When Yellowstone was first designated as a national park in 1872, there were no legal protections for wildlife (Dockrill, 2018). Over time, government predator control programs contributed significantly to the mass slaughter and subsequent extinction of Yellowstone's gray wolves in 1926 (Wikipedia, 2019). The eradication of this apex predator had unintended consequences on the ecosystem, causing a trophic cascade (Dockrill, 2018). The absence of the gray wolf caused a significant relief of predatory pressure on the elk population, allowing it to thrive (Farquhar, 2019). This increase in numbers has led to significant overgrazing of aspen and willows, trees that provide shelter, food and a vital dam-building resource for beavers that have migrated to the northern part of the park. As a result, these dams collapsed, turning swamps into streams. There has been significant stream erosion and loss of mature aspen, poplar, and willow trees, affecting a wide range of animal and plant species. In the absence of the wolf, the coyote has become an apex predator, decreasing populations of red foxes, rodents, pronghorn antelope and birds. Local scavenger species, including grizzly bears, eagles and ravens, also suffered greatly, with no wolves killed to count and feed on. After the reintroduction of the wolf into the northern range ecosystem, coyote numbers declined significantly by 50%, allowing fox, rodent, and antelope populations to thrive once again. The elk population began to decline and the beaver colony alone grew to 12. Insects, birds, amphibians and fish began to thrive again, as did the vegetation. Scavenger populations have also adapted, feeding on the remains of wolves. Through the regenerative stability of vegetation, wolves allowed rivers to repair, erode, and collapse less. Many other pools have been formed. Elk have also changed their behaviors, avoiding valleys and gorges, places where they could be trapped by predators, allowing these areas to significantly regenerate (Earthjustice, 2019). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay When it was established, there were no laws protecting animals in the park, people were essentially free to hunt any wild animals. The Secretary of the Interior declared a policy prohibiting hunting of the majority of the park's wildlife in 1883, but this policy did not apply to wolves, bears, coyotes, and other predators. Poisoning was a form of predator control used in the park in the late 1800s and early 1900s (Wikipedia, 2019). Poisoning is a highly unethical form and inhumane method of predator control, involving unnecessary pain and cruelty. The Yellowstone National Park Act of 1872 recently declared that the Secretary of the Interior would protect against the brutal destruction of all wildlife in the park. However, the habitual killing of prey by wolves was considered "brutal destruction", resulting in the deaths of at least 136 wolves. were killed in the park between 1914 and 1926. By the mid-1900s, wolves had been almost completely extirpated throughout North America (National Park Service, n.d.). Public statements and government actions against wolves have influenced,.