“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves."

Matthew 10:16 (NIV)

Unlike the lion, an apex predator used to describe the majesty and power of God, the Biblical wolf is often used to illustrate someone thought of as wicked or evil. But a wolf does not consider whether his actions are moral. He kills caribou to feed his family; he snarls at park visitors because they are in his territory. We perceive these actions as mean or gruesome, but he is simply doing what God made him to do. Similarly, the people we would describe as wolves are only doing what they have an innate instinct to do. Without God as a moral compass in their lives, those people act according to the flesh, the same as a wolf or a bear or a lion. We may see glimpses of godly morals, because they were made in God's image, so "God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen" (Romans 1:20), but without an active relationship with God to guide them, there is no lasting conviction or clear instruction to be Christlike. This is why Christ said “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34) even after he had been tortured and hung on the cross. With the absence of God, one can only be spiritually driven by demons, so "you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently" (Galatians 6:1).

As they continue to be killed by trappers, hunters, and cars, the few hundred timber wolves of the wild have trouble finding mates. This can lead to one of two things: they do not mate and die off, or they mate with wild coyotes in the area and become a hybrid breed. Neither of these options are ideal - both will eventually see the end of the eastern wolf.

One of the easiest ways to understand their importance (along with other endangered wolf species) is in the whitetail deer. Every November hunting season begins and millions of Americans go hunting for deer. This may seem like a fun ritual - and it is - but it's also necessary to keep the absurdly high population of whitetail deer manageable. If we didn't do this, they would destroy forests and vegetation in the wild at an even worse rate than humanity does. And the main reason why we have to do it is because they lack substantial predators in the wild. Mountain lions, bobcats, and coyote prey on them, and the omnivorous bear will rarely find an opportunity to have venison for dinner, but the most glaring absence in the deer's ecosystem is the wolf. With only a small, small fraction of the wolves present when colonists first settled here, we have to put in the work to subside that unequal ratio and keep ecosystems in check.

So now I know why, but how can I help? There are many reputable non-profits whose sole purpose is restoring wolves in the wild, such as the Northeast Wolf Recovery Alliance and the Wolf Conservation Center. A donation to these or another organization may help more than you think. Alongside this, you can help raise awareness for wolf conservation by telling others why wolves matter and what threats they face, or by sharing articles like this one. Legislation can also make a very important mark on our effort to help wolves, so be involved in your local government communities and learn how you can help wolves there.