Crying Wolf Exposing the Wolf Reintroduction to Yellowstone National Park is a 2011 independent documentary film by Jeffrey D. King, the founder of Broken Hints Media. It delves into the controversial Wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone issue, as well as environmentalism

Environmentalism

Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...

 and conservationism in general from a Christian

Christian

A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

 perspective.

The Director and his Motivations

The director/producer of the film, Jeffrey D. King, a former resident of rural Montana

Montana

Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...

 in the area around Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...

, grew up familiar with the issue of wolf reintroduction, and was inspired to make the film by his religious convictions and his passions for wildlife

Wildlife

Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....

 and videography

Videography

Videography refers to the process of capturing moving images on electronic media even streaming media). The term includes methods of video production and post-production...

. Given this background, he was well aware of the issues at hand and the main arguments on both sides, which are addressed in the film.

A unique dimension to the film is the Christian concept of taking dominion (Genesis 1:28, repeating, in command

Precept

A precept is a commandment, instruction, or order intended as an authoritative rule of action.-Christianity:The term is encountered frequently in the Jewish and Christian Scriptures; e.g.:...

 form

Imperative mood

The imperative mood expresses commands or requests as a grammatical mood. These commands or requests urge the audience to act a certain way. It also may signal a prohibition, permission, or any other kind of exhortation.- Morphology :...

, the part of God's plan

Divine providence

In Christian theology, divine providence, or simply providence, is God's activity in the world. " Providence" is also used as a title of God exercising His providence, and then the word are usually capitalized...

 also contained in Genesis 1:26). The Dominion Mandate

Cultural mandate

The cultural mandate or creation mandate is the divine injunction found in Genesis 1:28, in which God , after having created the world and all in it, ascribes to humankind the tasks of filling, subduing, and ruling over the earth...

, the idea, is not to be confused with Dominionism

Dominionism

Dominionism is a term used to describe politically active conservative Christians that are believed to conspire and seek influence or control over secular civil government through political action, especially in the United States, with the goal of either a nation governed by Christians, or a nation...

 or Dominion Theology

Dominion Theology

Dominion Theology is seen by some as a subset of Dominionism, a term used by some social scientists and journalists to describe a theological form of political ideology, which they claim has broadly influenced the Christian Right in the United States, Canada, and Europe, within Protestant...

, both of which are rooted in that concept. In Christianity

Christianity

Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...

, taking dominion (using the earth and its resources

Natural Resources

Natural Resources is a soul album released by Motown girl group Martha Reeves and the Vandellas in 1970 on the Gordy label. The album is significant for the Vietnam War ballad "I Should Be Proud" and the slow jam, "Love Guess Who"...

 for the needs of man

Human

Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...

 and to the glory of God) is the corollary of Biblical stewardship (conserving those resources for later use or for aesthetic reasons and to the glory of God

God in Christianity

In Christianity, God is the eternal being that created and preserves the universe. God is believed by most Christians to be immanent , while others believe the plan of redemption show he will be immanent later...

), both concepts being primarily derived from the passage in Genesis. The preceding two verses, Genesis 1:26, 27
are the basis for Imago Dei

Imago Dei

The Image of God is a concept and theological doctrine within the Abrahamic religions which asserts that human beings are created in God's image and therefore have inherent value independent of their utility or function.-Biblical description:...

, wherefrom Christians hold that man ultimately derives his nature

Human nature

Human nature refers to the distinguishing characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling and acting, that humans tend to have naturally....

, distinctiveness

Soul

A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...

, value

Meaning (existential)

In existentialism, meaning is understood as the worth of life. Meaning in existentialism is unlike typical conceptions of "the meaning of life", because it is descriptive. Due to the method of existentialism, prescriptive or declarative statements about meaning are unjustified. Meaning is only...

, rights

Natural rights

Natural and legal rights are two types of rights theoretically distinct according to philosophers and political scientists. Natural rights are rights not contingent upon the laws, customs, or beliefs of any particular culture or government, and therefore universal and inalienable...

, will

Free will

"To make my own decisions whether I am successful or not due to uncontrollable forces" -Troy MorrisonA pragmatic definition of free willFree will is the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints. The existence of free will and its exact nature and definition have long...

, individuality, and sovereignty

Self-ownership

Self-ownership is the concept of property in one's own person, expressed as the moral or natural right of a person to be the exclusive controller of his own body and life. According to G...

, but also his subordinate status

Deference

Deference is the condition of submitting to the espoused, legitimate influence of one's superior or superiors. Deference implies a yielding or submitting to the judgment of a recognized superior out of respect or reverence...

 to his Creator

Content

Featured in the film as interviewees are retired USFWS biologist Jim Beers, Stephen Vantassel Ph.D.

Ph.D.

A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...

, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is a conservationist organization, founded in the United States in 1984 by four hunters from Troy, Montana with the mission of ensuring the future of elk, other wildlife, and their habitat...

 President David Allen, and Abundant Wildlife Society of North America's founder, Troy R. Mader, as well as outfitter Bill Hoppe and a number of ranchers. Interviews (conducted by the director) and original footage of wolves, bears, buffalo

Buffalo

-Bovine:* African Buffalo or Cape Buffalo * American Buffalo, North American colloquial name for American Bison * Wisent, or Eurasian Buffalo...

, elk

Elk

The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...

, as well as scenery from Montana, Wyoming

Wyoming

Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...

, and Idaho

Idaho

Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....

, especially in and around Yellowstone Park are the bulk of the film, but also included are photos of wolves, livestock

Livestock

Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...

, wildlife, historical figures (such as U.S. Presidents Teddy Roosevelt, an avid hunter, and Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton

William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...

, and soldier 'Yellowstone' Kelly

Luther Kelly

Luther Sage "Yellowstone" Kelly was an American soldier, hunter, scout, adventurer and administrator. He served briefly in the American Civil War and then in an 1898 expedition to Alaska. He commanded a U.S...

) and the like.