The red wolf has caused more harm than good in its reintroduction.
It’s a love-hate relationship between the red wolf and the feds, as the later have enforced federal law against a number of Mexican wolves that have been brought to Eastern North Carolina. The critics say that the program made possible a “nonessential experimental population” of wolves which are dangerous and unlikely to survive.
Through the introduction of the Mexican Wolf Transparency and Accountability Act, Paul A. Gosar, U.S. Congressman, has put a halt to the release of red wolves in the eastern part of NC, giving a number of reasons why the program was flawed from the very beginning.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was the main orchestrator of the reintroduction of the wolves. Gosar has severely criticized this agency for attempting to “play God” with the red wolves, to the detriment of the locals’ children, livestock, ranches, and ultimately that of the wolves.
Gosar says that even the service has confessed by phone on January 15, this year, that no more than half of the Mexican wolves bred while in captivity actually survive. Those who do make it and are released, are subsequently confused and are therefore often cause incidents with children, or other residents.
The congressman then went on to introduce his bill by saying that several factors should’ve been considered when the program was initially drafted. The regulations of the program seem to have been implemented without any form of approval from Congress, something which overtly defies the Anti-Deficiency Act, Gosar stated. It was also illogical to release new Mexican wolves in North Carolina, the politician said, as the original habitat for the formerly-endangered species was in a totally different area, along the Mexican border.
Steve Pearce, another Representative joined the voice of his colleague by criticizing Washington for openly dictating policies for the recovery of certain species in areas that are too remote for the problems to be correctly assessed. Pearce said that these strategies should be left for the specific states to establish themselves. He then continued to condemn the actions of the Fish and Wildlife Service for not assuring funds for the security of the area were available.
The main effects of the bill, Gosar and Pearce concluded, were the delisting of the red wolf, the eliminating of the program for the reintroduction of the species, and providing protection for the local communities.
Studies have shown the Mexican wolf being the cause for the loss of $5M and 1,172 calves.
Image source: outerbanksvoice.com
