Parks and Wildlife Restoration in the Global North: The Case of Wolves in the U.S. and France

Keywords: national parks, Yellowstone, wildlife restoration, France
Abstract Type: Paper Abstract

Abstract

National parks have played a central role in early efforts to protect and restore endangered and other at risk wildlife species in the United States. As the hub of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Yellowstone National Park has rendered a profound impact on attempts to protect bison, elk and gray wolves. But is the legacy of Yellowstone a function of its unique geography or does it offer a potential model for wildlife conservation and restoration in other industrialized societies? This question is explored through a comparative historical study of national parks and wolf reintroduction in France and the United States.