Grey Wolf No Longer Protected by US Law

The grey wolf has been removed from the list of endangered species in 5 states.

The budget bill signed by President Barack Obama on Friday, April 15^th, had an attachment that stated the removal of the grey wolf from the endangered species list. Thus, the grey wolf (Canis lupus) is now the first species to be taken off the list by the US Congress. This means that licensed hunters will be allowed to track and kill the animals.

The measure will be implemented in 5 states, including Montana and Idaho, where the grey wolf population has grown significantly over the last few decades.

The move is met with loud protest from environmentalists. They argue that biologists, and not politicians, are the ones to decide whether a species should be on the endangered list or not. Animals have been removed from the list in the past, once their numbers were safe, but never by a decision of the Congress. Many fear that this measure will create a precedent.

On the opposite side of the argument, hunters and farmers claim that the wolves are a danger to local wildlife, elks and deer in particular, as well as livestock. Also, supporters of the measure state that grey wolves have reached such numbers that it's safe to take them off the endangered species list. Opponents, on the contrary, fear that the grey wolf, no longer under the protection of the law, will again be brought to extinction in the region, as a consequence of hunting.

When the provision comes into effect, the 5 Western states will be able to take the measures they consider necessary to keep the number of grey wolves under control. These measures will include organising controlled hunts to reduce the number of wolves. 

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