A Wildlife Article from All-Creatures.org

Colorado Wolves: Hyped Media Derails Neighborly Coexistence

From Marc Bekoff, Psychology Today / Animal Emotions
August 2024

Suffice it to say, when these projects are put into action, the lives of individuals are put on the line, and many people and I feel that the life of every single individual wolf matters and should not be traded off for the good of others.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife/Public Domain

On December 18, 2023, five wolves were released into the mountains of Colorado, and five more were released the next day. Because the people of Colorado voted for this project, some people pejoratively call it "ballot box biology" but in reality it's "ballot box morality."

I was pleased to be at the initial release because of my longtime interests in rewilding nature and because of my research on the social behavior of wolves, coyotes, and domestic dogs and my interest in observing personality differencesamong the first group of wolves who were released. These are incredibly difficult projects to organize and implement, and many people are unaware of the various hidden factors—slippery slopes—that come into play. Many important questions need to be considered that center on our relationships with nature, especially those focusing on who lives, who dies, and why.

Suffice it to say, when these projects are put into action, the lives of individualsare put on the line, and many people and I feel that the life of every single individual wolf matters and should not be traded off for the good of others. I’ve learned that a number of wolf advocates are willing to allow some wolves to be killed to save the lives of others, and many people have no idea this remains a possibility. Some ranchers also want wolves to be killed and of course this could doom the project before it gets off the ground.

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Please read the ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE.

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Posted on All-Creatures.org: August 27, 2024
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