C. There were fewer elk on which the wolves could feed.
This explanation would suggest that the decrease in the wolf population between 2007 and 2009 may have been due to a decrease in the availability of their primary prey, elk. Wolves rely heavily on elk for food, so a decrease in the elk population could have had a significant impact on the wolf population in Wyoming during that time period.
Wolves prey on a variety of different animals. Since wolves live in packs, they are highly efficient in hunting larger prey. The graph below shows the wolf population in Wyoming between 2000 and 2015.
Which of the following could best explain what happened to the wolf population in Wyoming between 2007 and 2009?
A.
There was an increase in the birth rate of wolves.
B.
There was a larger habitat available for the wolves to live in.
C.
There were fewer elk on which the wolves could feed.
D.
There were more bison on which the wolves could feed.
1 answer