Over a three-year period, researchers radio-collared more than
100 fawns in wolf-free and wolf-abundant areas of Grand Teton
National Park and monitored their survival throughout the
summer. The results showed that only 10 percent of fawns
survived in areas lacking wolves, but where coyote densities
were higher. In areas where wolves were abundant, 34 percent of
pronghorn fawns survived. Wolves reduce coyote numbers by
killing them outright or by causing them to shift to safer areas
of the Park not utilized by wolves.So, in other words, this
study is a basic lesson in ecology. "This study shows just how
complex relationships between predators and their prey can be,"
said Berger. "It's an important reminder that we often don't
understand ecosystems nearly as well as we think we do, and that
our efforts to manipulate them can have unexpected
consequences." A bunch of conservation groups have filed a
notice of intent to sue over the gray wolf delisting rule,
saying it was based on some fuzzy math and not enough