While many of us in the Great Lakes region consider ourselves lucky to have wolves in our woods, some are convinced we'd be better off without these important, majestic animals ("Wolf-related cattle losses a major concern for northwest Minnesota ranchers," April 16).
These top predators play a vital role in regulating deer and other prey species, keeping disease in check and driving essential evolutionary processes. But some ranchers think the best way to deal with wolves that interact with livestock is to kill them. That's plain wrong.
There are plenty of tested, non-lethal options to safeguard livestock from wolves, including guard dogs, flagging, and predator-proof fencing. Wildlife managers have observed that when wolves from a pack are killed, the pack is weakened, making it even more likely for the pack to go after young, vulnerable cattle.
It's not always easy living with wolves in our midst. They're complicated, mobile, and intelligent predators that require land, a prey base, and careful management. Yet, over the decades, most of us have learned to live with wolves and appreciate the natural role they play.
Collette Adkins
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Blaine, Minn.
The writer is a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity (biologicaldiversity.org).
