Aerial Wolf Hunting

Article Link:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/06/alaska.judd.palin/index.html

Ashley Judd has recently criticized Sarah Palin for supporting a wolf management program in Alaska. She released a video sponsored by the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund in which she attacks the program and Sarah Palin. The program allows hunters to shoot animals from aircraft in order to control their population. Judd claims that this program is extremely cruel and unfair to the wolves. She states that Palin is promoting the slaughter of wildlife. Palin was upset by the comments and referred to the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund as an “extreme fringe group.” Palin was also offended that they would call out her and her administration in order to gain publicity to help raise money for their fund. The reason this wolf management program has been created is to control Alaska’s wolf population, because they prey on moose and caribou. The program is only available to Alaskan residents who obtain a permit to first. This is simply done to control an increasing wolf population and decreasing moose and caribou population.

I agree that this wolf management program seems to have sufficient need in Alaska. This program was not intended to be cruel or cause the unnecessary killing of wolves. It is simply a matter of population control. There is an increasing population of wolves and a decreasing number of moose and caribou. One can make the argument that this program is beneficial to animals because of the moose and caribou population that is protected by it. In addition to this killing animals from aircraft is no crueler than killing them from the ground. It is simply an easier means of accomplishing a goal which is controlling the population of these animals.

I also agree with Sarah Palin that this is all a stunt to fundraise money for the Defenders of Wildlife Fund. In my opinion many of these animal rights groups can be pretty extreme and unreasonable. There were many other people who supported this program, but Ashley Judd calls Palin out by name. This clearly seems to be a ploy to gain national attention from the media. The widespread coverage of this story is sure to raise awareness of this wildlife fund. Overall I agree with the wolf management program.