by Greg Walcher, E&E Legal Senior Policy Fellow
The Daily Sentinel
If you were a grey wolf, it would be hard to imagine a more hostile environment than this state, into which 25 wolves have been involuntarily and violently extradited from their natural homes. It is reminiscent of illegal immigrants from south of the border being deported to prisons in unfamiliar countries, like South Sudan and Uzbekistan. Those people have at least been accused of committing some crime. But what exactly have these wolves done to deserve such a fate?
Wolves are among history’s most hated creatures. Writers have taught children for centuries to fear the Big Bad Wolf. Think of the villains in “Little Red Riding Hood” and at least three other Grimm’s fairy tales, or “The Three Little Pigs,” or at least four Aesop’s Fables including “The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing” and “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” and even Prokoviev’s symphony “Peter and the Wolf.” The wolf is always the bad guy, who might eat your granny, or maybe huff and puff and blow your house down.
One website identifies more than 20 classic folk stories, fables, and fairy tales that feature wolves as the scoundrels. No wonder we grow up disliking wolves. Today there are more sympathetic writers, often pointing out that wolves, like peolple, are social animals that live in packs, mate for life, and work together. One critic of children’s stories explains that “In fables, the wolf is typically a beast of prey.” Gee, I wonder if that is because real wolves are in fact beasts of prey.
What did Colorado voters who decided to import wolves expect? That the animals would grow lettuce in secret gardens, safeguard the bunnies, frolic in old-growth forests, and perform moon-howling concerts for the enjoyment of the townspeople?
