This information is provided by the National Park Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service as of 27 Apr 98. As of this date, about 82 wolves grouped in 10 packs inhabit the greater Yellowstone area. Seven of the ten packs have established territory within Yellowstone National Park. The eighth pack, the Washakie Pack, continues to inhabit national forest land in and around the Du Noir Valley south of Yellowstone. The ninth pair, number 41F a female and 52M a male, have been located just east of Yellowstone. The tenth pack, the Nez Perce Pack, is currently in an acclimation pen awaiting release some time before June of this year.
Wolf number 029M, having escaped the Nez Perce enclosure, has been located with wolf number 48F a lone female wolf. The hope is that these two will produce pups during this years breeding season. These two wolves have been located near the Nez Perce pen area in Yellowstone.
Five pups from the Thorofare Pack were orphaned this past February. The Alpha male from this pack has apparently been killed in an inter-pack struggle with the neighboring Soda Butte Pack. The Alpha female has also apparently died, her radio collar is emitting a mortality signal from under an avalanche site. However, biologists do not know if the two deaths are connected until they are able to retrieve the carcass.
Two members of the Druid Peak Pack were illegally shot last December east of Yellowstone. This incident is still under investigation.
Wolf number 39F a lone female wolf who had found the company of a dispersing male wolf, was also illegally shot east of the park. Special agents working on this case have a suspect, although the case is still pending.
A total of 27 wolves in Yellowstone have been radio collared this year in an effort to better study the animals, and monitor and manage the wolves. Contrary to a recent media reports, the decision to collar Yellowstone wolves was made prior to Judge Downes decision and therefore was not connected to the ruling.
The court ruling by Judge Downes has not altered operations by the wolf project staff. Monitoring, management and study of Yellowstone wolves is proceeding as planned.
As of this time, 43 wolves are currently radio collared in the Yellowstone ecosystem.
With the 1998 denning season in full swing, wolf project field crews have observed five of the ten packs showing signs of producing pups. It is expected that as many as 30 pups will be born into the Yellowstone ecosystem this year. The famous female wolf number 9 (alpha female of the Rose Creek Pack), has restricted her movements, indicating that she has very possibly produced pups again this year. This will be her forth litter of pups since first being reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995.
Of the 35 free roaming wolves, 20 inhabit the northern quarter of Yellowstone, 2 inhabit Pelican Valley in the central portion of the park, 5 inhabit the south central portion of Yellowstone near Heart Lake, and 2 wolves are located in the southeast corner of Yellowstone in the Thorofare region, another pair have restricted movement to an area about 20 miles northeast of Dubois, Wyoming, and four wolves travel widely throughout the Yellowstone area as lone wolves.
On 16 Jan 97, female #027 was captured. Her captured was necessitated due to the fact that from mid June 96 to mid July 96 she killed eight sheep. She will be held in an acclimation pen situated near Pelican Valley until a decision is made concerning her re-release. The remaining 12 wolves in captivity are scheduled for re-release during March or April 1997.
This information is provided by the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service as of 01 Oct 98. As of this date, 120 wolves (this includes wolves and this years pups) comprised of ten packs inhabit the greater Yellowstone area.
All ten packs have established territories in Yellowstone or close to the park border.
The Chief Joseph I Pack is inhabiting the northwest corner of Yellowstone.
The Chief Joseph II Pack which had been located in the northern range of Yellowstone, was not located during the most recent flight.
The alpha male of this pack, number 06M, recently died on natural causes. The exact cause of death has not been determined until a necropsy has been completed.
A dispersing male from the Druid Peak Pack has recently been located with this pack. It is very possible that he has become the alpha male of this pack.
A dispersing male from the Druid Peak Pack has recently been located with the Crystal Creek Pack. It is very possible that he has become the alpha male of the Crystal Creek Pack.
Wolf number 67F of the Nez Perce Pack had been involved in two depredations in the past and was located very near cattle again in the Centennial Valley west of Yellowstone, she was killed by Wildlife Services on Saturday, 22 Aug 98.
Biologist have not yet seen any free ranging pups with this pack since their release earlier this summer.
An uncollared black wolf has been located near the Soda Butte Pack just east of Yellowstone Lake.
Yellowstone Wolf Pups
Wolf project field crews have observed eight females in seven packs with pups of the year.
Chief Joseph Pack
It has been confirmed the alpha female of the Chief Joseph Pack has at least seven pups.
The Crystal Creek Pack has been observed by air crews in the Pelican Valley region of Yellowstone (just north of Yellowstone Lake), with nine pups.
The Druid Peak Pack has been observed with two pups (one black and one gray).
Biologists have observed the Leopold Pack with five pups.
In addition number 16F, a lone female, has also been observed with six pups. Biologists have not determined which wolf has bred her.
The Nez Perce Pack is caring for at least four pups which belonged to female wolf number 67F. The alpha female wolf, number 048F, has likely produced pups as well, although no pups have been observed by wolf project field crews.
The famous female wolf number 9F (alpha female of the Rose Creek Pack) and her daughter number 18F have been observed by wolf project field crews with ten pups. They were probably both bred by the alpha male, wolf number 8M. These two wolves shared the same den, which is very uncommon in the wild. The Rose Creek Pack has now moved away from their den to a rendezvous site far into the Yellowstone backcountry. This will be number 9's forth litter of pups since first being reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995. Last year both female wolves (number 9F and 18F of the Rose Creek Pack) had pups, but they denned in two different areas.
In all 43 pups in seven packs have been observed by field and air crews.
This information is provided by the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service as of 30 Jul 98. As of this date, 118 wolves (this includes wolves and this years pups) comprised of eleven packs inhabit the greater Yellowstone area.
Nine of the eleven packs have established territories in Yellowstone or just bordering the park.
The Druid Peak Pack has moved south of Lamar Valley.
The Leopold Pack is on the Blacktail Deer Plateau area in the northern portion of the park.
The Nez Perce Pack has been located at the den site of the Nez Perce pair, in central Yellowstone.
The Rose Creek Pack has been located on the Buffalo Plateau area in northern Yellowstone.
The Soda Butte Pack, has also been located in the Thorofare region a few miles away from the Thorofare Pack.This pack has not produced pups this year.
The Sunlight Pack, number 41F and number 52M, have been located just east of Yellowstone in the Sunlight Basin.
The Thorofare Pack The five yearling pups have recently been located in the Thorofare region of Yellowstone.
The Washakie Pack, has moved close to the southeast border of Yellowstone near the Thorofare Region.
After completing the necropsy of lone female wolf 111F, the cause of death of this yearling has been determined to be unknown.
A total of 27 wolves have been radio collared this year in an effort to better monitor, manage and study the animals. In all 40 wolves are currently collared in the Yellowstone area.
Wolf project field crews have observed seven packs or females with pups of the year.
Crystal Creek Pack
The Crystal Creek Pack has been observed by air crews in the Pelican Valley region of Yellowstone (just north of Yellowstone Lake), with five pups.
Druid Peak Pack
The Druid Peak Pack has been observed with two pups (one black and one gray) in Lamar Valley.
Leopold Pack
Lone Wolf
Nez Perce Pack
It is very probably the Nez Perce pair have produced pups although wolf project crews have not observed them with offspring. Female wolf number 67F of the Nez Perce Pack has whelped and is caring for four pups.
Rose Creek Pack
In all 39 pups in seven packs have been observed by field and air crews.
Female wolf #039 (also known as the white wolf), the former pupsitter of the Druid Peak Pack and an off and on member of the pack, took male wolf #021 from the Rose Creek Pack to meet the Druid Peak Pack. After #021 was driven off several times during a five hour period, he was accepted into the pack and it looks like he will be the replacement for the two male wolves (#031 and #038) that were killed illegally outside the park between Cooke City and Silver Gate, Montana. Wolf #039 then left the pack and resumed her lone travels in Lamar Valley. This information was provided by Kevin Sanders, Yellowstone Naturalist/Wolf Tracker.
The Druid Peak Pack was sighted this morning in the Soda Butte Area pursuing elk. No kill was reported.
Collar and re-collaring of the Yellowstone wolves is scheduled to begin tomorrow (04 Jan 99). There have been a few collars chewed off of the wolves in the southern area of the park. Collaring will be accomplished by a chopper and nets.
A female wolf from the Rose Creek Pack was killed by the Pack From Hell, also known as the Druid Peak Pack.
Wolf 107M, a gray male has been missing from the Druid Peak Pack. He may have dispersed from the park. He was last with the pack east of the park.
It looks like there may be two packs forming in the Grand Teton National Park area. These two packs will have a makeup of Nez Perce, Thorofare and Washakie wolves.
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