[Lamplighter]

For those of you following the "wolf story"

This animal is demonstrating Americans in all their glory:
State officials bucking federal law,
Hunters protecting their favorite game animals,
Businesses seeking governmental protection against natural risks,
and Environmentalists using the courts to their advantage.

Idaho seeks to kill hundreds of protected wolves
By Laura Zuckerman
SALMON | Fri Aug 6, 2010 5:50pm EDT

SALMON Idaho (Reuters) - Idaho game officials said on Friday they would seek federal approval to kill off hundreds of wolves in their state despite a court ruling that restored protection of the animals under the Endangered Species Act.

Montana, the second of two states where the gray wolf was ordered returned to the federal endangered species list, is likely to follow Idaho's lead in seeking permission to thin its wolf packs through licensed sport hunting or government squads of aerial gunners.

Powerful ranching interests in both states opposed reintroduction of wolves to the region 15 years ago and have continued to resist federal protection of the animals as a threat to livestock. Sportsmen complain wolves are killing too many big-game animals, like elk, that could be hunted instead.

At last count, in December 2009, the gray wolf population in the Northern Rockies,
including Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding region, was estimated at 1,700 animals.
Environmentalists say the region's wolf population would have to reach
between 2,000 and 3,000 individuals in order to be considered viable by international standards.