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In 1872, when 2,221,766 mostly Wyoming acres became the country's first national park, Yellowstone National Park, Northern Rocky Mountain wolves, a kind of gray wolf (Canis lupus), roamed there. But by the 1970s, its entire wolf population had been killed off. In fact, the only wolves left in all of the lower 48 states then were found in northern Minnesota and Michigan. As a result, they were given endangered status.In 1987, the National Park Service began an experimental program to reintroduce wolves in several areas including Yellowstone National Park. The goal was to be able to remove them from the endangered list. Officials also believed their return would help keep the park's ecosystem in balance.
In the 90s, Congress supported their continuing reintroduction and the results have been dramatic: plants and animals that were wiped out when the wolves were absent have returned and are now flourishing. The return of wolves to Yellowstone is the subject of a program with naturalist Chris Evers at Stamford Museum and Nature Center. His special guest at the event is Atka, a wolf ambassador from The Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, New York. The non-profit organization teaches about wolves, their relationship to the environment and how they help stabilize it and how humans can help protect them. Stamford Museum's "Yellowstone & Wolves" takes place October 30, from 4-5:30 p.m. Registration is required and can be made by calling (203) 977-6521. The cost is $8 per person. For more information, visit the Museum's website.
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