Letter: Wolves: nature's built-in cull
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: For an Alaskan, Kirk Sweetsir demonstrates a pretty abysmal appreciation of predator/prey relationships (letter, 31 May). He claims that reintroducing wolves into Yellowstone National Park will result in elk, deer and moose being 'substantially reduced'. While it is dangerous to generalise, wolves, like all pack predators, tend to prey on the old, sick and weak, thereby reducing competition for food among the healthy breeding stock. There is no benefit in a pack of wolves wasting energy chasing healthy animals.
In a stable wolf pack only the dominant male and female mate, thereby producing one litter of young with the 'best' genes. Predator populations adjust proportionately to those of their prey. In other words, if wolves 'substantially' depleted numbers of elk, deer and moose, then wolf numbers would similarly reduce until prey numbers revived.
I wish the project all success, if only to prove that nature's culling, although distressing, is normally more 'scientific' than man's blundering and often spuriously motivated slaughter.
Yours sincerely,
JOHN BRYANT
Wildlife Officer,
League Against
Cruel Sports
London, SE1
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments