Gotta disagree with you there: *Gray wolves are indeed native to the northern and central rockies. *Gray wolves are the natural predators of elk and deer population; they don't have a "negative" effect on their numbers in an ecological sense. *Gray wolves are spreading rapidly because there are ecological niches waiting to be filled. Once they reach carrying capacity in an area they move out and reduce their litter size. *Gray wolves have some similar food sources as mtn lions but hunt far more elk, while the lions focus more on deer. Mexican wolf and gray wolf ranges do not currently overlap in any significant way. *You are right though, there will be negative consequences for some folks (and positive consequences for others)