Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Haley Reading Group: “The Island Wolves”

[The Best American Science and Nature Writing (2018)]

Kim Todd’s article “The Island Wolves” discusses the history of wolves and moose on Isle Royale National park. Scientists began to study the wolves' impact on the ecosystem on the island. They believed their research was free from human intervention. However, the research findings help reshape experts' understandings of wolves and human involvement in balancing ecosystems.

Todd states that the main lesson of Isle Royale is that “the future is unpredictable” because no management decision can predict how things will turn out (95). The study leads scientists to question their research methods and possible new methods as they search for balance on the island.

What aspect of the article most captured your interest?

39 comments:

Kayla Person said...

The part when the female wolf was attacked and fooled everyone in to thinking she was dead captured my interest. I just thought it was cool reading how smart animals are and how they interact.
-Kayla P.

Kaelyn Cupil said...

What peaked my interest the most was the fact that at first there were no wolves. Humans introduced the wolves as an experiment and it proved successful. The book describing their almost perfect integration into the ecosystem was interesting. Page 87 saying "(The Isle Royale was) a simple and instructive example of the balance between predator and prey." You usually hear of human interference destroying the ecosystems they dabble in immediately, but instead in the beginning this chapter made human interaction as the dose of medicine the Isle needed to become the picture example of a thriving circle of life.

Jaydyn Z. said...

What I found most interesting about this article was the tie from the wolf population to the human population. Throughout the article, there was a subtle commentary about how not only are there natural environmental factors that can affect a population, but there are also social factors that contribute. Kim Todd states, "An accident in a mine...we know these stories; we just don't think of them in terms of wolves." In our society, we often face similar problems the wolves do. At some points, humans can be their own undoing as history has shown. Perhaps, we should focus more on the social factors to predict a model, rather than environmental factors.

Terence Jones said...

I enjoy reading articles that report about nature. The Yellowstone project of introducing wolves into the environment is amazing to me. To think that one animal can change the ecosystem of such a large area. I also agree with the fact that humans do contribute a lot to the low numbers of some species. Such as the idea that we decide if there are to few or to many of a certain animal. As well as the idea that most animals that are considered prey have a lot of offspring and that predators have low numbers, described by Greek historian, Herodotus. Another thing that peaked my interest was that the moose had a negative impact on the area since they would eat the trees causing them to decay or fall. I would love to see a before and after images of these parks to see how much a landscape can be altered by environmental causes. -Terence Jones.

Unknown said...

I thought it was very interesting how 1 infected dog on the island caused such an effect on the wolves and the moose. Since the moose were already at a low population, the infected wolf caused starvation and death to come among them that was very detrimental. The food chain and how animals interact in their environment is very interesting. Layden Dukes

Arielle Stallworth said...

The part that caught my attention was in the beginning where the author speaks of the fact that there was just caribou on the island until hunters and trappers cleared them out. That piece stuck with me throughout the duration of the reading seeing as the main topic of the reading was concerning survival and reproduction. I am big on animal cruelty and as explained throughout the article animals have their own battles to fight as far as surviving (I.e. other animals, viruses, etc.) so for people to be out hunting is not doing anything but killing animals that most of the time they do not even eat and taking from their already declining populations pushing them closer and closer to extinction than they already are.

Anonymous said...

I think it is interesting how smart animals are and all the things they are capable of doing. Although humans may not know what they are doing in their lives, animals know exactly what they are doing everyday to accomplish the things they need to do. I also found it interesting that one infected animal could cause such a big effect on the other animals around them that are in the same area. Humans should have to leave animals alone, animals have their own things they have to focus on. Humans shouldn't be able to mess with the lives of animals just for fun and out of humans own interest. -Mikayla Kinnard

William Akpan said...

One of the things that interested me the most about this passage was the fact that such a place even existed. On page 85, it is described as "the perfect natural lab: a closed system with one dominant predator...". It was also interesting to see the defense mechanisms that these animals use to keep alive. The female wolf who played dead in order to stay alive after being attacked made me think about how these animals can successfully adapt to the challenges that come their way.
-William A

Keaira C. said...

Personally, the most captivating part of this article was Peterson and Allen’s motivation and determined outlook on figuring out the dynamics of the wolf pack population. Peterson said to Allen, “You’re in the 12th year of a 10 year study. What are you going to do?”, and Allen said, “Just watch, something will happen.”. Peterson was very determined and dedicated to finding out more information on the changes in the wolf pack population, tracking their pack movements and analyzing the behaviors of the wolves and moose populations. But I takeaway there were definitely moments of doubt and insecurity regarding the predictions and knowledge that was already found and collected, by Peterson and Allen yet, they made sure to follow the collected research and predictions made within the study.
They found that the wolf pack populations and dynamics were gradually changing over time, and didn’t do as they predicted. The study being so long term caused them to feel that they may not have had any real purpose of being committed to getting more knowledge for it, but this goes to show that sometimes we may feel moments of doubt and being mislead, but those moments can lead us to find out the information that we needed to finish that educational journey. What they realized may have not been the findings that they wanted, but they were given evidence showcasing changes that they didn’t expect, which allows them to get comfortable with the idea of unpredictability.

Unknown said...

The placement of our ability as humans to casually affect the ecosystem for better or for worse is not often seen as something extraordinary. By hunting with out regard for numbers,caribou dwindled out from the area. Humans introduced wolves to the area and that had positive effects that caused the island ecosystem to improve. As a mammal species that has the ability to pride it's self to a higher standard and to think in ways that we understand as intellectual; this insight shows both sides of the spectrum that human interest had on this area.
Andrew H.

Brooke H said...

The part that interested me the most was the beginning part about the Detroit zoo wolves. I think the interaction of why that started is beyond evidence of how humans always have this power that can harm ecosystems. With this it also shows constant human dissatisfaction. The original mission was to see if there were wolf pups and when that didn't go according to plan, they ended up simulating beginning wolf populations through these zoo wolves. Sort of understandable for the reason of a scientific experiment. But it just turns dark because these wolves from the zoo had been taken out of the controlled environment to only be put into possible danger for human satisfaction. Even after trying to go back to a controlled environment they had been used to, they then end up being killed for trying to simulate how they were used to living. These wolves weren't even killed because they were hurting anyone, but only because they couldn't satisfy the criteria of those creating the experiment.

Chaianna Curry said...

The part that caught my attention was towards the middle on page 89. There it is quoted, " For timid animals which are a prey to others are all made to produce young abundantly, that so the species may not be entirely eaten up and lost; while savage and noxious creatures are made very unfruitful." I found this part of the reading to be very interesting because it is a unique way to explain the circle of life and how different wildlife manage to sustain their species while going through it. The idea of prey reproducing more than predators makes a lot of sense when you consider animals like rabbits, who can birth up to 14 babies in 1 litter, while their predators can only do much less. And although it seems unfair that predators get to kill those smaller than them, it is logical that that is their only option to keep their different species'dominant.
-Chaianna Curry

Anonymous said...

The thing that stuck with me is that what scientists thought they knew about the island was completely changed by the end. Often times most people do not give things a second glance because they feel that they have already gotten the best possible answer. This article shows that even the smartest people in their field can have their views changed by a second look and I wish more people would take to the idea of looking past information because it was first and checking again for themselves.
Chris W.

Evan Senat said...

What is most interesting to me is that the moose population is not weakened, but is in fact thriving because of the wolves’ presence. By their weak, either very young, old, or sickly, being preyed on by the wolf population, the moose population does not increase excessively and their source of food (vegetation) does not deplete. What was also intriguing was the brutal lives that wolves lived while in competition with one another. The story of Ferocious Warrior and Prince Charming was a sad one.

Charlie Brown said...

What interested me the most about this article is how much of an effect we can have on an entire ecosystem. Once the wild moose were found to be on Isle Royale and the study began, the scientists noticed that as the population of the prey rose, so did the population of the predators. As the prey population declined, so did the predator population. When the sick dog from Chicago was brought in on a private boat, none of the wolf pups survived. Moose had eaten most of their resources and had starved, causing many wolves to also starve. This lead to the surviving wolves to go to extreme measures just to live.

Torian henry said...

The aspect of this reading that captured my interested was how well the author made different and unique connections. I did not think those similarities between the wolf and human species existed. This reading also included all aspects of the ecosystem, environment, and how different factors can affect them in positive and negative manners.

Torian Henry

Nia M. said...

Nia M.said...
I found this passage very interesting on multiple levels. One of those being the fact at how much we affect the environment around us without even noticing. I mention this because as humans we tend to be curious of the many other animals and fail to see if we're causing any harm to such creatures while observing and collecting data. However, this one experiment helped out the population of wolves for the better and the land the inhabited. I also enjoyed how as they we're explaining differences and similarities between our population as humans and that of wolves. This really forced the idea of many variables that not only affect one group of animals, but all. This passage helps you realize that not everything newly introduced is a bad thing.
-Nia M.

Anonymous said...

I was captivated by the mentioning of the transformation wolves had on Yellowstone. It is fascinating how one event could have such a huge ripple effect. Adding wolves completely reshaped Yellowstone's ecosystem.
Jacqueline S.

Tyler Bean-Catencamp said...

The part of the article that captured my interest the most would be the sentences "The map of wolf territories shifted. They fought over borders. They staged coups. Fortunes rose and fell. Packs gathered strength, then disappeared." (92). This is fascinating because it mirrors human civilization to the tee. Human history is full of the exact same thing happening. Take the history of any country and you will see territorial changes, rises and falls in power, and revolution. It shows that these things are universal and run across even different species.

-Tyler B.C.

Ta'mya Cummings said...

One thing that I found interesting in this chapter is how the one dog that carried a parvovirus that killed many of the moose causing the wolves to starve. On page 86 it states " Hungry survivors gnawed the hide of a moose that had been dead for a full year." It is very intriguing how one virus could cause such an impact on the population of wolves and moose. Reading this part of the passage made me think of the human world and how one human who unknowingly has a virus could spread it and potentially cause a shift in human population. Some examples are Ebola, the Black Death, and even the Corona-virus.

Jalen White said...

I thought the most interesting part of the article was when the author discussed how the island experienced strange population fluctuations. They went on to describe various trends over the years, such as inbreeding and a tourist bringing and sick dog to the island, and described how things could drastically change due to those actions. I just found it interesting how small events in time could alter history forever. It reminds me heavily of the butterfly effect theory.

Jalen W.

Kevin P said...

The parts of the reading I found to be interesting where the parts about territory because it highlights the intellect of the wolves and other animals in general that they are not given credit for. Theses animals not only have senses exceeding anything man is capable of but they also have a sense of geography and a complex system of ownership and boundaries in the land they live.

Sydney Blocker said...

The most interesting thing about this passage was the fact that one dog was a major force in the survival rate of the wolf population. This also showed how dependent the wolves were on only one found source to survive. It brings light to the fact that it is important to be resourceful because you never know what could happen.

Noah Jones said...

The most interesting part to me was the wolf being sick and how that affected all of the other animals in the ecosystem so much. This just reinforces how connected animals are and just how much small changes can affect things. This really makes me think about our human impact on animals, and how even the little things we do could greatly affect so many ecosystems.

-Noah Jones

Alleson H. said...

The most interesting thing I read would be on page 89..90 where it talks about how animals who are normally preyed on provide more for our community, unlike the animals who are predators. The predators often end up eating the prey but the prey would have left behide an abundance of things for example off spring. This whole idea was interesting to me because you don’t often think about the fact that animal prey are being preyed on but will die with a greater legacy so to speak unlike the predator. This can be an example for real world analysis as well the kind people often leave behide many treasures that will benefit others unlike the unkind people in our world.

I'Lysa Walker said...

What intrigued me most was the fact that, when initially introduced, wolves from the zoo did not know how to behave; therefore, rather than preying on the moose they gnawed on fishing nets and "raided laundry lines". This proves that when zoo animals are released from captivity they do not know how to conduct themselves within their natural habitats. I also found it really interesting that it was believed that the Isle Royal National Park was the "perfect natural lab"; however, DNA tests revealed that Isle Royal was not an isolated lab that could be considered "defined by solitude" after all.

Kailey Blanton said...

After reading this article, I really started to think about just how much of an effect we can have on an ecosystem. It almost makes me wonder if we are in a way "playing God". We decided to help wolves thrive in yellowstone, and although we may not have directly added them, we formed a beneficial society in which they could thrive. This lead me to think about in what kind of cases have we done this in the past? We have allowed anacondas to enter Florida, and even introduced the flying fish into different aquatic ecosystems. We may not realize it but daily we are allowing ourselves to shift ecosystems to allow for species that would not usually thrive there, to live there. Is this helping our ecosystem? Or in the long run are we making it worse. --Kailey Blanton

Kendall Dow said...

I find it very intriguing how functional and sophisticated animals are and all the things they are capable of doing. Animals know exactly what is happening and know how to accomplish tasks that's needed like feed their . I also found it interesting that a diseased animal could cause such a big effect on the other animals around them that are in the same area. Humans should leave animals alone, animals have other issues that they need to work on. For us to cause them more problems is wrong Humans shouldn't be able to interfere with the lives of animals for personal benefits
Kendall Dow

Christopher j Yancey said...

There were many interesting things that have happened in this study, in fact i wish i could have more details. The entry i liked the most was the survival story of Ferocious Warrior/Cinderella, who was brought to the brink of death by an entire pack seemingly trying to kill her, who basically became a member of the same pack as their own. though i would have liked better details on why she was allowed to live after the pack did so much too her. But her story shows that flourishing packs were willing to take on outsiders which can explain sudden rises in populations. But i really cant believe the study started with zero wolves on the island, update to there being 3 huge packs, just to be brought back to less than 5 out of nowhere in a hole of information, probably because of one sick dog that got on the island 20 years prior that started a slippery slope to the population at that time. but since then so much time has passed and i hope the ecosystem of Isle Royale is "balanced" again.

Deja Lane said...

What caught my attention was how there were no wolves at the beginning, and there were none at the end. This just shows how wolves aren't meant to be in that area. It also shows how nature will eventually balance out to how it's supposed to be without any human interference.
- Deja Lane

Anonymous said...

The most interesting part of the passage to me was the effect that the wolves caused on Yellowstone. I have always been fascinated by the ecosystem in Yellowstone. So to me it was very interesting to see how one species changed an entire ecosystem. This part of the reading makes me want to research more about the Yellowstone ecosystem. William S

Anonymous said...

I thought the situation of Lee Smits asking the Detroit Zoo to give him wolves for Isle Royale National Park was interesting. Three of the four wolves were shot and killed by people in the area, because they were a nuisance. I thought this was counteractive to their experiment of the predator-prey relationship. I also thought it was animal cruelty.

-Carah F.

Abdul Nelson said...

The most interesting part of this passage was how humans have so much power in the world and how we can do anything as the dominant specie. In the article it talked about Lee Smits taking wolves from the zoo and just dumping them on this island so they can seek refuge. Humans have a tendency to disrupt how animals live, for example us putting them in zoos. Sometimes i feel like humans shouldn't be so controlling of animals but however we are the dominant specie.

Quanicia Rudd said...

The thing that interested me the most was when Peterson said that every five years the wolf population on Isle Royale drastically changes. They don't know the reason why and can't even predict a reason because the dynamics are driven by external events. This makes me even more interested in the study and eager to find out why these numbers are changing so drastically so often.
Quanicia R.

Bria B said...

What was interesting to me within this chapter was the impact wolves had on ecosystems and even today how they play an interesting role and how their roles can alter their habitat. This had me realize that everything has a purpose in life, big or small, and even animals have an impact on how we live and how living things survive and operate in different areas. So when a few wolves were killed within the book by people that were in the area because of a minor reason, it made me wonder as to why they would be so cruel when dogs are technically domesticated versions of wolves within the process of evolution. They are suppose to be man's best friend, even though they were wild animals they are to be given a life to because everything has a purpose and a domino effect when unnatural factors attempt to alter nature, such as the result of global warming. I also found it interesting how Isle Royal National Park was labeled the perfect nature lab, but what considered it perfect? This entire chapter was very interesting because of the many naturalistic examples that was used and even about the wolves, which brought many connections and questions about nature, science, and history itself especially between animals and humans, including natures relationship with them both.

Peyton W said...

What I found interesting is that a wolf affected an entire ecosystem by itself just by being sick. I think this should be a clear lesson for people who try to disturb any ecosystem since this shows how a singular problem can spiral into a huge one. I think this story should be more widely broadcasted so people can understand the dangers of tampering with ecosystems.

William Shanklin said...


The most interesting part of the passage to me was the effect that the wolves caused on Yellowstone. I have always been fascinated by the ecosystem in Yellowstone. So to me it was very interesting to see how one species changed an entire ecosystem. This part of the reading makes me want to research more about the Yellowstone ecosystem.
-William Shanklin

Alexis R. Austin said...

I posted mine via phone before, apologies.

What I found interesting was the statement about how the wolves only really eat the ones that are old, sick, etc. Its an example of only the strong survive in this world, and if you aren't strong enough or fast enough to escape the struggles of everyday life you won't survive to see the next day because there is always something to you have to overcome everyday.

Laurel White said...

the part that I found interesting was when they described the relationship between wolves and moose and also the human wolf relationship. Sometimes, we tend to overlook how intelligent animals can be, and the things they have to do to survive. -laurel white