In The Gunning Down of Hog Heaven, Chris Kirby of Wolf Howl Animal Preserve gives a pretty rational account of the entirely irrational killing of one more extended family of wolves in Montana at the end of last year.

Genetic diversity is essential to wolf recovery and mandatory for all wolf management plans both federal and state. It played a major role in the court ruling that returned the wolf to the endangered status after being delisted earlier this year.

In numbers, the loss of livestock is menial.* Managing wolves with an eye for an eye, any eye then ending with the lives of more than two wolves is extraneous. This places an enormous amount of pressure on an animal listed as endangered species and is a huge risk to their population numbers as well as their genetic diversity.

Read the full article here.

This is one cost of animal exploitation that we don't talk about much. The hidden cost of hamburgers includes the continuing endangerment and eventual extinction of any perceived threat, such as wolves. Even though they are not a significant threat. More cows die of neglect, abuse, starvation and illness while waiting to be killed and eaten by humans than are killed by all predators combined.

It's math, people. You don't even have to have compassion. Logic will suffice. But it doesn't hurt to have a heart. Oh, wait...yes, it does.

Rest in peace, little brothers and sisters.