
Wolf #9, the mother of the first pups, in the Rose Creek acclimation pen, 1995. Credit: NPS, Barry O’Neill
30th Anniversary of Wolf Reintroduction: Changing the Narrative
Today, January 12, marks the 30th anniversary of the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho, of a monumental moment in conservation history. On this day in 1995, 8 wolves crossed the border into the park, beginning their journey back to their historic range—a landscape they had been eradicated from due to settler colonialism and misguided predator eradication policies.

Truck carrying wolves driving through Roosevelt Arch with school children watching, January 12, 1995. Credit: NPS, Diane Papineau
Reintroducing wolves was a bold step toward righting this wrong. While the process was—and is—hard on individual animals, it was a larger victory for restoring the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. Wolves, as keystone species, play a critical role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Their return to Yellowstone has profoundly shaped the park, benefiting everything from riparian corridors to aspen and willow groves to beavers and songbirds.
Their journey back to the wild is a testament to what we can achieve when we prioritize science and ethics in wildlife management. Yet as we celebrate this milestone, we must also acknowledge the ongoing work to protect and advocate for wolves.
Three decades later, we’re still battling the same misinformation and resistance we saw at the reintroduction. How is it that we’re still fighting the same anti-wolf rhetoric?
The truth is, culture and narrative hold immense power. For 30 years, mainstream culture has been flooded with messages that paint wolves as villains rather than acknowledging their intrinsic value, vital ecosystem role, and the wild inspiration they provide. The stories that do tell these benefits are often overshadowed by fearmongering and baseless hatred.
To truly protect wolves, we must reframe the conversation. This doesn’t mean arguing every Internet troll into submission with facts. You can’t change a perspective based on emotion with logic, no matter how much it makes sense.
Reframing the conversation means flooding the national dialogue with a narrative of value for wolves, using compelling stories that showcase wolves as essential, sentient beings. It means refusing to let sensationalist media “both sides” this issue and instead, ask them to tell the story of wolves with clarity and compassion. It means fighting back against misinformation with arguments that upend the point, such as showcasing how many unattended cattle grazing on public lands die from disease and weather versus from wolves (hint: it’s orders of magnitudes of difference).

Crystal Bench wolf acclimation pen, October 1994. Credit: NPS, Jim Peaco
We’ve seen the power of narrative change before—now it’s time to apply it to save wolves. Share their stories, show up at meetings, and amplify their importance until the negative voices are drowned out by a chorus of support for wolves and wild nature.
How You Can Help Wolves:
First, we need to change the culture around wolves. This is something everyone can contribute to, whether you live in a state with wolves or not. If your state doesn’t have wolves yet, you can still focus on changing the conversation around wildlife—especially other maligned species that are often treated as pests. We need to reshape how people think about wolves and predators in general, building a culture that values their ecological roles and intrinsic value.
If you do have wolves in your state, we need to build power on the ground. That means paying close attention to state legislatures, wildlife commissions, and agency personnel appointments—because these are the people and systems making decisions about wolves. We also need to fight for cultural change, telling stories that show the value of wolves beyond numbers on a population chart.
This is a long-term fight. It’s about winning hearts and minds *and* pushing for policy change at every level. What if you could get your city council to adopt a pro-wolf resolution? Or influence a land grant university to stop labeling wolves and other predators as “nuisance” species? Think about the spheres of influence you already have—whether it’s through community groups, schools, or even your local library.
Not everyone has to be the one giving testimony at a hearing—that’s okay! There are so many ways to contribute. You can volunteer to help research for a nonprofit, amplify messaging, or organize events in your community. Maybe you start a wolf working group or create a local coalition.
And examples of grassroots action are everywhere. Just look at the Wolf Welcoming Committee, which was started by Susan Prince and Jennie Sharp in Sisters, Oregon. These two tenacious women founded the group in order to positively influence public opinion about wolves and to create an accepting environment as they re-establish in Central Oregon. Now wolves are thriving in the nearby Metolius River watershed, and this mighty little groups is poised to be ambassadors for their wild and human neighbors alike. So with a little motivation, one or two people *can* make a difference—and together, we can build a movement that reforms state policies to protect wolves and ensure their future.
Additionally, now is the time to get involved in your state’s Wildlife Action Plan revision, most states are starting the process of revising them to be finalized in 2025. This is a once in a decade opportunity to ask that wolves be included on the list of SGCN if they aren’t already.
Something you can do year-round is monitor your state wildlife commission (if your state has wolves, if not: help a state that does) or board meetings and participate by giving written and oral testimony. Whether or not wolves are on the agenda, there are opportunities to give public comment about coexistence, robust science and genuine conservation efforts that your state should be engaging in. This is an opportunity to build relationships with the ultimate wildlife decision-makers in your state. We can’t give the opposition more fodder to say we don’t care about wildlife because we don’t show up. Use our talking points on our website and download our advocacy toolkit.
Finally, when your state wildlife commission has an opening for a new or possible reappointment of a commissioner or board member, engage in the state’s process for suggesting candidates or if they don’t have that, help identify and then write letters of support for good candidates. If your state senate has a confirmation process, that is another opportunity to support candidates with strong backgrounds and expertise in conservation.
Let this 30th anniversary inspire us to continue fighting for wildlife, ensuring their place in the ecosystems they call home. Join us in honoring 30 years of Yellowstone’s wolves and in working toward a future where all wildlife can thrive.
Together, we can reclaim the story of wolves—and their rightful place in the wild, keeping their legacy alive for generations to come.