- Animals
- Hostile Planet
Is the gray wolf still endangered? Depends who you ask.
The government says wolves are thriving in the lower 48, but some scientists say they still face threats from hunting and habitat fragmentation.
After four decades of intense conservation efforts, it’s finally time to take the gray wolf off the Endangered Species List, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced.
“The facts are clear and indisputable—the gray wolf no longer meets the definition of a threatened or endangered species,” David Bernhardt, acting secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, said in an emailed statement.
“Today the wolf is thriving on its vast range, and it is reasonable to conclude it will continue to do so in the future.”
Not so fast, say several scientists.
For one, that definition is up for debate. According to the Endangered Species Act, a plant or animal can be considered endangered when it’s no longer in
