Are Gray Wolves officially not endangered?

Gray Wolves were on the endangered list, weren't they? So, why have they been taken off the list? On January 30, research showed that there were about 4,000 gray wolves living in Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin. In other words, the wolves living in the Great Lakes Region were no longer endangered. They had been increasing in amount from 700 and 1,000, their population when they were classified as endangered some 30 years ago. What was really interesting is now that they aren't endangerd, the US Government is planning to take away their protection. Even though they are increasing in population, they still are at risk of decreasing slowly. There are not enough wolves, or packs of wolves, to keep a food chain going. Along with living in those three states, they live in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, North Dakota, Ohio and South Dakota. The wolves living there have also been taken off the list. The US Government and the Interior Department is also considering removing off the list of endangered species gray wolves living north of the Rocky Mountains in Montana and Idaho along with the ones living north of parts of Washington and Oregon.

I think this is interesting because I always thought once species are endangered, they will be like that forever. But, this article proved that endangered species can be "regular" again. I also think this is good news because all organisms have some significance to being on this earth. What I don't like is that the Government and the Agency is taking away the protection of the Gray Wolves because they are no longer endangered. There is still a possibility that the wolves may be classified as endangered again.

This is science and life related because extinction can ruin many food chains. Above all this, one animal on the verge of dying out could cause one species to overpopulate and one species to underpopulate. That could ruin an enitre ecosystem. That would not only affect the animals, it would affect us, too!

Source: CNN Science news
hyperlink:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/01/30/endangered.wolves.reut/index.html

PICTURE from: http://www.defenders.org/images/corel/wolvesrunning.jpg (click on picture to see a larger image)!