By Sadie Parr
National Wolf Awareness Week has returned with the third week of October.
The grey wolf, Canis lupus, is one of the most studied animals across the globe.
Yet for all of the understanding gained about this animal, wolves remain as one of the most misunderstood, controversial and highly persecuted animals on the planet.
In Canada, we are failing to put contemporary knowledge into practice, let alone wildlife policy.
We have learned in recent decades that top predators exert direct and indirect effects on all levels of the food chain, right down to the vegetation and soil, in complex ways that increase biodiversity and ecosystem resiliency.
As an apex predator and keystone species, wolves provide benefits to every trophic level in an ecosystem.
This role is not only invaluable; it is also irreplaceable. Humans cannot duplicate the subtleties of nature.
Up until the 1970s, Canada included itself in efforts across North America as European settlers sought to eradicate wolves and other predators from many parts of the continent.
Killing methods were chaotic, random and vicious – involving poison campaigns, aerial shooting and bounty-killing programs.
In many regions, these death crusades were successful. Vast numbers of wolves and other carnivores were killed.
While delicate, nature can also be resilient. Where the landscape is still whole enough to support them, wolves are returning to their ancestral habitat.
However, wolves are far from being welcomed by all who encounter them.
Some attitudes remain cloaked in the dark ages and determined to be antagonistic, despite new understandings of the positive influences wolves have on ecosystem health, the inherent values and intrinsic worth of all beings, and the potential for economic benefits through sustainable wildlife tourism.
Although this apex predator plays a vital role in maintaining biodiversity, wolves still struggle to find safety in most parts of British Columbia.
Provincial wolf hunting and trapping regulations are extremely lax, systematically legitimizing the killing of thousands of wolves each year for “recreation.”
On top of this, B.C. has a minimum five-year plan to shoot wolves from helicopters in a failing experiment to increase caribou numbers under the guise of conservation.
Killing predators is an irresponsible and unreliable method of increasing prey species populations or reducing conflicts with livestock.
It leads to many negative ecological repercussions including a decrease in the overall diversity of plant and animal species.
Canada still has a landscape whole enough to grow a wolf, which is cause for celebration. However, wolves need help.
Existing is not good enough when it comes to the conservation of this highly intelligent and family oriented animal.
Quality of life, expression of natural behaviours and the ability to maintain kin-based families as intended by nature are fundamental elements that must be included in management goals for this apex predator, for ethical as well as ecological purposes.
Sadie Parr is the executive director of Wolf Awareness Inc.
