Rolf Peterson on the Environment Report

By: Phillip Witteveen | Date: May 3, 2013
Rolf Peterson on the Environment Report

Rolf Peterson, author of The Wolves of Isle Royale, was a guest contributor on Michigan Radio earlier this month. The Environment Report turned its attention to Isle Royale National Park, which experienced its first year without any new wolf cubs in the 55 years researchers have been studying this ecosystem. There are, in fact, only 8 wolves left on the island. "If it keeps going," says Peterson, "that'll be the end of them. It may just be a temporary thing, but the writing is on the wall in terms of genetic viability." The halt in reproduction is due to the fact that the wolves have become too inbred within their small numbers to find a mate. The survival of the wolves is important, because of the predator-prey relationship they have with the moose of island, that keeps that population in check.

At this point, explains Peterson, there are only two options the park has left. They can either let the existing wolves go extinct and then replace them with other wolves, or they can introduce new wolves into the environment. "Under the present circumstances, it would probably be a successful new injection of genes. If the pack was large—20 to 30 wolves—they might kill newcomers. Given the state of the population, however, they would likely accept new wolves."

Listen to the full discussion on Michigan Radio's Environmental Report and check out Rolf Peterson's The Wolves of Isle Royale for a more in-depth look at the wolves' plight.