The gray wolf once roamed almost every part of the United States, from the forests of New England to the deserts of the Southwest. For centuries, wolves played a critical role in keeping nature balanced by controlling deer and elk populations. But by the early 1900s, wolves were hunted nearly to extinction in the U.S., driven by fear, myths, and government bounties. By 1974, fewer than 300 wolves remained in the entire lower 48 states. Then something extraordinary happened. Wolves were protected