Becuase of this fear people began to kill wolves, and many were paid a bounty for bringing in dead wolves. Poisoning is probably the main reason so few wolves remain today. Another reason has to do with the growing human population. For a pack to be successful, it requires a large amount of land for its habitat, preferably away from human populations. As our populations continue to grow, the amount of available wilderness for such creatures as the wolf have gotten smaller.
Habitat destruction is one of the most important problems facing wolves today.
Protecting the wilderness not only helps to protect the wolf, but other creatures like him. Shortly before their three year anniversary of in the park, a court decision declared that the animals must be removed from the park. The Defenders of Wildlife is currently appealing the court decision and has said that this current situation nothing less than a crisis.