Beavers had less food to eat. They also
had less wood to build dams.
Coyotes no longer had to share their
space with wolves. They became one of
the park’s top predators. Coyotes are
smaller than wolves. Unlike wolves, they
do not hunt larger prey. Instead, they
eat small mammals. Some animals, such
as foxes and eagles, relied on wolves’
hunting habits. They would eat parts
of elk after wolves had killed them. But
without wolves, fewer elk were being
hunted. Now, foxes and eagles had to
compete with coyotes for food.
In 1995, the government started
bringing wolves back to Yellowstone.
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