Wolves have been reintroduced into a handful of places in the us. They're quite an expansive predator and can colonize whole areas. There are wolves now in the netherlands in belgium, so they've come back naturally. If you re introduce predators into the top of eco systems, it has effects that trickle down the whole co system, right to the bottom.
After wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone national park in 1995, researchers noticed some big ecological changes, leading to the regeneration of the landscape. It’s an argument used to justify the return of apex predators – but it’s increasingly being challenged. Phoebe Weston talks to Ian Sample about whether wolves really have the power to shape ecosystems, and what that means for the debate about bringing them back to the UK. Help support our independent journalism at
theguardian.com/sciencepod