IN LOCO PARENTIS

In loco parentis: a Latin phrase meaning "in the place of the parent"

In February of 1999, a wild and free gray wolf swam across the Snake River from the Idaho to the Oregon shore. As she shook her fur dry, she became the first wolf confirmed in Oregon since 1927, when the last one was gunned down by bounty hunters. Wolves, of course, are now protected under the Endangered Species Act, and are the object of a massive federal restoration program. It may seem surprising, therefore, that this arrival was met with a notable lack of enthusiasm on the part of government biologists. You see, this wolf had the audacity to enter Oregon without permission, without consulting state, federal, and tribal management plans, without being drugged and stuffed into a crate and flown in by helicopter, and without being released at a photo opportunity arranged for members of the press.

The young female wolf caused high anxiety among Oregon ranchers, and her every move was tracked through the radio collar that she wore courtesy of the Idaho wolf recovery program from which she had declared independence. She settled into a remote area on the Middle Fork of the John Day River. She did everything anyone could have asked of her: successfully hunted deer, avoided livestock and human habitations, and despite all her travels, even gained weight. This model behavior won her no more approval than had her free spirit. A little over a month after she arrived, the wolf was captured by wildlife officials and flown back to Idaho. Oregon was once again devoid of wild wolves.

The official attitude to Wolf B-45, as she was called, was expressed in terms of protectiveness and concern. As the first and only wolf in Oregon in generations, what chance did she have of ever attracting a mate? Without constant monitoring by a dedicated team of scientists, how long would she survive the hard life of the lone wolf, and the dangers posed by fanatically hostile humans? Wouldn’t it be a better use of this wolf’s obviously high qualities to return her to the Idaho wolf recovery area, where she could contribute to a growing population?