How Wolves Changed Yellowstone Forever

Added: 2026-05-17

[00:00:00]It's also one of the most important ecosystem in North America.

[00:00:04]Large herds of bison move across open plains. Elk travel through valleys.

[00:00:08]Wolves hunt in packs. Grizzly bears roam forests. [music] This is one of the few places where the ecosystem still functions in a natural way. Predators and prey, balance and competition. But this balance wasn't always stable.

[00:00:22]For decades, wolves were removed from Yellowstone. And that created a chain reaction. Elk populations increased.

[00:00:29]They overgrazed plants. Trees couldn't grow. Riverbanks became unstable. The landscape slowly changed. Then in 1995, wolves were reintroduced. And something unexpected happened.