A young bull moose that’s dropped his antlers, feeds on willows along the banks of Soda Butte Creek in Yellowstone National Park. When I first started visiting Yellowstone in 1981, I saw moose throughout the park. But after the fires in 1988, the moose all but disappeared.
Moose in the Yellowstone ecosystem rely heavily on subalpine and Douglas fir forests for winter browse. The fires in 1988 devastated much of their needed food supply. The abnormally high elk population was also problematic, since they too foraged on willows along the rivers which moose also depend on.
Bring on the wolves. Wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995. They substantially reduced the elk population, and the forests have regrown, so moose are now returning. An ecosystem in balance is such a wonderful thing.