EigoPro 準2級プラス 読解 — The Return of the Wolves

The Return of the Wolves For most of history, wolves were feared and hunted. By the early twentieth century, they had been completely removed from many regions, including a famous national park in the United States. At the time, few people imagined that this would cause any harm. The story of what happened next, however, surprised even the scientists. A Park Out of Balance Without wolves, the number of large plant-eating animals, such as deer, grew quickly. With so many hungry mouths, these animals ate young trees faster than the trees could grow. Riverbanks that had once been thick with bushes and saplings became bare. Birds lost their nesting places, and the soil along the rivers began to wash away. Bringing the Wolves Back After much discussion, scientists made a bold decision: they would bring wolves back to the park. In the 1990s, a small number of wolves were released. Many people worried that the wolves would simply kill all the deer, but what followed was far more interesting. A Surprising Chain The wolves did reduce the number of deer, but just as importantly, they changed the deer's behaviour. The deer no longer dared to stand and eat in open areas near rivers, where they could be easily caught. As a result, young trees along the rivers finally had a chance to grow. Birds returned, and the riverbanks grew strong again. Even the rivers themselves changed shape, as the new plants held the soil in place. One Lesson The return of the wolves taught an important lesson: in nature, everything is connected. Removing a single species can change an entire landscape, and bringing it back can heal one. As one ecologist explained, "We did not just add an animal. We brought back a whole way for the land to work."

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