Good news for the wolves of Oregon

Biologists in northeast Oregon have confirmed the presence of Oregon’s first reproducing pack of wild wolves since the predators were exterminated from the state decades ago. State biologist Russ Morgan and another biologist heard the howls of at least two adult wolves and two pups in the predawn hours Friday in northern Union County, north of La Grande, Morgan said Monday. The biologists themselves were howling under a bright moon, trying to produce an audible response from wolves. That’s a common method of surveying for the animals. ... The biologists did not see the wolves but could tell from the howls that there were both adults and pups. Morgan estimated they were less than one-quarter mile away. ‘We could clearly hear a couple of pups at the same time. There very well may have been more.’ ... The reproduction of wolves in Oregon reflects the resurgence of a species that once was the target of government-sponsored bounty, trapping and poisoning programs. An early priority in the settlement of the West was to eradicate major predators to make the land safe for livestock. Biologists now recognize that predators have ecological value, although many people in rural communities oppose the return of wolves to the region.