Is the gray wolf actually endangered?

When are we done protecting the gray wolf?

When European settlers first came to America they were set on “civilizing” the land. This meant a lot of rash, sweeping changes — one of which was to eradicate a familiar target: the gray wolf. Bounties were placed on the animal across the US. By the 1930s, the once plentiful wolf population was decimated.

Decades later, restorations efforts have led to an extensive recovery of the animal. The Fish and Wildlife Service thinks we’ve done enough, but conservationists say our work is far from done. Check out the video above to learn more.

You can read the Vox article on this topic here:

You can find the Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposal to delist the gray wolf here:

And the response letter from scientists and scholars can be found here:

Studies on what removing protections can mean:

For more information on wolves we didn’t have time to get to in the video, check out the links below:

[Abcflc]

Most ecosystems are failing because of the total or partial loss of keystone species like the wolf. Here in Europe deer and boar are hunted extensively because they don't have natural predators, this also has an impact on plant species and the health of forest- not to mention massive urbanization and rural engineering of the land.

[terramater]

Apart from the endangered species list in the U.S., another - global - problem with listing endangered species is called the "rarity value thesis": Basically it's the paradox that species listed as endangered (especially on the IUCN Red List) is driving up their value on the illegal wildlife trade market. Hence, this leads into a downward spiral due to enhanced demand. We're currently working on this topic, so more info is coming up soon on our channel!

[thefreya]

I feel like this video is lacking in depth, we could have done with more information as to what this means for the species and more arguments for and against explained

[BrieoRobino]

Why are Canadian geeze still protected? THEY ARE EVERYWHERE!

[loveistheway.]

Whats making people so eager to remove the protection?

[MichaelBehrnsMiller]

Very shallow. I'd recommend the videos on Yellowstone trophic cascades, and study up on genetic biodiversity, to see why nature itself would benefit from many pockets of thriving biospheres. And we need nature, dearly.

[virginiachris]

Apex predators have long kept ecosystems in check.
They are known as keystone species. Yellowstone National Park has a resurgence in wolves which benefited local flora and had noticeable impact on streams.

[hauntedmasc]

And this doesn't even cover whether, due to climate change, the range is significantly altered for habitability. This applies less to the gray wolf, in particular, but in general, it a fascinating and complicated problem.

[PawsandProperties]

Wolves are valuable, they help decrease the deer and buffalo (if they are successful with buffalo’s) population. Not only that but wolves aren’t as dangerous as many books, TV shows, movies, even people depicted as. They aren’t curious animals and they will not just down right attack you without a reason. Lastly, they are less likely to attack livestock if food is available. That’s why we need to increase wolves range instead of those small pocketed size areas.

[Magooinvesting]

There’s also a major problem with the Endangered species act that gives priority to large, well known species. The current administration is trying to rank species based on economic importance.

[blaze]

We should never be finished protecting wildlife. Ever

[MatthieuDeW]

Well, the map shown at 2:38 is rather incomplete. There's a significant gray (specifically the Eurasian subspecies) wolf population in most of Poland, huge chunks of Germany, most of Italy, almost all of the Balkan Peninsula, the Scandinavian range is much bigger as well... I think the gray wolf range in Europe has never been as limited as shown in this map.

[LimeyLassen]

Choosing between wolves and ranchers, I would rather have wolves.

[teachmehowtodoge]

Gray Wolf: “Hoomans are killing us, ”
Mother Nature: “Release the virus!”
Bat: “The carrier is here..”

Lol.

[deep.space.]

There's no counterargument at all? No other species to compare with gray wolves? Then change the video title to be about gray wolves, not the entire endangered species act.

[klaasdeboer]

Over here on the other side of the Atlantic, in western Europe, wolves are doing surprisingly well! Wolves are protected for a while and have even reached the Netherlands from Germany.

[mackenziepeterson]

All of vox’s videos are so interesting

[mczenk]

I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The gray wolf is definitely not endangered in my area. Loads of them.

[thedavidj]

Regardless of a species global population, I think every nation is responsible for maintaining and protecting every species inside their borders.

[silversurfer]

Some species are so conservation dependent, due to low genetic diversity that Cloning through SCNT (somatic cell nuclear transfer) is required. For the Black-footed ferrets however, they are even considering one step further. They are so susceptible to introduced diseases, they might have to create transgenic variations of them - or they would be conservation dependent, forever!