The United States has removed protected status for its Gray Wolves.
Gray Wolves in the United States are currently listed as an endangered species by the U.S. Wildlife & Fish Service. However, the U.S Wildlife & Fish Service is to remove protections that have been in place for the Gray Wolf.
Removing protections for Gray Wolves would allow people to hunt and trap Gray Wolves in more states in America. This would not only result in more Gray Wolves suffering by being trapped, but it would also result in their population declining again. The reason given for the removal of the protections for Gray Wolves: is that their numbers have recovered. However, this good work will be reversed if protections for the Gray Wolf are not kept in place.
It is because things like hunting, trapping and a loss of their habitat, which caused Gray Wolves to decline, and therefore, become endangered in the first place. There are not that many Gray Wolves left in the wild today. It is estimated that there are only around 6,000 Gray Wolves left in the wild today.
The biggest reason for the decline in Gray Wolves has been because they have been hunted. There has been a long history of people hunting Gray Wolves, which has ultimately led to this animals decline and endangered species status.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Gray Wolf could be found in around 48 states in the United States of America. However, today, the Gray Wolf is only thought to exist in a fewer number of states. Gray Wolves are endangered in the following states: Wisconsin, California, Michigan, and Oregon. They are threatened in the following state: Minnesota.
Gray Wolves are delisted in the following states: Washington, Wycoming, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, and Utah. Being delisted means that Gray Wolves lose their protections in these states. And, in other states, Gray Wolves are also set to lose their protections, which would be disastrous for the Gray Wolf.
Removing the projections for Gray Wolves from many of these states will put the Wolves in danger again - it will mean that they are in danger of being hunted again in many states which banned them from being hunted.
A few of the states, however, such as - Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, as well as Alaska, already allow for Gray Wolves to be hunted in their states.
Gray Wolves are not only hunted, hundreds of them are also subjected to trapping. Trapping Gray Wolves in cruel snares often causes them a long, painful and barbaric death. To protect Gray Wolves from trapping and hunting, we must ensure that laws protect them, and prevent them from being trapped and hunted.