Last year, I adopted a wolf named Loci. He lived in a faraway land called the Wolf Sanctuary of Pennsylvania. Loci passed away on April 26, 2024, after many years of living a happy life at the Sanctuary. I met Loci during a visit to the Sanctuary and meeting him instilled in me a desire to help conserve wolves.
Recently, I learned about Eastern wolves, a wolf species in crisis due to several threats. Less than 500 Eastern wolves remain in the wild worldwide, and many are found in Canada. Canada has even passed laws to protect them, like the Ontario Endangered Species Act. Even with that act, they are so rare that glimpses of them are a stroke of luck. There are many reasons why Eastern wolves are becoming endangered. Many are threatened by hunters and traps that kill them. The loss of habitat and the development of homes also impact Eastern wolves. Some wolves are poisoned by people who fear them and do not understand their behavior. Every year, we lose more and more wolves, and this is becoming a crisis.
People should care about this crisis because eventually, the loss of wolves will impact them. Wolves are essential in balancing the habitat that we live in. If the wolves keep disappearing, their habitat will be unbalanced, and it could affect our food chain. For example, Eastern wolves are predators that eat animals like squirrels, which eat plants and nuts. If there were no Eastern wolves to eat squirrels, then the squirrels would eat all the plants that we humans need to eat. Imagine not having access to plants to eat! As apex predators, wolves regulate prey populations, prevent overgrazing, and shape the structure of ecosystems.
We can make a difference, just as I did by adopting Loci. If we help people who are protecting wolves, they can help us keep a balance in our habitat. By donating to conservation wolf centers, like the Wolf Conservation Center in New York, that protect Eastern Wolves or to the World Wildlife Fund, we can play a part in ensuring the survival of these magnificent creatures.
