Wolves in Yellowstone

Here's a fabulous video on the ecological impact of returning wolves to Yellowstone after an absence of nearly 70 years.

If you want to read more about the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone, check out one of these titles.

When the Wolves Returned: Restoring Nature's Balance in Yellowstone, written by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent with photographs by Dan and Cassie Hartman, provides a historical account of the changes to the Yellowstone ecosystem by both the loss and reintroduction of the wolves. The gorgeous photographs of the Hartmans are accompanied by black and white images from the National Park Service. The text is written on two levels, with short, simple sentences on the left page, with paragraphs of more detailed information on the right page. At the end of the text, an illustrated page entitled "The Wolf Effect" looks at the connections among plants and animals in the Yellowstone ecosystem. Also included are an index , list of resources for kids, and a photo quiz.

The Wolves are Back, written by Jean Craighead George and illustrated by Wendell Minor, shows the restoration of the Yellowstone ecosystem through the eyes of a wolf pup. It begins with the pup looking over the landscape, then taking in a meal in which other animals also share the food. The next page reads:

Where had they been?

Shot. Every one.

Many years ago the directors of the national parks decided that only the gentle animals should grace the beautiful wilderness. Rangers, hunters, and ranchers were told to shoot every wolf they saw. They did. By 1926, there were no more wolves in the forty-eight states. No voices howled. The thrilling chorus of the wilderness was silenced.

The wolves were gone.

What follows is a look at how the reintroduction of the wolves brought positive changes back to the ecosystem. Near the end, the wolf pup grows up and heads south where he meets a mate from another pack. Minor's illustrations are exquisite and show the beauty of the landscape and its inhabitants.