Sample Essay

Aldo Leopold in this essay uses puts himself in a perspective of mountain. A mountain which has been around long enough to know what the howl of the wolf means when all others shudder in fear of it. The main point that the author tries to make in this essay is that though individuals may believe they understand what they are doing by interfering with the natural order of things. That a natural balance has been set over hundreds of years, one which man in his short lifetime cannot hope to comprehend in his short viewpoint. The author says that by interfering with nature and the balance set in the animal kingdom individuals may be safe and gain benefits in the short term. But they donor have the knowledge or the experience to know the consequences of their actions. Thus, it might be best if man accepts things as they are and not disturb the natural order and attempt to fit into it rather than mold it to his own purposes.

When we attempt to relate this essay to the field of wildlife management we can see that wildlife management is the direct result of man’s actions on the surrounding environment. It is not improbable that man’s interventions will cause a shift in the balance of nature and lead to some species being dominant in number. Thus, keeping the number of animals in check is important to the survival of all species. In the essay the author states that when man disturbs the inherent balance of nature by killing wolves, ultimately the responsibility to preserve the balance by thinning the herd falls to man. This is to preserve the biodiversity of an environment.

Additionally, it can also be supposed that the essay considers wildlife management to be another intervention on the part of man in relation to the environment. While it can be understood how man would consider such an action to be beneficial both for him and his environment. Like before however he does not fully understand the long term consequences of his actions and may be better off leaving nature to correct itself rather than imposing his own will upon it.




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