These are the sounds of wolves howling.

“Wolves use their distinctive howl to communicate. Biologists have identified a few of the reasons that wolves howl. First, they like to howl. They also howl to reinforce social bonds within the pack, to announce the beginning or end of a hunt, sound an alarm, locate members of the pack, or warn other wolves to stay out of their territory. Wolves howl more frequently in the evening and early morning, especially during winter breeding and pup-rearing”

Thanks to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service we are able to immerse ourselves into a ritual of wolves howling, and find ourselves staring face to face with a picture of a grey wolf.

Possibly if it were not for the protection of the Western Great Lakes Grey Wolves under the endangered species act sounds like this would be even harder to obtain.

But thanks to the protection of the Western Great Lakes Grey Wolves under the act the wolves are now increasing in numbers.

“Wolf recovery has been so successful that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has removed the gray wolf in the western Great Lakes area from the threatened and endangered species list. Today about 2,922 wolves live in the wild in Minnesota, 23 on Lake Superior’s Isle Royale, about 520 in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and at least 537 in Wisconsin…March 2009“

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is committed to the protection and ensuring that wild animals such as the grey wolves are protected when they think it is necessary, but there are always other opinions out there. The battle between good and evil continues, should the grey wolves be removed from the endangered list or should they remain on the list even though the numbers are increasing? Who is doing the better thing for the wolves? Public input has overturned the previous decision to take the wolves off of the endangered list.

“Upon acceptance of this agreement by the court, and while the Service gathers additional public comment, gray wolves in the Western Great Lakes area will again be protected under the Endangered Species Act. All restrictions and requirements in place under the Act prior to the delisting will be reinstated. In Minnesota, gray wolves will be considered threatened; elsewhere in the region, gray wolves will be designated as endangered. The Service will continue to work with states and tribes to address wolf management issues while Western Great Lakes gray wolves remain under the protection of the Act… June 2009“

Grey wolf. Photo credit: Gary Kramer/USFWS

Grey wolf

Gray wolf
(Canis lupus)