Reframing the Debate: A Response to Pacific Wild’s Campaign on the B.C. Wolf Cull
By Mark Hall
I echo the deep concern Pacific Wild expresses about the health of British Columbia’s wildlife and wild spaces in their article ‘Brutal B.C. Souvenir Shop’ in Victoria takes aim at province’s wolf cull. Their dedication, as well as other groups including the Rain Coast Conservation Foundation, to raising awareness about ongoing habitat degradation is admirable and necessary. However, I would like to offer a perspective that addresses some of the misrepresentations surrounding the province’s wolf control program and its role in mountain caribou recovery.
Science-Based Conservation: Wolf Control and Caribou SurvivalThe wolf management program in B.C. has spanned nearly a decade and is grounded in peer-reviewed research. For many endangered caribou herds, wolf predation remains the leading factor limiting survival today. A notable example is the Klinse-Za maternal penning project, led by Indigenous communities. Predator control in surrounding areas has resulted in significantly improved calf survival in the wild, with mortality rates outside the pens 2–3 times higher for calves who were not reared in the pens prior to release. These are not anecdotal findings—they represent hard data from monitored conservation efforts, where reduced predator density directly correlates to caribou population recovery.
Habitat Loss: A Long-Term Challenge, Not an Immediate ThreatPacific Wild rightly highlights ongoing logging impacts in and around critical caribou habitat. This concern should not be dismissed. However, leading caribou ecologists have clarified that habitat loss today is not the immediate limiting factor for survival in most herds. It influences the potential growth size of recovering populations rather than their current viability. Caribou restoration ecologist must address the threat that caribou see today. The solution must be two-fold: predator reduction to stabilize herds now, and habitat protection to secure their future.
Wolves in the Ecosystem: Misplaced Ideals vs Ecological RealityA common argument suggests we should “let nature take its course,” given wolves’ role in balancing ecosystems. However, this ignores the human-made imbalance now present. Industrial logging and landscape alteration have artificially boosted populations of moose and white-tailed deer, indirectly inflating wolf numbers far beyond historical norms.
Caribou, which did not evolve to coexist with such high densities of predators, have been placed in an unsustainable ecological trap. Correcting this imbalance is not scapegoating wolves—it is a moral obligation of ecological restoration.
Resilience and Recovery: Why the Program Must ContinueUnlike caribou, wolves are resilient and rebound quickly. Biologists observe that their populations often recover within a year of density reductions. This underscores the importance of continued targeted management—not to eliminate wolves, but to restore a natural balance that caribou calves can survive within. We must also remain vigilant about future habitat protections. Even concerned scientists have sounded the alarm about the rate of ongoing habitat degradation. Recovering caribou will need viable forest ecosystems to truly thrive.
Final Thoughts
The wolf control program is not a blunt instrument—it is part of a larger, evidence-based strategy designed to prevent extinction. Wolves will always be part of B.C.’s wild legacy. But without living landscapes where a caribou calf can survive and reproduce, that legacy risks fading into memory. Let’s center this conversation not on polarizing symbolism, but on collaboration, science, and accountability. The light at the end of the tunnel for caribou still burns—but only if we act decisively, and soon.
Photo cover © Jeff McGraw / Adobe Stock