Living with wolves

I am writing regarding the recent letter by Jim Busque on wolves [BDN, Dec. 16]. I take offense at his one-sided view. If anyone who read the letter is upset by Restore and The Maine Wolf Coalition’s movement, they should not be.

First of all, wolves have a right to be here. It wasn’t that they couldn’t adapt. It was that they were forced out. By us. Probably by hunters such as Busque. And it is not true that they are falsely considered endangered. In the past few years, there have been a little more thenr 50 wolves in all states but Minnesota and Alaska, if even that.

To the remark of bringing them in school and saying they are nice creatures, yet not showing children how they unmercifully slaughter a sheep or deer, I find it intolerable. Do you or would you go to a child, show them the steak you have packed for lunch, and explain every gory detail of the process of receiving meat?

And if anyone is afraid of their hunting going bad, they need not be. Wolves rarely hunt large game. And because of being shy by nature, they probably would not attack a human. Many wolves have been known to eat mice, and it has been preferred over large game. In fact, if they ever do kill a moose or deer, it is usually the sick or the old they kill, non of which would be of use to people.

Wolves hunt only for necessity. They will only hunt when needed. Unlike humans who hunt for sport, wolves do not kill deer whenever they feel like it, eager to have its head hanging in his den.

It would be wise to bring wolves to Maine. They would decrease the number of sick animals, preventing the spread of disease to other animals. And it is not true that Restore or The Maine Wolf Coalition is just out for money.

I urge people to support the restoration of wolves in Maine. Stephanie Schreiber Hermon Middle School

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the letter from Jim Busque on the subjects of wolves, the Endangered Species Act, and environmental organizations. Our organization was founded in 1994 to support wolf recovery in Maine through research, education, and protection.

With regard to Busque’s remarks, we simply state that The Maine Wolf Coalition operates on the principle that, regardless of whether one supports or opposes wolf recovery, it is of the utmost importance that the public be involved in the decision-making process and be kept informed in order that decisions that form public policy be based upon facts, not upon unfounded rumors, assumptions, innuendos, fears or political biases.

There is growing evidence that wolves are attempting to recolonize Maine as they are now doing in several states from Washington east to Michigan. It is illegal to kill or harass wolves in Maine and a spokesman for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has called the natural return of wolves to Maine “inevitable.” Using the wolf to promote one’s own agenda while tearing down others is counterproductive for the wolf and for Maine. Rather than bemoaning the inevitable, rather than using the wolf to incite fear and discontent, we should be educating ourselves and developing a positive, constructive dialogue in order that we might come to understand the importance of htis animal both to our ecosystem and to our economy. We must learn how to co-exist not only with the wolf, but more importantly, with each other. John M. Glowa Sr. President The Maine Wolf Coalition South China