Three little pigs dance in a circle singing "Who's afraid of the big, bad
wolf?"
What feelings does the writer create by using these examples? pro-wolf or anti-wolf? | Little Red Riding Hood barely escapes the cunning advances of the ravenous
wolf disguised as her grandmother.
Movie audiences shriek as a gentle young man is transformed before their
eyes into a blood-thirsty werewolf, a symbol for centuries of the essence
of evil.
Such myths and legends have portrayed the wolf as a threat to human existence.
Feared as cold-blooded killers, they were hated and persecuted. Wolves
were not merely shot and killed; they were tortured as well. In what was
believed to be a battle between good and evil, wolves were poisoned, drawn
and quartered, doused with gasoline and set on fire, and, in some cases,
left with their mouths wired shut to starve (Begley 53). Why does the writer use "U.S. citizens instead of "hunters" or "ranchers" here? | Convinced that
they were a problem to be solved, U.S. citizens gradually eradicated gray
wolves from the lower 48 states over a period of 25 years.
Today many people are convinced that the elimination of the gray wolf was
not only an error, but also a detriment to the quality of life in this
country. There has been a public outcry to rectify the situation created
by the ignorance of our ancestors. However, in seeking to address a situation
created by the human compulsion to control nature, it is crucial to discern
how much human interference is necessary. Human control must be tempered
by respect and restraint. At the end of this paragraph, how do you feel about the writer's reasonableness so far? | Programs designed for the protection and restoration
of wildlife must reflect deference for the natural order rather than dominance
over it.Is there a sentence or two that you could label as a Thesis Statement yet? |
The consequences of human actions involving the elimination of the gray
wolf have been especially acute in Yellowstone National Park, where the
lack of a natural predator has resulted in the overpopulation of bison,
deer, and elk. According to This phrase "according to" can be an indispensable device for introducing statements from your resources. | Sharon Begley of Newsweek magazine,
"Absent a natural predator, thousands of the ungulates have starved during
tough winters, and there has been no selection pressure to keep deer fast
and moose powerful" (53).
Another issue is more subtle. As Ms. Begley points out, In this paragraph and in the next, the writer uses "As so-and-so points out" to introduce her authority's language | "The wolf has been
the only native animal missing from Yellowstone" (53). In one of the few
places where the wildness of the west could be preserved, the wolf's absence
leaves a big hole. In a world filled with skyscrapers, subdivisions, and
superhighways, human beings yearn for the wolf's untamable majesty.
In 1995, it is obvious that the hatred and fear which fueled the elimination
of the gray wolf  "Elimination of the grey wolf" is a repetition of a key phrase — a great transitional device. | stemmed from a gross misunderstanding of wolves and their
behavior. Cultural myths picturing wolves as scheming, aggressive beasts
plotting to pounce on innocent victims do not reflect the truth. In reality,
wolves are elusive creatures who keep to themselves. The wolf's social
structure is much like ours. They live in family units called packs consisting
of a mated pair, young pups, and older offspring. It is through the intricate
relationships and interactions within the pack that offspring learn how
to live as adult wolves. As the environmentalist Charles Bergman points
out, "Wolves are intensely social animals, living in packs that are structured
in rigid hierarchies. In the chain of power each wolf has a defined place
on a ladder of dominance and submission" (3l).Notice the development of background material and the use of authorities (Bergman) here, especially the parenthetical documentation. | The entire pack works together
according to position to raise and nurture the pups, teaching them a highly
sophisticated system of communication used "for expressing their status
relative to each other" (Bergman 31). Also, from parents and older siblings,
young wolves learn not only how to hunt, but what to hunt as well. Wolves
are trained early to go after certain prey and leave others alone. Since
their prey is usually larger and stronger than they, wolves are taught
specifically to hunt the weak and sick in order to avoid injury.
Note that in our parenthetical citation, we need only the page number(s) when the resource is announced in the text. | Information given in Friends of the Forest describes the similarity
between humans and wolves. This publication states, "Like humans, some
wolves stay with their families until they die, others leave the pack during
adolescence in search of uninhabited territory and a mate" (1-2). Unlike
humans, "Like humans" . . . "Unlike humans": another transitional device — parallelism. | wolves instinctively control their population. The number in a
pack rarely exceeds twelve and is determined by the availability and size
of prey in their territory.
Notice how the first sentence in this paragraph sums up what was said in the prior three paragraphs and then looks forward to what comes next. | Faced with the consequences of hasty actions to eliminate the wolves, as
well as increased knowledge about their behavior, the U.S. Congress passed
the Endangered Species Act in 1973, giving full protection to the gray
wolf. In Section 1531 of the Act, Congressional findings state that since
certain species of wildlife have been threatened with extinction, "the
United States has pledged itself as a sovereign Note the parenthetical documentation for an "unsigned" government document. | state in the international
community to conserve to the extent practicable the various species of
fish or wildlife and plants facing extinction" (United 1, 2).
However, many believe that protection has not been enough. In January 1995,
the Department of the Interior flew 29 wolves from Canada to Idaho's River
of No Return Wilderness Area and to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.
Fifteen were released directly into the Idaho area, and the rest were put
in pens in Yellowstone, scheduled to be released after an acclimation period
of 6 to 12 weeks. What is the effect on the reader of the numbers in this paragraph and the next one? | This program to reintroduce the gray wolf into the lower
48 states provides for fifteen more wolves to be relocated each year for
the next three to five years (Begley 53).
Critics of the program have raised a number of concerns. First of all is
the apprehension of ranchers regarding the possible loss of livestock.
Wolves have been absent from Yellowstone for 60 years. Although some statistics
claim that "Less than 1% of the sheep and cattle living in wolf range in
Canada are killed by wolves annually," others tell a different story. According
to the policy director of the National Wildlife Institute, "In Canada,
41 percent of livestock found dead have been killed by wolves" (qtd. in
Richardson 30). Notice the use of a secondary resource and how it is cited. | The difference in these statistics is alarming. Obviously,
statistics can be expressed in a variety of ways depending on what point
one is trying to prove. However, the fact remains that wolves do, at least
occasionally, prey on livestock.
In addition to their concern for livestock, ranchers fear the possibility
that, to help ensure the wolf's survival, wildlife managers will fence
off thousands of acres now used for grazing. This could lead to the shutdown
of ranches, resulting in the loss of hundreds of jobs. The writer seems eminently reasonable here, doesn't she, allowing or conceding a point to what seems to be the opponents at this point. At the same time, she points out that more than just livestock is at stake here. |
Finally, ranchers know that they have very little recourse if the wolves
prey on their livestock. They are allowed to shoot a wolf caught in the
act of killing a sheep or cow if the animal belongs to them. However, it
is very difficult to be in the right place at the right time to catch a
wolf in a kill. It is even more unlikely that a rancher would witness the
kill of his own animal. Yet the penalty for defending a neighbor's property
is the possibility of up to one year in prison and $l00,000 in fines (Richardson
30).
Another problem critics point out is the exorbitant cost of implementing
the reintroduction program. Estimated at $65,000 per wolf, the federal
government will spend up to 13 million dollars to helicopter lift 200 wolves
over the next five years (Richardson 28, 30). Note the use of statistics again. | At a time when budget cuts
are affecting food, housing and medical care for the needy, it is difficult
to justify the expenditure. Even certain environmentalists have questioned
the advisability of capturing and relocating wolves. Recently, a lawsuit
was filed by the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund stating, "the grey wolves
have been migrating steadily south from Canada for years. Some have already
reached Montana, and wolf packs are expected to settle in Yellowstone in
about thirty years on their own initiative" (Richardson 28). But some wildlife
biologists say that 30 years is too long to wait. They want to reduce Yellowstone's
overpopulated bison and elk herds now. These biologists also want to study
wolves before they settle in naturally. However, as Richardson states,
"Taxpayers might argue that, for $65,000 per animal, the Fish and Wildlife
Service could afford to send the biologists on weekly junkets to Alberta
for wolf observation" (30).
If assurances could be made that this program would work, perhaps the cost
could be more easily justified. However, there are inherent problems in
capturing and relocating wolves successfully. Even biologists in favor
of the program admit that the number one challenge is to overcome the natural
tendency of wolves to try to get home. The only solution to this dilemma
is to pen the animals up for a period of time until they get used to their
new surroundings. Unfortunately, whenever wolves are penned, there is a
danger that they will lose some of their wildness. But such measures have
already been necessary in the case of one of the wolf families in Yellowstone.
Following the illegal killing of the dominant male in one of the packs,
a recent update reports:
Notice how the larger quotations are set off as indented blockquotes. | The alpha female from the defunct Rose Creek pack remains in
the Rose Creek wolf enclosure with her eight pups. The pups are healthy,
and have been vaccinated against about everything a canine can get. It
is hoped that by fall (when they will likely be released), they will be
big enough to fight off the coyotes. I suspect their winter mortality will
be high, since they have had no opportunity to learn to hunt. (Maughan)
In an effort to help the wolves form viable packs, biologists hope to solve
the other problem that concerns them, "the tendency of a stressed wolf
to go it alone" (Carpenter 15). A consequence of moving wolves from their
habitat is that their social structure breaks down. In an interview with
Dr. Marcella Cranford, proponent of wolf relocation, veterinarian and expert
on wolf behavior, she explained, "Lone wolves don't make it. They survive
as a family or they don't survive at all" (n.p.). A result of the breakdown
is that "mates separate and some abandon pups in their haste to return
to familiar turf" (Carpenter 15). Biologists believe that in order to form
viable packs, they must capture wolves of different ages. The assumption
is that when they calm down, the captured wolves will establish a new pack.
It is evident from biologists' concerns that wolves not only are intelligent
creatures, but also have ties to family and fear of change, as humans do.
Notice the various uses of citations in this paragraph. Most (but not all) citing the name in parentheses. | The process used to capture wolves and relocate them in Idaho and Yellowstone
has attempted to address these concerns. In November 1995, the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service paid fur trappers $2,000 each to use their special
talent for hunting down wolves (Begley 53). This talent included using
neck snares "equipped with 'stops'" which would prevent the wolves from
being killed (Neimeyer 13). Mr. Neimeyer in International Wolf further
explains, "Any live wolf restrained by a neck snare was quickly immobilized
with drugs injected with a jabstick" (13). Radio collars were then slipped
around the animals' necks and these "Judas wolves" (Neimeyer 13), as they
have been called, were followed back to the pack where agents selected
the wolves of their choice for transport to Yellowstone and central Idaho.
The sedated wolves were then locked in traveling cages. Each cage measured
no more than 2 feet by 3 feet by 4 feet (Begley 53). A subtle appeal to emotion here, but nicely understated. | Unfortunately, due
to unexpected litigation, the wolves were forced to remain in these cages
for more than 24 hours. In the case of the wolves bound for Idaho, they
endured more than 80 hours in their crates (Johnson 17).
Given the elusive nature of wolves and the strong ties which bind them to
their own pack, all these measures seem invasive and extreme. Such techniques
are often necessary in attempts to save animals from extinction. However,
the gray wolf is in no such peril. Although the number of wolves in the
lower 48 states is minuscule, 60,000 roam the ranges of Canada and about
7,000 thrive in Alaska (Richardson 30). Note use of statistics again. | Even the proponents of the reintroduction
program admit that moving wolves to Idaho and Yellowstone has nothing to
do with "saving wolves." In a recent Congressional hearing, Renee Askins,
Executive Director of the Wolf Fund, testified in favor of the plan. She
explained that the restoration of wolves would not "rescue us from our
economic or ecological troubles, but neither will their presence contribute
to them" (Askins 16-17). Ms. Askins claimed that the significance of returning
the wolf to Yellowstone resided in its power as a "deeply and profoundly
symbolic act" (17). She told the House Committee on Resources:
The story of this conflict is the story of how we view ourselves
in relation to animals, whether we can replace the assumption of "dominion"
that has been so destructive to us and the natural world with a world view
that recognizes that we live in a state of reciprocity with the birds and
the beasts—that we are not only the product of nature but also part of
it. Our attitudes toward wolves and our treatment of them cut to the very
marrow of how we view our relationship to the natural world. (17)
Notice how the writer restates and redefines the position of others here, summing up and moving forward at the same time. | If the driving motivation for the reintroduction of wolves into Idaho and
Yellowstone is the symbolic act of restoring a relationship of respect
and cooperation with nature, the actions of capture and relocation do not
fit the symbol. Capture shows no respect for the highly developed social
structure of the pack. Relocation denies the wolf's natural tendency to
seek new territory when its own territory is overpopulated. The action
appears to be more representative of a different kind of "dominion" rather
than reciprocity between humankind and the animal kingdom.
With the best of intentions, it is all too easy for human beings to cross
the line between necessary concern and unnecessary control Note the nice use of parallel form here: "necessary concern" — "unnecessary control." | . The environmentalist
and author, Charles Bergman, makes this point in his book,Wild Echoes:
For all the pure motives of most of our wildlife managers—and
I honor and respect their good intentions—wolf control nevertheless derives
from the same world view that has enabled Americans to dominate nature
wherever we have gone. Humans are superior to nature. If we no longer try
to conquer or eliminate wolves, we at least try to control them. (29)
The conclusion seems appropriately understated, yet strong. There is no clear call for action, but the writer has made her point and we are probably convinced that the wolf relocation program needs further scrutiny. | The majestic gray wolf—skillful predator, nurturing family member—has
been misunderstood to the point of endangerment. Fear, hatred and the need
These words recast what was intimated at the beginning of the essay — not the identical statement but recalling enough of it so that we know we've arrived where she said we would. | to control the wolf's untamable wildness created an environment in which
slaughter was not only acceptable, but advocated. There is no doubt that
human beings bear responsibility for the protection of these magnificent
creatures. However, the awe and admiration which have replaced the fear
and hatred have not removed the human need to control. When this need to
control results in tactics which are invasive and which disregard the very
nature of the wolf itself, the danger is that human interference will unintentionally
diminish the very wildness environmentalists seek to preserve.
Appendix
The following interview with Dr. Marcella Cranford, veterinarian and expert
in wolf behavior, was conducted by telephone on November 30, 1995,
Berven: What is your opinion of the reintroduction of the gray wolf into
Yellowstone National Park?
Cranford: Well, it's one of the missing links. The overpopulation
of the elk is a problem. Right now, we're feeding them. Not having wolves
in Yellowstone is like a tear in the fabric of nature. Someone said that.
Berven: What do you think are the repercussions for packs in Canada
from which the wolves are taken?
Cranford: I'm hoping they're going to do it right. If you kill
the best ones, the hunters, the pack won't make it. Lone wolves don't make
it. They survive as a family or they don't survive at all.
Berven: What about the ranchers? They're very upset from what
I have read.
Cranford: The ranchers should shape up! I mean, after all, we're
paying money to subsidize their cattle.
Berven: What about their concern that the wolves will kill their
sheep and cattle?
Cranford: They have more of a problem with feral dogs. Wolves
prefer ungulates. They don't want to come near us. They're not like the
coyote.
Berven: I know you are short on time. Is there anything else you
can tell me?
Cranford: I have a magazine, International Wolf. It has
all the information concerning the Environmental Impact Statement and how
this whole thing got started. I know it started in 1991, so there have
been years of debate and controversy about it. There were 160,000 responses
to it [the reintroduction]. It was one of the largest responses on a proposed
government action.
Works Cited
Askins, Renee. "Releasing Wolves from Symbolism." Harpers April
1995: 15-17.
Begley, Sharon with Daniel Glick. "The Return of the Native."
Newsweek 23 Jan. 1995: 53.
Bergman, Charles. Wild Echoes: Encounters With the Most Endangered
Animals in North America New York: McGraw-Hill, 1990.
Carpenter, Betsy. "A Precarious Return of the Wolf." U.S. News
and World Report 16 Jan. 1995: 16.
Cranford, Marcella. Personal interview. 30 Nov. 1995. Friends
of the Forest Ketchum, Idaho: Wolf Education and Research Center, 1993.
Johnson, Mark. "Dual Citizenship Awarded to Transported Wolves."
International Wolf 5.2 (1995): 17.
Maughan, Ralph. "Yellowstone Wolf Update." Return to Wolf Home
Page. maugralp@cwis.isu.edu (27 Nov. 1995).
Neimeyer, Carter. "Precapture Operation—Snaring and Radio Collaring
of `Judas' Wolves." International Wolf 5.2 (1995):13.
Richardson, Valerie. "Decrying Wolves." National Review 20
Mar. 1995: 28-30.
United States. Department of the Interior. Endangered Species
Act. 1973. Section 1531.
© 1995 Ella Berven
Instructor: Jennifer Jordan-Henley
Writing Argumentative Essays
Principles of Composition
Guide to Grammar and Writing
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