It seems obvious, but now there’s hard science that confirms when wolves are allowed to be hunted near a national park, visitors tend to be treated to fewer wolf sightings. Furthermore, researchers say the study’s conclusions can be applied to not just wolves but any large carnivore than moves in and out of protected park land.

National Parks Service estimates that wolf watchers bring $35M tourism dollars to the greater Yellowstone area annually. Based on this one would think the wolf’s economic value coupled with its ecological importance would demonstrate good reason not kill wolves for sport surrounding the Park’s boundary (or anywhere else for that matter).

Read the paper in full here.