A brutal hunting practice is soon to resume in Alaska in a supposed effort to bring greater balance to the local ecosystem. However, some believe that there are ulterior motives at play, and the impending move is more about producing profits than protecting the planet.

What's happening?

Alaska is renewing a program that allows helicopter hunting of bears and wolves on certain pieces of state land, reported The Guardian. That state land spans 20,000 acres, which is over 31 square miles. 

The program is supposedly intended to boost moose and caribou populations in the area. On paper that's not an objectionable cause, but there are a few different problems with the theory.

One is that even the state of Alaska's own research shows that it is not clear how beneficial this brutal hunting practice is for moose and caribou populations. 

"There is no scientific evidence that this carnage will boost populations of moose and caribou," environmentalist and ecologist Rick Steiner told The Guardian. "And there is a growing body of evidence that it disrupts a healthy predator/prey balance in the wild."

Another problem with this practice lies in the exact motivation behind boosting moose and caribou populations. Opponents of the program believe it's more economical than ecological, arguing that the moose and caribou will only be hunted themselves. 

Then there's the basic inhumanity of helicopter hunting. While it is true that overpopulation of predators can be detrimental to an ecosystem, restoring balance doesn't necessarily require airborne mass murder. It likely doesn't also require the killing of up to 80% of predator populations, which is what this program is allowing.  

"Alaska's practice of indiscriminately strafing predators is both inhumane and inane," Steiner told The Guardian.

Why is protecting predator populations important?

The sheer beauty of creatures like wolves and bears is enough for many to want to protect them. But there's more to it than that.

Should the government be paying people to hunt invasive species? Definitely 👍 Depends on the animal 🤔 No way 👎 Just let people do it for free 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

While predators are sometimes looked at as destroyers — creatures who take away from an ecosystem by hunting — they actually prevent the destruction of ecosystems in many ways.

Without bears and wolves reducing prey populations, those populations can explode and wreak havoc on ecosystems. That can look like overgrazing, reduced biodiversity, the spread of diseases, and a domino effect that negatively impacts habitats down to plant life and soil health. 

What's being done about shrinking animal populations?

Hearing about cruel and brutal practices like the Alaskan aerial hunting program can be heartbreaking. But remember that there are still people both in Alaska and around the world who are fighting to protect wildlife.

A nonprofit in Michigan is set to open a 79-acre nature preserve in 2025 intended to protect local wildlife and connect locals with nature.

In North Carolina, a conservation group recently received an incredible 7,500-acre land donation. That protected land will safeguard not only a vast array of plants and wildlife, but also local waterways.

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