14 Wolves Went Into a Park And It Changed Everything
October 31, 2018
In 1926, wolves became extinct within the confines of Yellowstone National Park. With the fierce hunters gone, many thought the land would be better off. But they couldn't have been more wrong. And what happened when 14 wolves returned to Yellowstone decades later carries a powerful message for all of us.
How many wolves does it take to change the course of a river? As it turns out, it can start with just 14. How many trials must we go through in our lives to change the course of our future? I'll share more on that in just a bit.
Seen as vicious and dangerous, hunters pursued gray wolves in Yellowstone from 1872-1926 until they were completely gone from the area.
RELATED: Humpback Whales Crash Breakfast At Lodge
Surely life would be better with these dangerous predators gone. At least, that's what everyone thought. But over the years, they found that wasn't the case at all.
WATCH: Wolves Returned To Yellowstone National Park
Starting in the 1930s when wolves were non-existent in Yellowstone, rangers and biologists were noticing that the landscape itself was changing rapidly. And not for the better. The elk had no reason to move and fed nonstop on the same vegetation.
The elk were eating the willow the beavers needed to survive. As a result, only one beaver colony existed. No beavers meant no dams -- no pools for fish and smaller water animals. Constantly over-grazed land meant no songbirds or migratory animals.
After decades of environmental decline in Yellowstone National Park, scientists finally decided it was time to bring back the wolves.
14 Wolves Returned To Yellowstone
Starting in 1995, wildlife biologists brought wolves to the park from another National Park in Canada. Because wolves have a homing instinct, the biologists built acclimation pens to house 14 wolves and took steps to get them used to their new home. That way, when released into the wild, they wouldn't simply head back North to Canada.
What happened next was completely unexpected. Once the wolves were reintroduced, huge consequences took place. The wolves began hunting the elk which caused the elk to move more frequently. Instead of this being a negative impact, it quickly became evident that this was exactly as nature should be.
When the elk moved, they didn’t have time to over-graze the willows and riverbed vegetation. This meant that beavers could move in, which meant small pools for more wildlife to return. It also affected the way the rivers and creeks themselves were shaped. With less erosion and more vegetation, the waterways became stronger.
RELATED: Father Leaves Son In The Woods To Teach Him A Powerful Lesson About God
Wolves meant more carrion was left behind for bald eagles, bears, and badgers. Each part of the ecosystem was coming back to life after years of wasting away.
Doug Smith, wildlife biologist and head of Yellowstone Wolf Project says the reintroduction of the wolves to Yellowstone’s ecosystem began what is called a trophic cascade.
“It is like kicking a pebble down a mountain slope where conditions were just right that a falling pebble could trigger an avalanche of change,” says Smith.
Balance had officially been restored and it all started with 14 wolves!
WATCH: Update On Wolves At Yellowstone
A Bigger Message For Us All
What's so incredible about this inspirational news story is that nature is giving us a real-world analogy for how trials work in our lives.
In the late 1800s, the wolves were seen as a menace. But what we can clearly see now is the important role they played in the world around them. Removing the wolves entirely actually did more harm than good. And when the wolves returned, life was properly balanced.
Now, think of the wolves as the obstacles in your life. How often do we wish them away or try to avoid them altogether? How many of us long to live a life free of trouble and strife?
And yet, God uses each and every trial for good. As hard as they can be, times of adversity are often when we grow and learn the most. It's when we learn how to surrender everything to God. It's how we build and grow our faith. After all, isn't that what faith is all about? Trusting that good will eventually follow the bad?
So, embrace the "wolves" in your life today and trust God use them to help you flourish!
"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1
WATCH: Yellowstone National Park Wolves
Featured Image Credit: Youtube/Sustainable Human
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Pastor Uses Glass Of Water To Teach Complaining Woman A Lesson
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Rest and Renewal in the Busy Holiday Season - Your Daily Prayer - December 1
One of my least favorite four-letter words seems to be growing in popularity in modern culture. And I bet it’s one you’ve been hearing even more frequently in this bustling season too. Busy.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Rest and Renewal in the Busy Holiday Season - Your Daily Prayer - December 1
One of my least favorite four-letter words seems to be growing in popularity in modern culture. And I bet it’s one you’ve been hearing even more frequently in this bustling season too. Busy.
Past Stories
- Parents Find Healing After Loss of Son By Donating His Beloved Key Collection To Little Boy
- Mom Dances With Son At His Wedding After Being Placed in Hospice Care 2 Weeks Before
- Grandmother and Young Granddaughter Battling Cancer At the Exact Same Time
- Community Brings Christmas Joy to Virginia Woman With Just Weeks to Live
- Four Friends Recreate A Fun Vacation Photo From 50 Years Ago
- School in Arkansas Mourns the Loss of Their Beloved Emotional Support Dog Abby
- 93-Year-Old Has Made Sure To Attend Every High School Football Game Since 1946
- Texas Mom Doesn't Remember Delivering Triplets After Rare Complication After Birth
- United Airlines Pilot Buys Pizza For 155 Passengers After They Make An Unexpected Stop
- Teenager With Down Syndrome Enjoys Playing Kickball After Parents Organize Neighborhood Game
- Woman in Shock After Finding Winning Lottery Ticket At the Bottom of Her Purse
- Australian Couple Walks Into Their Bedroom To Find the Cutest Koala
- 5 Boys and Their Father Were Saved By Good Samaritan After Explosion
- Daughter of WWII Soldier Finally Learns What Happened To Him, 80 Years Later
- Sisters Scream With Joy Watching Their 4-Year-Old Sister Take Her First Steps
- Her Mom Put a Message in a Bottle As a Child, 26 Years Later Her Classmate Found It
- This Missouri School Was Renamed After Their Much Loved and Dedicated Custodian
- Michael Strahan's Daughter is Now Cancer Free and Has Taught Him All About Perseverance
- These Two Newlyweds Found Love in Their Late 90s, After Meeting At Their Retirement Home
- Sisters Who Were Adopted By Separate Families Nearly 40 Years Ago Reunite After DNA Tests
- Oldest Living Person in the US Passes Away at 115, After a Long and Faithful Life
- At Just 20 and 22 Years Old, These Two Sisters From Minnesota Saved Their Family Farm
- After Over 450 Days in a Shelter, Boone and Rellie Find Their Forever Home, Together
- Sweet Kitten Named Coraline Loses Both Her Eyes, but Inspires Many with Her Spirit
- Donny Osmond Sees the 'End of the Tunnel' Coming After Performing for Over 6 Decades
- An Iguana Hitches a Ride on a Garbage Truck in Tennessee, Now Trying to Find Its Owner
- 6-Year-Old Starts 'Poop Scooping' Business to Help Animals and Adopt One of His Own
- Bride's Dad Drops During Father-Daughter Dance, but Things Lined up Perfectly to Save His Life
- Young North Carolina Father Risked His Life To Save a Couple and Dog From a Sinking Truck
- UPS Driver Jumps into Action As He Spots Elderly Woman on the Ground & Says It Was All God
- Rescuer Braces for the Worst After Spotting Kitten on the Side of the Road, Then Sees a Paw Move
- AJ Griffin Gives Up High-Paying Career with NBA to Follow God
- These Former Conjoined Twins Finally Go Home After Their First Birthday
- Teenager From Iowa Uses His Flying Skills to Help Hurricane Helene Victims
- Son Saves For 9 Months and Surprises Mom By Paying Off Her Mortgage
- Woman's Home is Surrounded By 100 Raccoons, and They Aren't Leaving Anytime Soon
- Dog Saves Her Owner's Life By Sitting in the Middle of the Road
- Widower Shares the Last Thing His Wife Told Their Son Before She Passed Away From Cancer
- A Nurse Saved Her Life 35 Years Ago, Now, She is Surprising Her With a Visit
- These Twin Sisters Have An Important Message To Share On Their 102nd Birthday
- This Brave 5-Year-Old Saved Her Mother's Life By Calling 911
- 79-Year-Old Broke Her Ankle After Scattering Her Mom's Ashes, Then Strangers Save the Day
- Dad Travels Through Mud and Debris to Walk His Daughter Down the Aisle
- Owner's Trip to the Vet with Unwell Dog Results in the Craziest X-Ray
- After Getting Lost in Yellowstone, This Precious Cat Made His Way Back Home To California
- Mom's Funny Response To Daughter's Dirty Sock On The Floor Goes Viral & Ends Up Doing Good
- A Kidnapped Boy Is Found After 70 Years and Reunited With His Family
- This Puppy Was Found With a Note That Read 'Help Me,' Now He's Looking For a New Home
- Excited Mom Couldn't Wait to See Son's Back to School Pictures, but Funny Results Make Her LOL
- When This Police Officer Pulled Her Over, He Changed Her Life Forever
Top Music Videos
The Statler Brothers 'Til the Storm Passes By' The Statler Brothers Live Performance
Bill and Gloria Gaither Wintley Phipps - It Is Well With My Soul (From Bill Gloria Gaither Live)
Anne Wilson Anne Wilson Captivates with Heartfelt 'My Jesus' Live Performance
CCM Magazine 3 Doors Down’s Brad Arnold Shares Message of Faith During Nashville Concert
CCM Magazine Randall Goodgame’s ‘Scripture Hymnal’ | ‘In The Beginning’
Blogs
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.