Predators-Group5

“Deep in the wilds of Venezuela, the natural order is being turned inside out. Miles of verdant forest and Savannah have given way to small and scattered islands. Some of these islands are now overrun by bands of voracious howler monkeys, a glut of iguanas and hordes of ravenous ants. What is driving this bizarre transformation? A team of scientists believes that life here has run amok in large part because its top predators are gone. Similarly, the majestic wilderness of Yellowstone National Park is also showing signs of change that some scientists trace to the depletion of natural predators. Familiar and revered forests have vanished. Researchers are linking these forest losses to the expulsion of the gray wolf some seventy years ago. In Venezuela and around the world, experts are learning that predators seem to play a crucial role in the structure and function of entire ecosystems. When the predators disappear, the consequences can be dramatic. If predators are so vital, should they — and can they — be brought back?”

//**Group 5: Wolves Status Endangered or Hunted?**//

[] What is happening in Idaho and Montana in 2009?
 * Wolves are taken of the endangered species list. Hunters are now allowed to hunt a quarter of the 850 wolves in Idaho. Thousands of people have forked over $12 for the right to shoot one of 220 wolves. Since wolves were taken off the endangered list Idaho and Montana started hunting seasons. Idaho's hunting season started on October 1, and Montana hunting season starts on September 15. Why the states started hunting season for wolves is because they want to control the wolves population. People think that the game and fish officials should take care of the problem and not the people.** **Protesters asked a Mont. game and fish official to leave the wolves alone. He looked at the populations and they are in the 1000s so he said the wolves are recovering and should be left alone. the elk populations are sky rocketing so wolves hunting could be over any day if the Montana official says the wolves should be left alone.**

· What is happening in Idaho and Montana in 2009?

**//__The wolves are being hunted for their fur and meat in Montana and Idaho__//**

Fast-forward one year and read the following article from 9/5/2010: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130308375

In 2010 the wolf hunt was put on hold because of a lawsuit. The gray wolves are still listed as an endangered species and therefore cannot legally be hunted. It is going to be awhile before this is resolved in the courts and/or legislature.
 * The government spent a half-million dollars to study the reintroduction of the gray wolves to the northern Rockies lawmakers say its time for congress to step in again-this time to clamp down on the endangered animals.there is at least 1,700 wolves that roam parts of six states.wolves were off the endangered list for a whole year before the latest court ruling, in that time hunters in Montana and Idaho killed 260 animals. To make things worst Congress shot over 1,300 wolves since there initial involvement**

**//__It restored their endangered status. Except Alaska and Minn.__//**

· What do government agencies want to do with gray wolves?

**//__Government agencies want to gas pups and sterilize adults that are gray wolves.__//**

· How many wolves are there in the mainland U.S., and where are they located?

//**__At least 1700 wolves live in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, more than 4000 wolves live in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and their population, also more wolves have been spotted in Oregon and Washington.__**//

· Explain advantages and disadvantages to hunting wolves.

//**__The advantages of hunting wolves is that they will stop killing livestock but the disadvantages is that their pray starts to overpopulate.__**// How does your group feel about the controversy? 65/75 points