A wolf in the garden

In late March of 1995 a group of imported Canadian gray wolves (Canis lupus) exited their makeshift pen and dashed hurriedly into the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park. The first wolf to trip the signal wire indicating to Park Service wildlife officials that the wolves were ‘free’ was the capstone moment following years of planning, lawsuits, death threats and general hostilities between ‘pro’ and ‘anti’ wolf groups around the region and nationally. It was an historic and symbolic event, one that captivated the attention of the international public and media. Experimental reintroductions ¹ have now been repeated elsewhere in the US (red wolves [Canis rufus] in North Carolina; Mexican gray wolves in Arizona). ² Indeed, at the moment, stretches of ‘wilderness’ across the nation are being eyed by wolf advocates as potential restoration sites.