Are Wolves Endangered?
The incredible comeback of the gray wolf in the Northern Rockies signaled the resolve of a society strong enough to embrace a world ensured not just for us, but for all species. Today, the future of wolves remains under threat — from hostile state management plans to anti-wildlife politicians. The Trump administration has proposed removing protections for wolves across the entire contiguous United States. Earthjustice enforces the rule of law to preserve our irreplaceable wildlife and wild places. And we hold accountable those who harm them.
The Fight For Wolves
Earthjustice advocates on behalf of wolf populations throughout the country alongside our partners and clients. Our current legal and policy work:
Idaho
A wolf-killing program in protected wilderness attempted to artificially manipulate wildlife populations to benefit hunters.
Legal Case
Southwest
A sub-species of the gray wolf known as the lobo is one of the most endangered mammals in North America.
Legal Cases Explainer
Washington, D.C.
Some of the toughest fights for wolves lie in Congress. Politicians are attempting to sidestep the Endangered Species Act and remove protections from wolves through legislative edict.
Learn MoreWhy Wolves Are Important
One of our country's greatest Endangered Species Act success stories, the return of wolves has restored a vital balance to the health of the ecosystems they once again inhabit.
The Fable of the Wolf
An award-winning film on the history of the relationship between wolves and humans and the effect on the natural world.
About The FilmYellowstone Wolves Keep Balance
The extermination of wolves from Yellowstone National Park in the 1920s triggered an ecosystem collapse known as a trophic cascade. The impact of the wolf’s return was dramatic.
See What Happened
The Lives Of Wolves
The stories of individual wolves, chronicled by wolf watchers and biologists, provide fascinating glimpses into a complex and highly social species.
Lobo Wolf’s Lament
Will Rosa, Trumpet, and their fellow lobos have a future where they can once again roam free across the American Southwest?
The Story of Rosa & Trumpet
‘Spitfire’
During the summer months of 2015, she led Yellowstone's Lamar Canyon Pack in a gripping saga of strategy, strength—and hope.
The Story of Wolf 926
‘Journey’
Born in northeastern Oregon, he struck out on his own on an epic trek that would bring him to California—the state's first wild wolf seen in nearly a century.
The Story of OR7
‘Limpy’
Known for his distinctive three-legged gait, “he was a hell of a wolf,” recalled one veteran wolf-watcher. And on March 28, 2008, he was shot dead.
The Story of Wolf 253
Artists Who Love Wolves
Earthjustice partnered with the Creative Action Network to create a body of work in honor of the embattled gray wolf and to debunk negative stereotypes of the icon of the wild.
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“My design was based on my own reaction to several encounters with wild wolves. In each case, I was struck by how much a part of the landscape they were, how they were just one of many indispensable aspects of the ecosystem. If you watch their behavior close enough, you get a sense that nature is rarely wasteful. I think there is a lesson in that.” Artist interview
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“I invoked the old fairy tale of Red Riding Hood and gave her a distinctly different attitude toward the big baddie. A valentine for the good work of Earthjustice and its efforts in preserving the gray wolf.”
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“I wanted to make a howling wolf in a setting with mountains, a full moon and a forest. I make pop-surrealism, so the mountains look a bit like melting popsicles, and the wolf doesn't look scary at all. A friend commented that it looks like the cover of the movie Jaws, but that wasn't my original intention.”
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“There´s something about wild things that really attracts me. They have amazing instincts. Wolves are wild creatures with a heightened sense of society and team work, they care about their pack like big families. That’s really impressive.” Artist interview
“Hay algo de las creaturas salvajes que realmente atrae: su increible instinto. Los lobos son seres con un gran sentido de la vida en sociedad y el trabajo en equipo, su manada funciona como una gran familia, eso es muy impresionante.” Entrevista con la artista
About The Endangered Species Act
Since its creation, the visionary law has served as one of the world’s strongest, most effective wildlife protection laws. One of the first species to protected under the law was the gray wolf.
The Basics
What is the Endangered Species Act? Was it really bipartisan? Has it worked? You’ve got questions. We’ve got answers.
What You Need To KnowAttacks on the Law
Seven underhanded ways politicians in Congress are attempting to dismantle the Endangered Species Act.
See the Political AnimalsThe Protectors
Wolves and their fellow species need a good lawyer. And, so does the Endangered Species Act itself.
Read The Feature
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