Wolves make roadways safer, generating large economic returns to predator conservation

Populations of apex predators have declined across the world's landscapes over the past 200 y due to government bounty programs, hunting pressure, habitat loss, and declines in prey populations (1, 2). Ecologists are beginning to unravel the far-reaching ecological effects of these changes (1-5), but little is known about the economic effects. While many of the costs attributable to predators are salient and quantifiable, such as predation on livestock and pets, estimating and valuing the often subtle and indirect beneficial effects of predators is more difficult (6, 7).* The recent expansion of the gray wolf (Canis lupus) offers a Recent studies uncover cascading ecological effects resulting from removing and reintroducing predators into a landscape, but little is known about effects on human lives and property. We quantify the effects of restoring wolf populations by evaluating their influence on deer-vehicle collisions (DVCs) in Wisconsin. We show that, for the average county, wolf entry reduced DVCs by 24%, yielding an economic benefit that is 63 times greater than the costs of verified wolf predation on livestock. Most of the reduction is due to a behavioral response of deer to wolves rather than through a deer population decline from wolf predation. This finding supports ecological research emphasizing the role of predators in creating a landscape of fear. It suggests wolves control economic damages from overabundant deer in ways that human deer hunters cannot.

Automated summary

Recent studies have shown that restoring wolf populations can significantly reduce deer-vehicle collisions in Wisconsin, with an economic benefit 63 times greater than the costs of wolf predation on livestock. The reduction in collisions is mainly attributed to the behavioral response of deer to wolves rather than a decrease in deer population due to predation.