Newest residents of suburbs? Wolves
From Gary Strieker
CNN
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Federal wildlife authorities are scaling back protection for wolves.
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Wolves are making a comeback in the North thanks to the National Endangered Species Act, but some think they're too numerous. CNN's Gary Strieker has the story (November 28)
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(CNN) -- With wolf packs predicted to expand into many states, possibly coast to coast, some say it is time to take another look at laws protecting wolves and other large predators.
"We still tend to think of mountain lions and bears and wolves as being endangered, and in some parts of the country they are," said David Baron, author of "The Beast in the Garden," which chronicles how Boulder, Colorado, struggled to coexist with wild animals after a mountain lion killed a local jogger.
"But in many parts of the country these animals are becoming abundant again, and now we have to start thinking about maybe we do need to start hunting these animals again," he said.
There is growing concern about conflicts with wolves in Minnesota, where packs are moving deeper into farming areas and killing livestock, approaching city suburbs and making more contact with humans.
In North America, only a few wolf attacks on people have been verified. Because for all its ferocious reputation, wildlife experts say the wolf is afraid of humans and tries to avoid them.
Animal rights activists in Minnesota want continued protection for wolves, arguing they should be allowed to expand their range.
But federal wildlife authorities are now scaling back protection, giving states more authority to decide how to manage wolves to minimize livestock losses, and to make sure these animals don't lose their fear of people.
"I think we have to be willing to kill some individual animals to protect the species overall and not cause a backlash," Baron said.
Wildlife conservationists say hard decisions like that will become more common as wolves continue to multiply and disperse across the country.