There is proof that saving Michigan wolves is indeed an issue that Michiganders feel passionate about.
A proposed wolf hunt in Michigan could soon be put on hold, even though the Legislature approved a wolf-hunting bill during the lame duck session last December.
That's because today the group Keep Michigan Wolves Protected delivered more than 250,000 petition signatures to the Secretary of State's office.
The petition calls for Public Act 520, the law that designates the wolf as a potential game species, to be postponed until a voter referendum in November 2014.
It was put together by a coalition of conservation, animal welfare groups, and Native American tribes who joined forces.
It wasn't that long ago that the western Great Lakes wolf population was protected by the federal Endangered Species Act.
State wildlife experts believe there are now around 700 gray wolves in our state. Some farming and hunting groups say the population is large enough for a state-regulated hunt. They argue it's needed to manage the wolf population.
Opponents of a hunt have rallied, insisting the wolf population is still too small, and a hunt is cruel.
Jill Fritz is the director of Keep Michigan Wolves Protected.
She gives us perspective on the decision by lawmakers last December to designate the wolf as a potential game species in the state and answers the question "is it really time to control the wolf population in Michigan?"
Listen to the full interview above.
