Wolves Of Yellowstone Are Back

Published November 1, 2017 at 11:00 AM EDT

In this April 6, 2016, file photo provided by the Yellowstone National Park Service, a white wolf walks in Yellowstone National Park, in Wyo. (Neal Herbert/Yellowstone National Park via AP)

The wolves of Yellowstone. They’re back. They’re still wolves. It’s complicated.

In 1995, wolves were reintroduced into the grand ecosystem of Yellowstone National Park. They knew immediately what to do there, amid the towering peaks and in the gorgeous valleys. Wolves reasserted themselves as top predators. They changed the wildlife mix. They changed the actual terrain. Among them, some stood out. Became famous. Beloved. And the wolves came with all the old issues. For hunters. For ranchers. This hour, On Point: the return of the wolves of Yellowstone. –Tom Ashbrook

Guests:

Nate Blakeslee, writer-at-large for Texas Monthly and author of “American Wolf: A True Story Of Survival And Obsession In The West.” (@Nate_Blakeslee)

Arthur Middleton, professor of Wildlife Ecology Management and Policy at the University of California Berkeley and National Geographic Society Fellow.

From Tom’s Reading List:

Excerpt of American Wolf: A True Story Of Survival And Obsession In The West