page_title: Environmental issues in Wyoming
section_title: Eradication
hierarchical_section_title: Environmental issues in Wyoming / Wildlife / Gray wolves / Eradication
caption_attribution_description: Canis lupus Deutsch: Wolf English: Gray wolf. Français&#160;: Loup. Nederlands: Wolf Polski: Wilk szary (Canis lupus). Русский: Волк Türkçe: Kurt
context_page_description: The U.S. state of Wyoming faces a broad array of environmental issues stemming from environmental changes including species introduction, endangered species, global climate change, and natural resource extraction. These changes have led to varying ecological harm to the forests and natural species of wildlife that call Wyoming home. Within the state organizations and governments are working to combat these environmental threats and restore balance to the ecology.
context_section_description: In the 1800s, abundance of wild hoofed animals was reduced through hunting, grazing opportunities for domesticated livestock increased. In Montana from 1867 to 1890 cattle numbers rose from 67000 to 1.1 million and sheep from 300000 to 2.2 million. With the reduction of wild hoofed prey, wolves turned to cattle and sheep for prey. Predation of livestock became the primary rationale behind wolf elimination. Additionally, wolves had a negative view by the majority of the population during that time. Even Theodore Roosevelt, pioneer of conservation described the wolf as a “beast of waste and desolation.” Wolves were killed by hunting, trapping, snaring and poisoning. Bounties on wolf pelts were offered by state governments and livestock associations. In 1915 the U.S. Federal government established the Division of Rodent and Predator Control Which further augmented wolf eradication. This pursuit of wolves combined with habitat loss to drive wolves out of most areas across North America. Wyoming, Idaho, Montana and Yellowstone National Park had reached total wolf eradication by the 1930s.
caption: Gray Wolf.