Because the need to feel a part of nature is inherent in each of us, we subconsciously seek to restore our lost connection with nature. Perhaps more than anything else, the cause of wolf recovery provides that opportunity. The wolf's plight affords humans the chance to express our need not only for nature but also for caring about something other than ourselves. The wolf needs us, and there is deep satisfaction in responding. The wolf has a long history of being unfairly persecuted by mankind.
Most species become endangered because of human-caused elimination of their habitat.
But in the wolf's case endangerment has resulted largely from extermination campaigns that included poisoning, gassing, shooting, trapping wolves and even such grotesque practices as lassoing them and literally tearing them apart. Humans are guilty of having acted inhumanely, and showing compassion now is an opportunity to assuage our guilt. For many Americans, the wolf is not just a part of the natural community-it is the very embodiment of wild nature. By helping to restore the very symbol of wilderness, we too are restored in spirit. I am not known to overflow with optimism about the human future.