A rancher leasing public land in Washington has, again, lost livestock to wolves. With marketing overreach, he said he raises cattle to “feed the heart of America,” not to feed wolves. An increasingly overweight “America” might benefit from less beef. A higher incidence of strokes in young people, Type 2 diabetes and colon cancer suggests that beef occupies too prominent a place in the American diet. The introduction of European cattle and the slaughter of native bison was a foolish idea to begin with. Bison meat is known to be lower in cholesterol and calories compared to a similar portion of corn or grass-fed cattle.
Meanwhile, wolves have been poisoned, trapped and shot on behalf of ranchers until, like the bison, they became nearly extinct in the United States’ lower 48. For a natural balance in nature, we need more wolves in wilderness areas. Ranchers must do a better job of protecting their herds with non-lethal approaches so that wild animals have a chance to survive on public lands. I’ll gladly give up eating beef if that will help ease the demand for cattle products.
Dave Holmes, Puyallup