Media Archives - Videos on the Nature of Wolves

While some critics feel this video goes too far in overstating the effects of wolves back on the landscape, it cannot be disputed that wolves are having a positive effect on the landscape in Yellowstone National Park.  It is very hard to test all of the influences on the ecosystem which are complicated and many (e.g. weather, other predators, human pressure, etc) so wolves are certainly one part of the equation. However, with their ability to discern illness and injuries in elk and deer herds, with their constant culling of these animals from herds that keeps the herds more dispersed and on the move, the influential role played by wolves has led, in part, to regeneration of plants, enhanced wildlife habitat and smaller herd sizes.  That wolves are an essential species that play an important role in nature cannot be disputed.

---

Lords of Nature is one of the best documentaries on the important role of predators in nature.  This 7 minute film clip examines the success of the Wood River Wolf Project in Idaho that has for 12 years demonstrated nonlethal tools and methods to protect sheep from neighboring wolf packs.  This project is the focus of a Journal of Mammalogy Study released in 2017 by Oxford Press through the National Wildlife Research Center.