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 늑대 were transplanted into the park from Canada beginning in 1995. Now, 더 많이 than 1,545 늑대 roam Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.Biologists say that a minimum of 2,000 to 3,000 늑대 are needed within the area in order to keep them from disappearing again.The 늑대 have had tremendous 인기 support from the beginning. Their reintroduction has been 의해 far the most publicized and celebrated of any wildlife reintroduction in the U.S. The 늑대 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 늑대 back on the scene, the Yellowstone natural community is much closer to what it was before most of the surrounding states were profoundly altered 의해 development and livestock ranching. The success of the growing 늑대 population has made a lot of money for the park, in sales of 늑대 paraphernalia, such as 늑대 T-shirts, sweatshirts, coffee cups, and 책 from park gift shops. The 늑대 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 늑대 reintroduction from the beginning. Hunters say the 늑대 compete with them for native game, particularly elk. Ranchers say the 늑대 kill their calves. 늑대 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. 늑대 in the U.S. were decimated 의해 an unprecedented extermination campaign in the early 1900s, funded 의해 the U.S. which distributed posters encouraging people to shoot 늑대 on sight, and even offered a bounty for dead wolves. It worked. There were virtually no 늑대 left in the lower 48, although before Europeans settled North America, 늑대 were common throughout every region of the continental United States. If US Fish&Wildlife's plan to take 늑대 off the endangered species list goes through, hunters and trappers would be allowed to obtain permits to kill wolves. As long as at least 450 늑대 survived, the animal would remain fair game. If their numbers dropped below 300, they'd be put back on the endangered species list. If 당신 want to help protect wolves, consider supporting Natural Resources Defense Council's campaign to protect them from delist