Clara DeMagalhaes Current Event #10
Robbins, Jim. “A Famous Alpha Wolf's Daughter, Spitfire, Is Killed by a Hunter.” The New York Times,
The New York Times, 30 Nov. 2018,
www.nytimes.com/2018/11/30/science/wolf-spitfire-killed.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront.
The New York Times, 30 Nov. 2018,
www.nytimes.com/2018/11/30/science/wolf-spitfire-killed.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront.
Recently, a wolf known as 926F, or “Spitfire”, was shot and killed by a hunter when it wandered a little way outside of Yellowstone National Park. This wolf was part of a pack called Lamar Canyon and
also happened to be the daughter of a well-renowned alpha female that was also killed by a hunter.
Technically, Spitfire had wandered into an area where wolves were permitted to be hunted, but the killing
is still extremely controversial. There have been attempts to have a buffer zone around the park be
established so that if wolves of Yellowstone, who have little fear of humans, cannot be shot. The buffer
was denied (though hunters are only permitted to shoot two wolves per year), but the uproar about the
general topic of wolf hunting near the national park has yet to quell. A guide for the Yellowstone Wolf
Tracker, Leo Leckie, tracks their family history, and believes that hunting these wolves makes seeing
them more rare. There are debates questioning how moral it is to hunt animals who have long thought
that humans are safe. Spitfire’s ancestry line hasn’t been extinguished, as she left behind a daughter
and her mate. However, the wolf biologist of the park, Doug Smith, says that the Lamar Canyon pack’s
survival may be in danger with the death of its matriarch. Now that its size has been reduced to 7
wolves, competing with other groups of wolves will be considerably harder.
also happened to be the daughter of a well-renowned alpha female that was also killed by a hunter.
Technically, Spitfire had wandered into an area where wolves were permitted to be hunted, but the killing
is still extremely controversial. There have been attempts to have a buffer zone around the park be
established so that if wolves of Yellowstone, who have little fear of humans, cannot be shot. The buffer
was denied (though hunters are only permitted to shoot two wolves per year), but the uproar about the
general topic of wolf hunting near the national park has yet to quell. A guide for the Yellowstone Wolf
Tracker, Leo Leckie, tracks their family history, and believes that hunting these wolves makes seeing
them more rare. There are debates questioning how moral it is to hunt animals who have long thought
that humans are safe. Spitfire’s ancestry line hasn’t been extinguished, as she left behind a daughter
and her mate. However, the wolf biologist of the park, Doug Smith, says that the Lamar Canyon pack’s
survival may be in danger with the death of its matriarch. Now that its size has been reduced to 7
wolves, competing with other groups of wolves will be considerably harder.
The article mentions that the controversy of hunting wolves near Yellowstone highlights “the clash
between the New West’s ecotourism and the Old West’s hunting to protect game and livestock”. Many
concerns for the park and the survival of the wolves have been expressed throughout the article, and
Leo Leckie talks about how because hunting wolves makes it more difficult to spot them, it hurts the
business of the national park. As mentioned in the summary, killing off the pack’s alpha leader
jeopardizes the survival of the entire group. The incident also brings into question whether its ethical to
hunt animals who have lost their fear of humans, which is a debate that could potentially extend to other
ecological topics. There’s also the effect that killing the daughter of such a beloved wolf has had on the
public. Spitfire’s mother was something of a celebrity and was even the subject of the book American
Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West, and so her popularity extends to her descendents
as well. As a result, public outrage only intensifies the conflict more.
between the New West’s ecotourism and the Old West’s hunting to protect game and livestock”. Many
concerns for the park and the survival of the wolves have been expressed throughout the article, and
Leo Leckie talks about how because hunting wolves makes it more difficult to spot them, it hurts the
business of the national park. As mentioned in the summary, killing off the pack’s alpha leader
jeopardizes the survival of the entire group. The incident also brings into question whether its ethical to
hunt animals who have lost their fear of humans, which is a debate that could potentially extend to other
ecological topics. There’s also the effect that killing the daughter of such a beloved wolf has had on the
public. Spitfire’s mother was something of a celebrity and was even the subject of the book American
Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West, and so her popularity extends to her descendents
as well. As a result, public outrage only intensifies the conflict more.
The article as a whole was very interesting and presented its information clearly. It was fast
paced and got straight to the point while providing enough background information for the
reader to fully understand. It also provided a couple of pictures so that the reader has a visual
representation of what the article is about. However, one of the drawbacks was that it
sometimes seemed like the author was trying to incorporate too much information at once and
in awkward places. It was hard to tell if the article just wanted to focus on what the public
response to the death of the wolf was or another subject and it was like the author wanted to
talk about everything the author could entail but couldn’t quite elaborate on why certain tidbits
were important or even necessary. And the order of subjects was also a bit strange, like how the
author had an entire paragraph in the middle of the article talking about the history of the wolves
when background information like that is better at the beginning. To improve, I suggest that the
author first talks about the background before expanding into their main points and making
them the main subject instead of trying to tackle everything at once.
paced and got straight to the point while providing enough background information for the
reader to fully understand. It also provided a couple of pictures so that the reader has a visual
representation of what the article is about. However, one of the drawbacks was that it
sometimes seemed like the author was trying to incorporate too much information at once and
in awkward places. It was hard to tell if the article just wanted to focus on what the public
response to the death of the wolf was or another subject and it was like the author wanted to
talk about everything the author could entail but couldn’t quite elaborate on why certain tidbits
were important or even necessary. And the order of subjects was also a bit strange, like how the
author had an entire paragraph in the middle of the article talking about the history of the wolves
when background information like that is better at the beginning. To improve, I suggest that the
author first talks about the background before expanding into their main points and making
them the main subject instead of trying to tackle everything at once.
Ella Stupart
ReplyDeleteMr. Ippolito C Even
December 6, 2018
Current Event 10
Citation:
Robbins, Jim. “A Famous Alpha Wolf's Daughter, Spitfire, Is Killed by a Hunter.” The New York Times,The New York Times, 30 Nov. 2018,
http://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/30/science/wolf-spitfire-killed.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront.
DeMeghallas, Clara. Rev. of Robbins, Jim. “A Famous Alpha Wolf's Daughter, Spitfire, Is Killed by a Hunter.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 30 Nov. 2018,
https://bronxvilleapbiology.blogspot.com/2018/12/a-famous-alpha-wolfs-daughter-spitfire.html
In her review of “A Famous Alpha Wolf's Daughter, Spitfire, Is Killed by a Hunter” by Jim Robbins, Clara includes the opinions of two people who are very knowledgeable on the subject being discussed, gives many important and interesting details, and provides an impressive analysis of the article. In her summary of the article about a specific wolf that has been hunted in Yellowstone National Park, Clara includes opinions of both the park Wolf Tracker, Leo Leckie and the park biologist, Doug Smith. The inclusion of these two opinions creates a more credible argument because they are both extremely involved in the issue and will be a big part in what actions will be taken in the future. Clara also includes many interesting and informative details about the subject throughout her review. She provides facts about the dynamic of wolf packs, tells how this was controversial due to the fact that he wolf who was hunted’s mother was also hunted and killed in the park, includes the names of various packs in the area, and the response of the public. These details provide context for the controversial event and give further analysis of the depth of the issue. It also shows how knowledgeable Clara is on the issue. It is obvious that she understands the article well and can speak about it comfortably. A third strength of Clara’s was her analysis and critique of the article. She chose unique areas in which the author could improve, like the order of subjects talked about, amount of information given at once, and lack of elaboration.
In order to improve her review, Clara could elaborate more on the effects of this event on the public and give more information on the dynamic of wolf packs. In her connection paragraph, Clara talks about why the issue is controversial, but lacks an overall effect on society. I was left wondering how this would affect people living in the area, what people living in different parts of the country think, if this is a world issue or just a local issue, and if any real actions will be taken due to this event. Also, it would be helpful if Clara included more information about how wolf packs are structured. For example, what is the job of the alpha female and why is she so important to the pack? She states that there are seven wolves left in the pack, but how many wolves are usually in a pack? Such information would make the article easier to understand.
I really enjoyed reading this review, because it connects to the movie we watched earlier in the year, “Killing Coyotes”. This review made me wonder if these wolves are in similar conditions as the coyotes in the movie. Hunting animals is a huge issue in our country and our government needs to come up with more regulations that protect animals, especially ones in National Parks. This killing is so controversial due to the fact that the wolf was technically in a part of the park which it is legal to hunt animals, according to the review. These animals are obviously not given enough space if they are found wandering in dangerous areas. Overall, Clara’s review was very informative and thought provoking.
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ReplyDeleteAs the ecological footprint of the human race grows increasingly larger and larger, we often find ourselves endangering the livelihood and continued survival of certain species of animals; keeping this in mind, I decided to read and evaluate Clara DeMegalhaes’ review of “A Famous Alpha Wolf’s Daughter, Spitfire, Is Killed by a Hunter” by Jim Robbins. There are many aspects of Clara’s review that I found to be very well-done; for instance, her summary was detailed yet concise. Clara states,“Now that its size has been reduced to 7 wolves, competing with other groups of wolves will be considerably harder.” She is able to describe the effects of uncontrolled hunting without being overly verbose. This clarity, when combined with the brevity of her prose, combine to form an organized, refreshingly straightforward summary and argument. Additionally, Clara’s discussion of the event’s significance is especially striking. Not only does she discuss “how because hunting wolves makes it more difficult to spot them, it hurts the business of the national park”, but she also draws connections between this event and the world in general, effectively conveying the magnitude of this singular event on a global scale. Lastly, Clara’s use of direct evidence from the original text aids the reader in achieving a greater understanding of the event and its consequences on species survival as well as public opinion. She comments, “The article mentions that the controversy of hunting wolves near Yellowstone highlights ‘the clash
ReplyDeletebetween the New West’s ecotourism and the Old West’s hunting to protect game and livestock.’” By incorporating quotes such as the aforementioned one into her review, Clara successfully and consistently uses factual evidence and expert opinions to support her claims. These quotes are also utilized in moderation; in other words, the quotes do not result in a loss of input from the reviewer herself, and instead are used in a way that only enhances her own ideas and discussions.
Despite being a very strong review overall, there are a few areas of her review that are somewhat lacking. Clara’s analysis of the article’s shortcomings was confusing to read; it was difficult to comprehend what exactly she was critiquing until she explicitly stated it towards the end of her review. The wording is a bit convoluted- for example, she notes, “It was hard to tell if the article just wanted to focus on what the public response to the death of the wolf was or another subject and it was like the author wanted to talk about everything the author could entail but couldn’t quite elaborate on why certain tidbits were important or even necessary.” This is a run-on sentence, and it was difficult for me to comprehend. It would have been more clear if she had split this sentence (and sentences like this) into two more coherent, shorter ones. Clara also fails to explain how Spitball’s mother and the Lamar Canyon wolf pack are significant- how are these wolves different from the typical wolves in other areas? She should include some information concerning the wolves’ significance, not merely their impact. This would greatly increase general understanding of the impact caused by Spitfire’s death.
Upon reading this review and article, I gained considerable knowledge concerning the dangers of hunting and human impact on rare species. They taught me greater appreciation for the world that we inhabit, including other life forms besides human beings. I chose to read this article in particular because I found it interesting that this event involves multiple facets- property issues, hunting rights, and conservation being just a few of them. This has changed my perception of the controversy over hunting; not only has it been shown time and time again that hunting is inhumane and unnecessary, but its effects have also demonstrated that hunting can pose a serious threat to ecosystem stability and play a critical role in the extinction of an entire species.
ReplyDeleteRobbins, Jim. “A Famous Alpha Wolf's Daughter, Spitfire, Is Killed by a Hunter.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 30 Nov. 2018,
www.nytimes.com/2018/11/30/science/wolf-spitfire-killed.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront.
Clara reviewed an article which reports on the killing of an alpha female wolf near Yellowstone national park. Clara had many successful writing techniques when reviewing this article. Firstly, she does an excellent job summarizing Robbins's article. She goes in depth describing the content of the article, allowing the reader to fully understand her arguments. Secondly, Clara explains thoroughly why this is an issue facing the species. She says "As mentioned in the summary, killing off the pack’s alpha leader jeopardizes the survival of the entire group". She makes it clear that this is not one isolated killing, but rather one that will disrupt many wolves' lives. Lastly, Clara makes good observations about the structure of Robbins's article. She says "And the order of subjects was also a bit strange, like how the author had an entire paragraph in the middle of the article talking about the history of the wolves
when background information like that is better at the beginning." This is a good piece of advice for the author to better improve his article.
I believe there are areas where Clara could improve her writing. There are some areas of her article where her sentence structure is not fully concise. For example, she says " It was hard to tell if the article just wanted to focus on what the public response to the death of the wolf was or another subject and it was like the author wanted to talk about everything the author could entail but couldn’t quite elaborate on why certain tidbits were important or even necessary." This segment could be revised in order to be more clear for the reader. Additionally, Clara could go more into detail about how the alpha wolf affects its pack, and in what ways the death of an alpha affects the survival of the pack.
The article Clara chose provides significant insight on the importance of population preservation. Trophy hunting is a very controversial topic, and being that it leads to hunting of endangered species, it should be completely banned in my opinion. The death of one animal, for example the alpha wolf of a wolf pack, can result in the death of many other wolves as the social structure of the wolf pack has been disrupted. This is a very important topic, and Clara did a good job summarizing the effects of trophy hunting.