Alaska's wolf control program does more than worry me. It scares me to think that our government and the people of this great "Last Frontier" seem to think it's OK to "control" (as exterminate would be too harsh, right?) the wolves who get blamed for low numbers of moose/caribou and for problems man has created. Animals and nature have the predator/prey system fine-tuned. The problem is man's need to "manage."
Where are numbers for animals killed by poachers, people who are bored, people who think "they're just animals," or animals killed by trains, cars, weather, sickness, old age, etc.? Fish & Game does not have the manpower or money to come up with figures that will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that wolves and wolves alone are responsible for decline in moose and caribou in certain areas.
For those interested in the consequences of actions such as this program, read "Wolf Totem" by Jiang Rong. Don't make the same mistake!
Lastly, there are more important areas, like homes, education, health, homeless folks, that the state can spend money on, especially in these uncertain times. If we are truly the Last Frontier, then do away with programs like wolf killing. It shows no respect and further diminishes our image to people of other states and countries.
-- Jan King
Anchorage |
