Wolves and livestock
Part of the initial motives for destroying wolf populations
in the early 1900's was to protect domesticated animals, and the expansive presence
of livestock across the United States means the problem remains. Ranchers and
farmers have continued to spread further into the wilderness and the mountains,
especially in the west, taking their livestock with them. Strong conflict remains
between the "cow people" and the "wolf people" (Corbett, 2000). To the
ranchers, wolf reintroduction may have been too successful and the wolves have
become a predatory nuisance. Wolves are a threat to their economic gains,
and as a result a threat to a way of life. 
As
wolves cross into agricultural areas, conflicts with humans greatly increase.
The method of wolf management brings up the issue of scale. Should control of
wildlife be left to the people immediately affected by predators, or should
endangered animals be considered part of the national heritage, thus involving
more than local interests?
The controversy between ranchers and environmentalists is heated. Trouble wolves are being relocated after the first contact with livestock or humans, and the wolf is killed at the second offense. Since reintroduction began, the government has provided compensation for livestock loses from wolf kills. However, the battle is relentless as the ranchers fight for protection from the "big-bad wolf," and the wolf continues to do what comes naturally, eat meat. There may not be a definite solution to this struggle, but perhaps a balance or an understanding can be reached. This requires education on the biolical importance of the wolf in its natural ecosystem, in conjunction with some tolerance and patience in regard to the behavior of this carnivore. Well informed data concerning wolf predation on livestock is necessary to establish protection guidelines, and wolf control is essential given the immediacy of the wolf-human interface.
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