The gray wolf was critically endangered in the 1960s. They've bounced back, largely due to conservation efforts, and some populations have even be delisted from the endangered species list (though the delisting is controversial). They are starting to bring balance back to their ecosystems, though they still only occupy about 15% of their historical territory. So while they've overcome near destruction, there's still a lot of work going on to get and keep their population strong.

The other thought I had probably wouldn't make for such an awesome tattoo - I don't know. Have you ever kicked over an anthill? Or seen ants band together into a larger organism of sorts to float? Those are some resilient little suckers.