Wolves may reduce frequency of car collisions with deer, not just by killing them but keeping them away from roads

Indigenous tribes and wildlife advocacy groups are suing the state of Wisconsin to stop the state wolf hunt, which was set to begin last week until a judge blocked it. Their concerns center on the wolves' lives, but there's another good reason to halt the hunt, Ed Yong writes for The Atlantic: New research shows that wolves can cut down on serious or fatal car collisions with deer, and not just by killing them.

Wolves "tend to prowl along human-made corridors such as trails and roads. By killing deer near these areas, or simply intimidating them into staying away, wolves could keep the animals far from cars," Yong reports. By analyzing 22 years of data, researchers found "Wisconsin’s wolves have reduced the frequency of deer-vehicle collisions by a quarter. They save the state $10.9 million in losses every year—a figure 63 times greater than the total compensation paid for the loss of livestock or pets."