in the practice of aerial gunning of wolves for a number of years, and there have to date been more than 400 wolves that have been killed in this manner. The goal of the state is to remove 80-100% of the wolf population over an area of 50,000 square miles in order to improve the populations of moose available to hunters. To date, there is insufficient data to show that the populations of moose will even be enhanced by this program, but the state has proceeded in a lively, enthusiastic manner, with the approval of Secretary of the Interior, Gale Norton. They have proceeded against the wishes of the citizens of the state, who twice voted in referendum to ban the practice of aerial gunning, but the governor signed a bill overturning the ban. In addition to the plans to kill the wolves, the program of aerial gunning also calls for the slaughter of grizzly bears. The killing is indiscriminate, and males, females and pups are all legal targets for the permitted shooters. Alaska is one of the few places in America where the wolves and bears still exist in sustainable numbers in a natural setting.

             In addition to the program in Alaska, Ms. Norton has also handed over wolf management in Idaho to the state government. The state of Idaho has passed a resolution calling for the elimination of wolves "by any means necessary". She also tried to remove the wolf from the endangered species list, but this move was blocked in court by Defenders of Wildlife. Now, Congressman Richard Pombo (R-CA), chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, is proposing legislation that will gut the Endangered Species Act. He has the full support and encouragement of Gale Norton, who is the official that is charged with protecting our natural resources. Clearly, Secretary Norton is failing in her duty to fulfill this sacred public trust. She is putting the interests of a special interest group of hunters ahead of the interests of the community as a whole, which would be much better served by a protection and preservation of what wildness remains in the country.

             Such a barbaric practice does not speak well for the level of civilization and enlightenment of your species. True, the wolf kills. He kills to eat, and the animals that he kills provide his only means of survival. The moose, the elk and the deer have a chance against the wolf. If they are young and healthy, they might be able to outrun him. Eventually, he will cull out the old and the infirm, and this will help to maintain the health of the population as a whole. The human hunter, on the other hand, is primarily interested in the best specimens. The animal often has little chance against the human hunter, who will often set traps and engage in deception to bring the animal into a situation where it is helpless, so he can simply shoot it at will. Now, the human wants another advantage given to him - he wants to ensure that his competition is removed once and for all. These animals are often referred to by the humans in terms that indicated they are seen as a property, rather than a living creature. The human resents the wolf for killing "his" moose or "his" deer. But what do you think the wolf might be thinking? Perhaps the wolf resents the encroachment of human hunters upon his territory, the fact that human hunters are able to bring fast vehicles and powerful guns, and take away his livelihood. These hunters don't live in his world, but only visit it long enough to wreck destruction and havoc upon his food supply. Don't you think there would be a huge outcry if the wolf decided to take matters in his own paws, and began to remove his competition indiscriminately and without mercy?

             I would like to urge you to take action to prevent this terrible tragedy from continuing. Call or write Interior Secretary Gale Norton, and urge her to perform the duty she has been sworn to perform. Call or write your Congressional representatives, and urge them to take action. Contact the governors of Alaska and Idaho, and express your displeasure with this barbaric practice. Howl for all you are worth. I beg of you, don't be silent. Show that humans can be taught new tricks. Speak.



To contact Gale Norton:



U.S. Department of the Interior
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20240

Phone: 202-208-3100
webteam@ios.doi.gov



To contact Governor Frank Murkowski:


P.O. Box 110001
Juneau, AK 99811-0001
Phone (907) 465-3500
Fax (907) 465-3532



To contact Congressman Pombo:



Congressman Richard Pombo

2411 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20515

(202)2251947



To find out how to contact your congressional representatives:



http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

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Global Warning - Feb 7, 2006 - Printable Version- Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? by Robin Buckallew

`Global Warning` - Feb 7, 2006 - `Printable Version`
- Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
by Robin Buckallew