cheeser
Well-known member
By Earl Stahl
The National Park Service (NPS) acquired Isle Royale in the 1940s when the owner(s) deeded the island to the U.S. government. At that time, moose were found on the island, but not wolves.
After NPS acquired the island, wolves showed up in the late 1940s. Whether they migrated from the mainland or were released is not known. Subsequently, NPS took the position that the wolves were a necessary factor in order to keep the moose population under control.
More recently the island’s wolf population plummeted as a result of disease and inbreeding. In 2018 it was reported that the wolf population consisted of two genetically inferior (heavily inbred) wolves with genetic defects.
NPS then proceeded to bring Canadian wolves to the island in 2019 despite objections from several corners. The first importation was unsuccessful as one wolf died in transit and at least two others left the island, crossing a Lake Superior ice bridge to the mainland. Keep in mind that “fears” that an ice bridge would never again from on Lake Superior due to a warming climate was one reason Isle Royale wolf supporters rolled out to convince the NPS to import wolves.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) requires that imported animals must enter the U.S. through one of several designated ports. USFWS Form 3-177 dated March 4, 2019, indicates that the Canadian wolves were not inspected, as is required for imported animals.
The reason for the inspection requirement is to prevent diseases from entering the U.S. Wolves are known to carry several diseases that are potentially lethal to dogs, foxes, cattle, big game, and humans. In 2014 it was reported in the Journal of Parasitology that wolves in southern Ontario were carriers of a deadly tapeworm, Echinoccocus multiocularis. The tapeworm, when transmitted to humans, can cause jaundice, abdominal pain, fatigue, and weight loss, requiring surgery or long-term chemotherapy. The absence of inspection of NPS’s imported wolves raises the issue of the potential for diseases to be transmitted to humans.
Upper Peninsula newspaper reporter Richard P. Smith in a Commentary that appeared in the May 4, 2018, issue of Wisconsin Outdoor News took NPS to task for claiming that wolves are necessary on the island to keep the moose population in check. Smith noted that wolves are not capable of killing enough moose to prevent the moose from eating themselves out of house and home. For example, in 1995 there were about 2,500 moose and more than 20 wolves on the island. Due to severe winters starting in 1995, the moose population decreased to about 500 by 1999 due to starvation. The wolves didn’t need to kill any moose; they had ample food from the carcasses of the dead moose.
Smith also stated that research shows that wolves are not capable of long term survival on the island. After wolves appeared on the island in the late 1940s, their numbers peaked at 50 in 1980. Forty years after that peak, only two genetically damaged wolves remained.
A much better solution to controlling the moose population would be to allow hunting. Several national parks have received permission from the U.S. Congress for controlled hunting of elk and other game animals. The opportunity for hunting moose in the lower 48 states is very restricted compared to other big game animals. Opportunities are greater in Canada and Alaska, but are very expensive. Allowing moose hunts on Isle Royale would provide NPS with additional revenue and provide hunters who have limited financial resources the opportunity for a moose hunt.
For the above reasons, as well as others that are too lengthy to list, the reintroduction of wolves to the island should be restricted and NPS should conduct a thorough environmental study of Isle Royale as has been done for Yellowstone National Park. The Yellowstone research shows that NPS policies have been detrimental to Yellowstone and need to be revised. One recommendation of the research is that Yellowstone allow hunting within the park. The Yellowstone research should serve as a template for NPS to carefully review its policies regarding Isle Royale.
Earl Stahl lives in Wisconsin’s Fox Valley region. Stahl holds a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University and retired as a professor from UW-Oshkosh in 1994. He is an avid hunter and angler, pursuing those interests in the lower 48 states as well as Alaska and Canada. His interest in wolves and their impact on livestock, big game, and people began with his appointment to Wolf Education International, an organization devoted to telling the truth about wolves.
