WolvesThere have been many issues with animals in Denali (and Alaska in general), but one of the most desperate animals there right now are the wolves. People come from all over the world to see these great creatures but they are being killed without a second thought. In 2007, 12 wolves were killed outside of a buffer that surrounds Denali's park. In that same year, another 11-19 wolves died from hunters snaring and shooting them. The wolves were part of collar groups so people were able to find them and conduct research. Also, people may not realize how much the loss of one wolf could change the life of everything in that pack. In 2008, a female wolf was (legally) killed, and only experts like Dr. Gordon Haber know about the real effects. If the female dies, terrible consequences could arise for the pack, such as the loss of pups for a year, the group abandoning their den, and then even dispersal of the whole pack. In 2010, there was about a 45% chance to see a wolf in the park. A more recent study was done and they concluded that there was about a 12% chance to see a wolf in 2012. Experts also did a survey and found out that there are only about 54 wolves assorted into 9 packs.
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Spruce TreeRecently, the Spruce tree has become another endangered species. There has been a parasitic beetle found chewing bark off the trees. This problem started about 10-15 years ago and usually outside of National Parks, but now it could be a problem up north with more and more trees as time goes by. The beetle's population is also rapidly growing because of the warmer summers, colder winters, and other global warming effects.
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