Informant38

a centuries-old balance
When it comes to aspen and willows, changes in elk behavior seem to have much more effect than changes in the elk population. The National Park Service has tried several times to help plant species by killing elk, with little impact. In the mid-1960s, the Park Service tried killing elk hoping that would restore aspen growth. But it "didn't have any effect on the aspen," according to John Good, a now-retired Park Service employee who participated in the elk hunts.
Instead of simply killing them, the wolves -- who hunt year-round and at night -- keep the elk on their hooves all the time. According to Carl Swoboda, director of Safari Yellowstone, "The elk used to be relaxed. They'd go up to everyone and shake their hands and say `welcome to Yellowstone.' They even said that to the first wolves."
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Currently, about 250 wolves live in Yellowstone and the surrounding area, a number unlikely to increase since wolves tend to kill each other off at higher population densities.
�Nicholas Thompson/Boston Globe 09.30.03