Gray Wolf

(Canis lupus)

"The Gray Wolf is a predator that plays a vital role in the natural environment. Ravens, foxes, wolverines, vultures, bald eagles and evenbears feed on the remains of animals killed by wolves. Antelope are swift, elk are alert, and mountaingoats can climb steep cliffs because of the long term evolutionary effect of wolf predation. Wolves also help regulate the balance between hoofed animals and their food supply, making room for smaller plant-eaters such as beaver and small rodents. Historically, most Native Americans revered gray wolves and tried to emulate their cunning and hunting abilities. Within the continental United States, gray wolves once ranged from coast to coast and from Canada to Mexico.

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, wolf populations fell sharply due to human action. Early settlers moving westward severely depleted the bison, deer, elk and moose on which the wolves had fed. The wolves then turned to the settlers’ sheep and cattle. To protect their livestock, ranchers and government agencies began an all-out campaign to eliminate wolves. Wolves were trapped, shot from planes and snowmobiles, dug from their dens, and poisoned with strychnine-laced carrion that also indiscriminately killed many eagles, ravens, foxes, bears and other animals. By the time wolves were finally protected by the Endangered Species Act of 1973, they had been exterminated from the lower 48 states, except for a few hundred that inhabited extreme northeastern Minnesota. Under the Endangered Species Act, wolves were listed as “threatened” in Minnesota, and “endangered” throughout the rest of the United States.

Since 1973 the wolf has made a comeback, thanks to combination of scientific research, conservation and management programs, and education efforts. In June 1998 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it would review the species’ status and consider delisting or reclassifying specific wolf populations where appropriate. Wolf recovery efforts represent an opportunity to redress past mistakes and enhance our understanding of wolves’ role in the environment. If you would like to learn more about what you can do to assist in wolf recovery, please go to the US Fish & Wildlife Service web page at http://www.fws.gov/

Source: http://www.fws.gov/species/species_accounts/bio_gwol.html

American Black Bear

(Ursus americanus)

The American black bear inhabits wooded and mountainous areas throughout most of North America, from Alaska to Florida, Canada to Mexico. Black bears are opportunistic feeders, making use of just about any available food source. While they prefer berries, nuts, grass, and other plants, they also eat carrion, small animals, and fish.

The black bear’s primary predator is man. During the American colonial period and after, black bears were hunted almost to extinction on the East Coast. Many states paid bounties for bears, which encouraged indiscriminate killing of the animals. Black bear numbers were reduced by timber harvesting and burning, clearing land for crops and grazing, and other encroachments associated with an expanding civilization. Yet the highly intelligent black bear has adapted and survived. As small farms failed and people moved back to the cities, bear habitat slowly recovered and populations started to increase. The early establishment of national parks and national forests in the East helped save the black bear in that region. From the 1960’s on bear populations were better managed due to increased scientific understanding of their biology, behavior, and habitat requirements. Thanks to these factors, black bear populations have recovered significantly.

However, they are not out of danger. Two subspecies, the Louisiana black bear and the Florida black bear, still face decline due to habitat loss and degradation; the Louisiana Black Bear is listed as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Today, a major threat to the American black bear is widespread poaching to supply Asian markets with bear gall bladders and paws, considered to have medicinal value in China, Japan, and Korea. To reduce poaching of bears and other animals, more than 120 nations have signed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which provides measures to curb illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products across international boundaries. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the agency responsible for the U.S. government’s compliance with the CITES treaty. If you would like to learn more about what you can do to help save the black bear from extinction, please go to the US Fish & Wildlife Service web page at http://www.fws.gov/

Source: http://www.fws.gov/species/species_accounts/bio_bear.html

Bald Eagle

(Haliaeetus leucocephulus)

"The bald eagle is truly an all-American bird -- it is the only eagle unique to North America. It ranges over most of the continent, from the northern reaches of Alaska and Canada down to northern Mexico. Bald eagles have few natural enemies. But in general they need an environment of quiet isolation; tall, mature trees; and clean waters.

Wildlife experts believe there may have been 25,000 to as many as 75,000 nesting bald eagles in the lower 48 states when the bird was adopted as our national symbol in 1782. Since that time, the bald eagle has suffered from habitat destruction and degradation, illegal shooting, and contamination of its food source, most notably due to the pesticide DDT. Although primarily fish and carrion eaters, bald eagles and other raptors were seen as marauders that killed chickens, lambs, and other domestic livestock. As a consequence, large numbers were shot by farmers, ranchers, and others. The greatest threat to the bald eagle’s existence arose from the widespread use of DDT and other pesticides after World War II. By the early 1960s there were fewer then 450 bald eagle nesting pairs in the lower 48 states.

In 1940, noting that the national bird was “threatened with extinction,” Congress passed the Bald Eagle Protection Act which made it illegal to kill, harass, possess (without a permit), or sell bald eagles. In 1967, bald eagles were officially declared an endangered species (under a law that preceded the Endangered Species Act of 1973) in all areas of the United States south of the 40th parallel. Federal and state government agencies, along with private organizations, successfully sought to alert the public about the bald eagle’s plight and to protect its habitat from further destruction. DDT, which interfered with the bald eagle’s ability to develop strong shells for its eggs, was banned for most uses in the U.S. in 1972. As a result of these efforts, bald eagle populations have steadily increased. As of 1995 there were nearly 4,500 adult bald eagle nesting pairs and an unknown number of young and subadults in the conterminous U.S. In July 1995, the Fish and Wildlife Service announced that bald eagles in the lower 48 states have recovered to the point that those populations that were previously considered endangered are now considered threatened. While habitat loss still remains a threat to the bald eagle’s full recovery, most experts agree that its recovery to date is encouraging. Soon our national symbol soaring the skies may become a common sight for Americans to once again behold. If you would like to learn mare about what you can do to help save the bald eagle from extinction, please go to the US Fish & Wildlife Service web page at http://www.fws.gov/

Source: http://www.fws.gov/species/species_accounts/bio_eagl.html

African Elephant

(Loxodonta africana)

African elephants are the largest of all land animals. They are found throughout much of Africa, living both in bush habitat and in forest areas. Males stand an average of 10 feet tall at the shoulder and weigh as much as 12,000 pounds (6 tons). Females are a little shorter and weigh about 8,000 pounds (4 tons). Elephants are herbivores, or plant-eaters. Because of their large size and because as much as 60 percent of what they eat passes through without being digested, elephants spend about 16 hours a day foraging for nearly 350 pounds of food. In addition, they drink about 18 gallons of water each day.

While calves may fall prey to lions or hyenas, adult elephants have no natural predators except man. The two main threats to the elephant’s survival are poaching and habitat loss. Elephants are killed by poachers for their tusks – actually elongated incisors – which supply ivory for products ranging from from jewelry to piano keys. In 1978 African elephants numbered approximately 1.5 million; today there are about 600,000 African elephants remaining in the wild.

Several African countries have implemented elephant conservation programs, though limited resources as well as political instability often make effective, long-term elephant conservation programs difficult to implement there. Under the Endangered Species Act, the African elephant is listed as a threatened species This protection prohibits elephant parts and products from being imported into the United States except under certain conditions. Elephants are also protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an agreement among more than 120 nations to eliminate illegal trade in animals and plants. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the federal agency responsible for the U.S. government’s compliance with CITES treaty. The African Elephant Conservation Act of 1988 prohibits the import of raw or worked ivory into the U.S., with certain exceptions. It also set up a grant program to fund elephant conservation efforts. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also supports elephant conservation efforts in other countries through funding and technical assistance that includes resource management, research, and education. If you would like to learn more about what you can do to help save the African elephant from extinction, please go to the US Fish & Wildlife Service web page at http://www.fws.gov/

Source: US Fish & Wildlife Service: http://species.fws.gov/bioelep.html