Should we allow wolves to resettle in Vermont?
      
A WebQuest for Educators in Vermont to Learn about WebQuests.



 
by Joyce L. Morris,
Research Assistant Professor
The University of Vermont

Technology and Inquiry-based Learning

e-mail:Joyce.Morris@uvm.edu

Please feel free to adapt this to your students' needs or to make suggestions.


Introduction
     Wolves and humans have had a long and turbulent history. Wolves once could be found from Maine to Southern Mexico but were hunted and killed to near extinction because of the fear that they are dangerous animals.    Many fables and children's stories have depicted the wolf as an animal to be feared with its glowing eyes and sharp teeth. Little Red Writing Hood's grandmother was eaten by a wolf, The Three Little Pigs fear the Big Bad Wolf and An American Werewolf in London  turns two young college graduates into fearful creatures of the night. 

This image of the wolf permeates may cultures. Is there some truth to this?  As forest land continued to be depleted in the 1900's, there was an increase in contact between wolves and humans.  In 1974, there were so few wolves left in North America that they were placed on the endangered list and it became illegal to kill a wolf.

Since then their populations have increased significantly and feral wolves are currently living in some states in the U.S. and Canada, including Quebec although The Province of Quebec allows the hunting and trapping of wolves south to the Maine border for more than five months of each year.

Historically, Vermont has had bounty hunts for bear, wolves, mountain lions and, up until the 1950s, even for porcupines. But some naturalists are trying to resettle wolves in northern New England and the Adirondacks where wolves were once abundant.  Since wolves are already in Quebec, it is only a matter of time before they start to resettle themselves in Vermont and we see increases in their population. What should we do about it?
This is a  problem  that generates emotional, cultural and political issues.  What should we do about it? 

  • Wolves eat many kinds of animals from mice to moose, sheep, deer, cattle and sometimes pet dogs. Do they eat humans too?
  • Should they be allowed to repopulate Vermont without any controls in place? If there are controls, what should they be? 
  • How will this effect dairy farmers and our rich deer population?
  • Will it become dangerous to walk in rural areas in the evening? Will the wolves remain in rural Vermont or relocate themselves near our towns and cities?
  • Will our pets be attacked?
  • Will this spread rabies?
  • How will the "balance of nature" be effected?
This is a complex issue and currently one of debate within Vermont. Listen to the VPR podcast from a  Switchboard discussion about wolves in Vermont to get a sense of two different points of view.

Introduction   ||  Task  ||  Process  ||  Resources  ||  Evaluation  ||  Conclusion  ||  Credits   || Teacher's Page

Last updated on October 9, 2006.