Endangered and Threatened Species of Wyoming - Essay Example

? Endangered and Threatened Species of Wyoming al Affiliation Endangered and Threatened Species of Wyoming Grizzly Bear The grizzlybear (see Figure 1), whose scientific name is Ursus arctos horribilis, is called grizzly due to the light-colored fur on the back and shoulders, which may be brown, or blonde, or black. However, the fur of all grizzlies are white-tipped, making the fur looked grizzled. All grizzly bears have thick fur that shields them from cold and moisture (Potts, 1997, pp. 7-8). Figure 1. The grizzly bear has fur that has grayish tips. From “Grizzly Bear,” by J. Eastcott and Y. Momatiuk, n.d., http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/grizzly-bear/. Copyright by J. Eastcott and Y. Momatiuk. Reprinted with permission. The adult grizzly bear has an average height of three to five feet when it is on all fours and six to 10 feet when standing. An adult grizzly may weigh from 600 pounds (Potts, 1997, p.4) to 800 pounds (“Grizzly Bear,” 2011), and even 1,400 pounds. When it comes to the physical description of the grizzly, it has flat feet and a muscular shoulder hump that powers the forelimbs for digging. Its head is round “with a concave facial profile” (“Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis)”, 2011). According to the National Geographic, grizzly bears are “top-of-the-food-chain predators”. Although they eat animals, surprisingly, grizzly bears are fond of fruits, berries, leaves and roots (“Grizzly Bear,” 2011). Potts (1997) reported that there are 40,000 to 50,000 grizzly bears living in the mountains and forests of Canada and Alaska. In the United States, particularly in the states of Montana, Washington, Wyoming and Idaho, the number of grizzlies is from 600 to 800 (p.5). In Wyoming, grizzly bears are recognized as threatened. Whitaker & Hamilton (1998) define threatened as the likelihood that a species become endangered in the future whereas an endangered species is in the danger of extinction throughout a part of its range (p.549). Due to burgeoning population, people occupy the territories of grizzly bears, driving them away from their home. When this happens, the food supply of these bears becomes limited; thus, grizzly bears go after the farm animals of the settlers. In turn, these settlers hunted the bears until they were almost extinct (Potts, 1997, p.13). Primarily, it was the dwindling number of existing grizzly bears that prompted their being threatened. In an article, it says that human activities that occur in the habitat of grizzlies also deprive these animals of territory and food supply. These activities include timber cutting, grazing, private land development and so on (Delvin, 1999). These grizzly bears have been recognized as threatened since 1967. Not surprisingly, humans bear greater responsibility in managing grizzly bears. It is the humans who pushed grizzly bears out of their territories. Due to growing population, some people settled in areas that are natural habitat to grizzly bears. Moreover, human influence has changed the bears’ natural ecosystems through the many activities such as timber cutting. Human contact has also led to some bears being hunted. For the past years, there were some debates whether grizzly bears should be delisted as threatened. Some experts disapproved, saying that bears are not ready yet to be delisted. However, there are some suggestions to improve the situation of grizzlies. First, there must be a law or policy that strictly prohibits the killing of bears. It is noteworthy that grizzlies were included in the threatened creatures list because of their dwindling number. Thus, for grizzlies to completely recover, humans must not kill them. Second, the government must provide a habitat with sufficient area where the bears are secured and have no way of venturing to where humans live. This is in relation to the fact that bears ventured out of Yellowstone that might “bring them into dangerous contact with humans” (Eilperin, 2005). Finally, the habitat of the grizzlies must be protected. Eilperin (2005) reported that a significant part of the grizzlies’ habitat could be used for other purposes such as human development. It is important that grizzly bears have a habitat where they are secured, protected, and have ample supply of food. Wolf, gray The gray wolf (see Figure 2), Canis lupus, is one of the three kinds of wolves. Gray wolves have other names, depending on their habitat, such as arctic wolves or timber wolves. Arctic wolves roam in tundra and their fur enables them to blend in with the snow. Timber wolves, on the other hand, can be found in forests; their fur, which is usually grayish, enables them to blend in with forest shadows (Harrington, 2002, p.6). Still, there are other gray wolves that exhibit white or black fur. During winter, their thick undercoats make them look bigger while during spring, they look thin because they shed their coat. They are larger than coyotes, with bushy tails and bigger paws (National Zoological Park, n.d.). Figure 2. A pair of gray wolves during winter. From “Gray Wolf,” by US Fish and Wildlife Service, 2010, http://www.maine.gov/ifw/wildlife/species/endangered_species/gray_wolf/. Copyright 2010 by US Fish and Wildlife Service. Reprinted with permission. Currently, gray wolves can be found in Canada, Europe, and Middle East. There are also gray wolves in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan and, lately, wolves were reintroduced in some states such as Arizona. These wolves are carnivorous. They eat animals bigger than they are such as elk and other smaller animals such as rabbit (National Zoological Park, n.d.). In Wyoming, gray wolves have been listed as threatened since 1967 (“Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)”, 2011). As Whitaker & Hamilton (1998) defined, these animals were threatened due to the likelihood that the gray wolves may become endangered (p.549). The gray wolves made it to the threatened and endangered species list due to the threats to their existence. For instance, people had hunted down wolves because these wolves killed farm animals such as cattle. The extensive hunting led to the reduced population of wolves. In fact, the all-time low population recorded was between the 1930s and 1960s in Eurasia, while the recorded lowest population in North America was during the 1950s (Wildlife Trust, n.d.). In addition, ranchers believed that wolves “are a nuisance to livestock and could even threaten humans if their population grows too large” (AFP, 2011). Due to the threats that gray wolves face, many efforts were conducted for their recovery. Since the all-time low population between 1930s and 1950s, gray wolves were reintroduced to certain areas. The protected status of the wolves enabled these animals to grow its population (AFP, 2011). Much research has also been carried out to know the most suitable habitat for the gray wolves. In addition to this, 30 gray wolves were relocated to the Yellowstone National Park. There are also other populations of wolves in Minnesota and Michigan. There have also been public awareness efforts to educate people about gray wolves (Wildlife Trust, 2011). The gray wolves need a suitable habitat for their existence. Like the case with grizzly bears, too much human activities have influenced the species and their natural ecosystems. People believed that wolves must be hunted and killed because the wolves forayed into human settlements and killed farm animals (AFP, 2011). They also believed that these animals are dangerous as they are not used to living with humans (Harrington, 2002, p.7). The hunt for these animals has reduced their numbers and the human activities continually drove these animals away from their habitat. Fortunately, gray wolves have recovered and were delisted as endangered. However, there are still some people who believed that this was not a good move. They were concerned about the resumption of hunting. There are three things that can be done to ensure the continuous recovery of gray wolves. First, the state must develop a management plan for the gray wolves, enlisting how it is to care for the wolf population in the state. The people must know about this plan so as not to involve in activities that significantly reduce the wolf population. Second, if hunting is allowed, the state must clarify the areas where hunting is allowed and how many gray wolves are allowed to be hunted. The local municipality must also be aware of hunting activities. Lastly, the state must ensure the protection of gray wolves through the provision of a suitable habitat where gray wolves can take care of their pups until they get old enough to care for themselves. The habitat must be excluded from human activities. References AFP. (2011). Gray wolf removed from endangered species list. Retrieved from http://news.discovery.com/animals/gray-wolf-off-endangered-species-list-110504.html Delvin, S. (1999). Republican senators from Montana, Idaho and Wyoming demanded Wednesday that the grizzly bear be taken off the endangered species list, saying scant federal dollars would be better spend on recovering other animals. Retrieved from http://www.bitterroot.com/grizzly/BEARS45N.HTM Eastcott, J. & Momatiuk, Y. (photographers). (n.d.). The grizzly bear has fur that has grayish tips. [Digital image]. Retrieved from http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/grizzly-bear/ Eilperin, J. (2005). Grizzlies may lose status as ‘threatened.’ The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/14/AR2005111401328.html Grizzly bear. (2011). National Geographic. Retrieved from http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/grizzly-bear/ Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis). (2011). Environmental Conservation Online System. Retrieved from http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=A001 Harrington, F.H. (2002). The gray wolf. New York, NY: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. National Zoological Park. (n.d.). Gray wolf. Retrieved from http://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/northamerica/facts/fact-graywolf.cfm Potts, S. (1997). The grizzly bear. Mankato, MN: Capstone Press. US Fish and Wildlife Service. (2010). A pair of gray wolves during winter. [Digital image]. Retrieved from http://www.maine.gov/ifw/wildlife/species/endangered_species/gray_wolf/ Whitaker, J.O. & Hamilton, W.J. (1998). Mammals of the eastern United States. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University. Wildlife Trust. (n.d.). Gray wolf. Retrieved from http://www.thewildones.org/Animals/grayWolf.html Read More