We don't have any wolves here and the wild dogs and dingoes don't seem to make much of an impression on the sambar (Indian elk) population.

The 'hound-hunters' are barred from the national parks; all hunting is prohibited around many towns;
the government closes the tracks in the winter so that only trophy hunters venture into the back country - and now they are on the verge of declaring the deer a threat to the environment.

Aldo Leopold believed wolves were a good thing for the country. Maybe, where humans are unable or unwilling to predate the female deer, he was right. Maybe hunters interested in the quality of their deer and elk herds should not bregrudge the wolf a share.

Though wolves may be symbolic bad guys in the Bible, threatening the Good Shepherd's flock, I don't recall a direction to anihilate them all. If God made all the critters he would have had a couple on the Ark - so he must see some place for them, too.

Keep the wolves under control with a bit of hunting, sure, but I don't see why we should wipe them off the map just because they are a danger to our deer, cattle or even children. If that were justifiable, we would have to applaud the extermination of tigers, lion and leopards, too. I would love to be able to hunt all of those species but I'd hate to see a world without them.

- Paul