Page 53 - EarthHeroes

started to meander again instead of carving through the valley in straight lines. The wolves had changed the landscape itself.
Even after so many years, Doug never tires of flying over the park and seeing its incredible wildlife and beauty. There are bears, elk, moose, bison, coyotes and cougars, and birds of all kinds, but it’s the wolves that thousands of visitors a year flock to see. Their haunting howls can be heard through the park in the early morning and at dusk. Meanwhile, Doug continues to lead the project and regularly gives talks about the animals whose stories he has come to know. Researchers from around the world contact him for his knowledge and advice, sometimes because they are considering returning wolves to their own lands.
Reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone has taught scientists important lessons about the essential role an apex – or top – predator plays in creating balance in the natural world. Every plant and animal is a necessary part of a complex system of living relationships, and if wolves had not been reintroduced, today’s Yellowstone would be a very different place.
Although wolves are no longer officially endangered at Yellowstone, Doug worries about the future of the park. As global warming changes its climate and plant life, wolves and other creatures won’t be able to migrate to find food, as they might have done in the past. His hope for their future now lies with young people. Perhaps they can use the lessons of Yellowstone to build a world where humans see themselves not as top predator, but as just one part of nature’s rich pattern. And in the meantime, he hopes that their childhoods might be blessed with wildlife and wilderness . . . and stories of wolves.
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