Bringing Back the Wolves: How a Predator Restored an Ecosystem

Gr 2-5–Isabella describes how wolves were reintroduced to the ecosystem in Yellowstone National Park to reduce the elk population. In the late 1800s, the wolves of Yellowstone were hunted to near extinction. This led to an imbalance where the elk population swelled to over 20,000, resulting in a loss of plant and animal life. A team of experts decided to try an experiment where they released 41 wolves into the Yellowstone environment. Over time, the wolves reduced the elk population, resulting in the ecological restoration of Yellowstone. Each page introduces a new animal, plant, or insect that came back to the park and explains the impact they had on the ecosystem. The soft palette of the illustrations shows the majestic beauty of Yellowstone and its creatures. A glossary, resources, and an index are included in the back matter.