Return of Yellowstone Wolves Is Good News for Bears
- 11 years ago
The return of wolves to Yosemite National Park is great for bears, who are finding that their berry supply has been replenished.
The return of wolves to Yellowstone National Park is great for bears, who are finding that their berry supply has been replenished.
The news is not so fabulous for the elk living there, as they were the ones eating most of them.
When the wolves were kicked out of the park over a century ago, elk populations flourished.
The berries, being a popular snack for the yelk, were quickly gobbled up, leaving little to none for the bears.
As a result the endangered grizzly bears, which rely upon the fruits to bulk up, headed into hibernation with insufficient nutrition stored.
The serious berry habits of the elk also put other species at risk like bees and butterflies, as they’re not content to eat just the fruit, and tend to demolish the entire shrub.
Since the wolves were re-introduced in the 1990’s, they’re thinning out the elk populations, a popular prey for them.
So, again, bad news for the elk, but scientists are saying that the health of the Yellowstone ecosystem has been significantly improved.
For how long is unknown, as people have now begun shooting the wolves.
The return of wolves to Yellowstone National Park is great for bears, who are finding that their berry supply has been replenished.
The news is not so fabulous for the elk living there, as they were the ones eating most of them.
When the wolves were kicked out of the park over a century ago, elk populations flourished.
The berries, being a popular snack for the yelk, were quickly gobbled up, leaving little to none for the bears.
As a result the endangered grizzly bears, which rely upon the fruits to bulk up, headed into hibernation with insufficient nutrition stored.
The serious berry habits of the elk also put other species at risk like bees and butterflies, as they’re not content to eat just the fruit, and tend to demolish the entire shrub.
Since the wolves were re-introduced in the 1990’s, they’re thinning out the elk populations, a popular prey for them.
So, again, bad news for the elk, but scientists are saying that the health of the Yellowstone ecosystem has been significantly improved.
For how long is unknown, as people have now begun shooting the wolves.