LEARNING HUB
Welcome to the Learning Hub! Here you'll find everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the history of the gray wolf in the United States including background information on wolf protection efforts, interesting scientific papers, and commonly misunderstood facts about this incredible species.
RECENT HISTORY OF WOLF PROTECTIONS IN THE U.S. (2020 TO TODAY)
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Photo courtesy of Ronan Donovan
In late 2020, the Trump Administration removed all gray wolves from federal endangered species protection, against the advice of scientists. This delisting prompted states like Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming to pass legislation that encouraged the slaughter of up to 90% of their wolf populations.
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Despite horrifying developments of wolf slaughters in the Northern Rockies, on August 20, 2021, the Biden Administration chose to defend Trump’s delisting in federal court. Shortly after, on September 15, 2021, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced a yearlong “status review” of wolves in the Western U.S. but declined to halt ongoing wolf hunts during this period.
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On February 10, 2022, a federal judge restored federal protections to wolves in much of the contiguous United States. However, these protections were not extended to wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountain Region, where over 80% of the slaughter occurs. Multiple conservation organizations appealed the court order to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and USFWS undertook a status review of the gray wolf.
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In January 2023, the USFWS announced that it would delay an update of its status review of the gray wolf until February 2024.​​
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In February 2024, the USFWS finally released the results of their review, failing to relist wolves. Instead, they announced the development of a first-ever nationwide gray wolf recovery plan, to be completed by December 12, 2025.
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​​Since the species was delisted in 2020, more than 2,900 gray wolves have been killed in the continental United States. In 2022 alone, over 25% of Yellowstone National Park's protected wolf population was killed, making 2024 the third deadliest year for wolves in Yellowstone since their reintroduction in 1995.
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Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming have continued to enforce laws allowing hunters to kill up to 90% of their states' wolves, often under the false pretext that wolves are responsible for significant livestock losses, despite wolves accounting for less than 1% of unwanted livestock deaths.
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The USFWS has yet to release any additional information on how the nationwide gray wolf recovery plan will be drafted, how science will be used, or which groups will be incorporated.
In the meantime without proper protections and management policies, hundreds of wolves will be slaughtered in state-sanctioned
MYTH VS FACT
Once native to most of North America, gray wolves now occupy only about 20% of their historical range, with roughly 6,000 wolves remaining across the continental U.S. Despite their vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems, wolves have been repeatedly villainized throughout history—cue the Little Red Riding Hood and Big Bad Wolf stories. Below are some of the most common myths about wolves, rebutted!
MYTH
Wolves pose a significant threat to the livestock industry, and the only solution is to eliminate them.
FACT
Wolves are responsible for less than 1% of unwanted livestock deaths and according to USDA reports, wolves accounted for only 0.21% of sheep and 0.05% of cattle losses in states like Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, and Wisconsin. The vast majority of livestock deaths are due to other causes.
Effective non-lethal wolf management techniques are available and have proven successful in reducing conflicts between wolves and livestock. Tools such as range riders, fladry (a perimeter of colorful flags around livestock), strobe lights, and loud noises can significantly lower wolf-livestock interactions. Since wolves can sometimes become accustomed to non-lethal tools, proactive measures like removing bone piles can further prevent wolves from being attracted to livestock areas, helping to minimize losses even more.
Image courtesy of Ronan Donovan
THE SCIENCE
We use science-backed data to fundamentally inform all of our advocacy efforts to shape the policies we propose to legislators and drive a public narrative focused on FACTS over FEAR. Here are some key scientific studies that have been released in recent years:
NEWS & UPDATES
Wolves have received increasing attention in recent years, with media coverage highlighting both their triumphs and the challenges they face. Below are some of the latest headlines that showcase the ongoing fight wolves face today: