Episode 4 of 4 - The American War on Wolves: The Battleground of 2021

Welcome to Episode 4 of Animalia’s The American War on Wolves.

In this 4th and final episode of the series, we dig into what’s been happening in 2021 so far since Federal protections for gray wolves were lifted in January. State by state, wolf protections are falling away and senseless killing is picking up steam.

In order to change this trend, we need to understand why it’s happening. So our focus in this episode will be to break down the justifications the anti-wolf community uses in their policies and programs to kill wolves, and look specifically at Wisconsin and Idaho as examples.

We will also look at two states still on the side of wolf advocacy, Oregon and Washington, albeit there are aspects of their programs that also feel like they are on shaky grounds.

Finally, we hear from the many experts and advocates throughout this series on what we can do to prosper coexistence with wolves and return them to their rightful range and habitat.

In so many ways, our relationship with wolves is symbolic of our relationship with the natural world overall. For far too long, it has been adversarial and exploitative, rooted in cultural disdain. We are seeing right now how this disdain, misinformation, and polarizing politics rear their ugly heads in causing us to go backwards, not forward.

In the series finale, we detail what is happening across 4 specific states, analyze the arguments given by the anti-wolf community, and talk through some different solutions for getting us to peaceful coexistence with wolves.

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As always, this series is dedicated to raising support and awareness for SaveOurWolves.org, put on by the Center for Biological Diversity. Please check out the page and sign the petitions going to state and federal policy makers to protect wolves. Every digital signature is incredibly valuable.

In case you missed them:

• In Episode 1, we outlined some kay facets of wolf biology, sociology, and day to day life to lay a foundation of understanding
• In Episode 2, we chronicled the historical extermination wolves have experienced here in the US dating back to the mid 19th Century
• In Episode 3, we looked at Recovery & Reintroduction programs that have been successful and unsuccessful and why

A big thanks to all those who are featured in this episode:

• Amaroq Weiss
• Zoe Hanley
• Wally Sykes
• Philomena Kebec
• Peter David
• Melissa Wintrow
• Ali Rabe
• Michael Robinson
• Rick McIntyre
• Josh Specht