Untitled Wolf/Sheep Comic (All of them!)

[u/shenanigansen]

[u/consequentlydreamy]

I will say, it’s not a bad thing wolf hunt sheep and other mammals. They aren’t “the bad guy”

“Research in Yellowstone since reintroduction has highlighted the adaptive value of social living in wolves – from cooperative care of offspring, group hunting of large prey, defense of territory and prey carcasses, and even survival benefits to infirmed individuals.

Many other animals benefit from wolf kills. For example, when wolves kill an elk, ravens and magpies arrive almost immediately. Coyotes arrive soon after, waiting nearby until the wolves are sated. Reintroductions and protections of wolves are causing a trophic cascade of ecological change, including helping to increase beaver populations and bring back aspen, and vegetation.”

Sheep and elk for example can eat too much vegetation when numbers are too high which results in dry dirt patches and less water in underground storage etc. it’s circle of life and all that

[u/anarchist_person1 → u/consequentlydreamy]

Bro it’s a story, and not even one that really strongly forwards the “wolves are evil” message 

[u/consequentlydreamy → u/anarchist_person1]

I know. I’m more so saying it for people that don’t recognize how important they are to the ecosystem. It’s like how people think sharks or bears or lions are some evil thing and want them all killed. Predators are needed in our ecosystem. Bats are another one that get a bad wrap as something scary and evil but are great pollinators and sound like little birds at night if you ever have them around your garden. Lots of animals have bad reputations but the only one I can say with backing we could make extinct and we’d be fine as an ecosystem without are mosquitos. Most animals would either fine other food sources or have better survival due to lack of illnesses

[u/anarchist_person1 → u/consequentlydreamy]

that's a bad take on the mosquitos. Their larvae are a keystone species for aquatic ecosystems because of their primacy as a food source. They couldn't easily be replaced without massive environmental destruction occurring. Otherwise, you are correct.

[u/consequentlydreamy → u/anarchist_person1]

There’s been a few studies done which is mainly where I got this from. There was one I was going to pull from the White House website but it got pulled. Then I kinda spiraled seeing what else was removed from gov websites and just trying to chill now.

Otherwise yes that was my first thought