The federal Fish & Wildlife Service proposed last week that gray wolves no longer need federal protection in the United States since their population has reached more than 6,000. However, it is because of federal protection that wolf populations were able to rebound after near extinction in the mid-20th century.
Wolves face an uncertain future when leaving it up to states like Wyoming and Montana with strong ranching and hunting communities.
Read more about what this could mean for populations of gray wolves in the United States.