This information is provided by the National Park Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service as of 05 Jan 97. As of this date, about 90 wolves grouped in 9 packs inhabit the greater Yellowstone area. Seven packs have established territory within Yellowstone National Park. Although one of these packs, the Soda Butte Pack has recently moved south of the park in the area of Grand Teton National Park. The eighth pack, the Washakie pack is inhabiting national forest land in the Du Noir Valley south of Yellowstone. The ninth pack, the Nez Perce Pack, is currently in an acclimation pen awaiting release some time month. Two member of the Druid Peak Pack has recently been illegally shot east of Yellowstone. This incident is still under investigation.
The recent 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.
The Park Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service are in the process of capturing the wolves with a helicopter and net gun and placing radio collars on the wolves. As you know, the new pups and last years pups do not have collars. And some of the old collars batteries have worn out.... not the energizer batteries.....
Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Michael Finley announced today that during early January 1998 approximately 40 to 45 free-ranging wolves from 8 different wolf packs will be captured and radio-collared. This will enable park biologists to continue to track reintroduced wolves and their offspring and to determine if and when a recovered wolf population has been achieved. Minimal radio collaring has been done on the offspring; additionally, some radio collars on originally reintroduced Canadian wolves need to be replaced. The capture and radio-collaring project is a part of the monitoring and recovery plan approved in 1995 and underway since then. The radio-collaring project is unrelated to the recent federal court ruling.
Wolves were reintroduced to the park in January 1995 (14 wolves) and 1996 (17 wolves) as a non-essential experimental population under the Endangered Species Act. The reintroduction program is doing better than predicted, with approximately 85 pups born over the reintroduction period and a total of 90 free-ranging wolves that reside mainly in the park. Federal law requires that a recovered gray wolf population be documented in each of three recovery areas (Yellowstone, central Idaho, and northwestern Montana) before they can be removed from the endangered species list. A recovered population is defined as a minimum of 10 pairs of wolves breeding for 3 consecutive years in each of the recovery areas.
All capture attempts will be accomplished by helicopter net gunning in a safe and humane manner. All netted wolves will be muzzled, blindfolded, and hobbled and then processed. Processing will include radio collaring, blood extraction, weighing, sex determination, and condition evaluation. Collared animals will be released at point of capture. The goal is to capture 30 to 50 percent of the pups in each pack and replace or install collars on the two lead adults in each pack.
Helicopter Wildlife Management, leading experts world-wide in wildlife capture and handling procedures, have donated their equipment (including helicopters) and personnel to do the net-gunning operation. Wolf radio-collars have been purchased with private donations. All capture operations will be overseen by and coordinated with the Yellowstone Wolf Project staff and the park's Fire Cache (helicopter operations).
This information is provided by the National Park Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service as of 18 Dec 97. As of this date, about 90 wolves grouped in 9 packs inhabit the greater Yellowstone area. Seven packs have established territory within Yellowstone National Park. Although one of these packs, the Soda Butte Pack has recently moved south of the park in the area of Grand Teton National Park. The eighth pack, the Washakie pack is inhabiting national forest land in the Du Noir Valley south of Yellowstone. The ninth pack, the Nez Perce Pack, is currently in an acclimation pen awaiting release some time in January 1998. Wolf #029 a male, has escaped the Nez Perce Pen enclosure and has been located in Hayden Valley. ADC officials claim wolf #037, who also escaped the Nez Perce Pen has committed her second offense in killing livestock, therefore she was recently shot when she left Yellowstone. Two member of the Druid Peak Pack has recently been illegally shot east of Yellowstone. This incident is still under investigation.
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.
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.
This information is provided by the National Park Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service as of 01 Dec 97. As of this date, about 90 wolves grouped in 9 packs inhabit the greater Yellowstone area. Seven packs have established territory within Yellowstone National Park. The eighth pack, the Washakie pack is inhabiting national forest land in the DuNoir Valley south of Yellowstone. The ninth pack, the Nez Perce Pack, is currently in an acclimation pen awaiting release some time in January 1998. Unfortunately, wolf #029 a male and wolf #027 a female, have escaped the enclosure area. ADC officials claim wolf #037 has committed her second offense in killing livestock, therefore she was recently shot when she left Yellowstone. Number 029 was located in Hayden Valley as of Sunday, 30 Nov 97.
This information is provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Research
Aversive conditioning trials for the 3 Sheep Mountain wolves began again this week. Last week weather conditions prevented the calf from being transported to the pen. The shock collars have been repositioned and the TESF biologist believed the problem during the last test was because the collars were not making proper contact through the wolves' thick winter fur. The procedure will be video taped and shared with other reporters who participated in the media tour/pool last month. Tests went well but the calf appeared to follow/chase the wolves around a little (payback is heck!).
The month-long Yellowstone National Park winter predation study starts November 15th . Volunteer training was conducted this week.
Information and education and law enforcement
During the week of November 13th several of the wolf program's biologists will be giving papers at or attending the Carnivores 2000 Conference in Denver, CO. Fontaine will be acting recovery coordinator and can be reached at (406)449-5225 x206.
NATIONAL WOLF RECLASSIFICATION PROPOSED
The proposal can be accessed at http://midwest.fws.gov/wolf. The 120-day public comment period ends MONDAY- NOVEMBER 13th. Anyone wanting to be placed on the Service's mailing list should write to US Fish and Wildlife Service, Gray Wolf Review, 1 Federal Dr., Fort Snelling, MN 55111-4056, use the [email protected] email address, or phone 612-713-7337. A final decision is likely in July 2001. All comments on the proposal should be sent to [email protected] or by mail to: Content Analysis Team, Wolf Comments, 200 East Broadway, P.O. Box 7669, Room 301, Missoula, MT 59807.
National Reclassification Public Hearings
A wolf hearing was held on Oct. 24 in Portland, OR. Ninety-six people attended and 25 people spoke. The Boise, ID meeting on Halloween was attended by about 33 people and 11 testified. The informational/hearing in Orono, Maine was held on Oct 12, 153 people attended and 32 spoke. Generally most liked the NE DPS but wanted full protection under the Act. The last hearing was held in Twin Falls, ID on Nov. 2. A total of about 40 people attended and 15 spoke. Most were pro-wolf who wanted more protection for wolves in more places under the ESA.
Public comments, including all testimony will be analyzed this fall/winter and a final decision should be made and finalized by July 2001.
Fontaine gave 2 presentations to about 25 teenagers and teachers at the Alternative Youth Adventure school in Boulder on Nov. 8th.
This information is provided by the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on 03 Feb 99. As of this date, 110 wolves, comprised of eleven packs inhabit the greater Yellowstone area. About 9 packs have established territory within Yellowstone National Park as well as Grant Teton National Park. Two packs currently inhabit areas near the border of Yellowstone.
The Chief Joseph I Pack is inhabiting the northwest area of Yellowstone. Two pups from this pack have been hit by vehicles along US Highway 191 in the past three months.
The Chief Joseph II Pack has been located just north of Yellowstone.
Biologists have been puzzled by who bred the alpha female of this pack in 1998. A large male estimated to be 1.5 to 2.5 years old was captured and collared with this pack during this years collaring efforts. It is almost certain that he is the mate to the alpha female of this pack. Because of the uncertainty of his age, it had not clear if he was breeding male last February.
The Crystal Creek Pack has been located in the Pelican Valley area just north of Yellowstone Lake.
The Druid Peak Pack has recently been located in Lamar Valley in the northeast area of Yellowstone.
Wolf 104M a dispersing male from the Druid Peak Pack has been located with the Crystal Creek Pack and is their new Alpha Male
The Leopold Pack is on the Blacktail Deer Plateau area in the northern portion of the park.
The Nez Perce Pack has been located in the west central area of Yellowstone.
The alpha male of this pack has dispersed for unknown reasons.
Since he has left the pack, he has been located with a female yearling from the Thorofare Pack in Grand Teton National Park, south of Yellowstone.
The alpha male's radio collar has been chewed off, but since he has ear tags, biologist were able to identify him with this female wolf.
A third wolf has also been sighted with these two wolves.
These wolves have been temporarily been named the Jackson Trio.
The Rose Creek Pack has been located west of Lamar Valley in the northern range of Yellowstone.
The Soda Butte Pack, has moved north of Grand Teton National Park, near Yellowstone.
A female from this pack, number 24F has dispersed from the pack. She has been located with a male from the Washakie pack. These two wolves are currently inhabiting the Teton Wilderness.
They have been temporarily name the Teton Pair.
The Sunlight Pack, number 41F and number 52M, were last located just east of Yellowstone in the Sunlight Basin.
As of this time, 51 wolves are currently radio collared in the Yellowstone area. Collaring efforts are currently in progress. So far, 11 pups, 5 yearlings and one adult in six packs in Yellowstone's northern range have been collared since operations began on 12 Jan 99. The goal is to collar 25 to 30 wolves in the great Yellowstone area.
This information is provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on 06 Oct 00. As of this date, 165 to 185 wolves, comprised of about 16 packs inhabit the greater Yellowstone area.
In the Yellowstone Ecosystem, the estimated maximum wolves are 165-185 wolves. This includes - 11 breeding pairs, 2 maybe or likely, and 3 non breeding pairs.
Breeding pairs or packs are - Druid Peak, Rose Creek, Leopold, Chief Joseph, Nez Perce, Soda Butte, Gros Ventre, Sunlight Basin, Absorka (#153), #152 group, and Taylor Peaks ( #115 Group). Maybe/likely is Beartooth (#9) and Wall Creek (uncollared).
Packs that didn't breed are Crystal Creek, Sheep Mountain (3 males in captivity), and Teton.
Control
A rancher in Wyoming was issued a permit and ammunition to shoot wolves on his property. The less-than-lethal ammunition (a bean bag round) can be fired from a 12 gauge shotgun. It has a range of over 100 yards but is only accurate at less than 50m. The shotgun shells contain a lead filled bean bag that is designed to provide some non-lethal negative reinforcement and condition them to stay away from the ranch house, barn, or calving pasture.
A new take permit was issued to one sheep producer, who had earlier received one of two 45-day permits to shoot a wolf in the act of physically attacking sheep. The old permits expired August 24th and were never used. While there have been no further problems, wolves continue to be reported in the area by hunters and the herders, and the permit allows a problem wolf to be taken on this remote Forest Service allotment in the Yellowstone Experimental Population area. The sheep are moving off the allotment now. The new permit, allows one wolf that is seen attacking sheep to be shot. It expires October 15.
The "training" of wolves to avoid cattle as prey will begin the final round of testing this month. The program is a cooperative one between USDA Wildlife Services (Dr. John Shivik leads the research), the Service (who coordinates overall program), Turner Endangered Species Fund (cares for the wolves, provides logistic support, will assist with post release monitoring), National Park Service (provided the pen and will help with post-release monitoring), Defenders of Wildlife (supports aversive conditioning), and University of Montana (study design and expertise). The 3 wolves from the Sheep Mountain pack will be exposed to cattle (calves) again to see if they continue to avoid them. During twice weekly wolf feedings, members of the press will be allowed to accompany the TESF biologist.
During the first trails none of the wolves were suspected of attacking cattle. A calf was finally left in the pen overnight and was apparently undisturbed by the wolves, even thought they had not been recently fed . During the other trials wolves also did not even approach any of the calves placed in the pen. We are uncertain if this is because these wolves are simply are too shy to attack large prey while in the pen, or because of a single apparent training event by 1 wolf. That wolf had approached a calf hide with triggering transmitter on it, when it jumped back- suggesting its' collar may have been triggered. The other 2 wolves watched it approach the calf hide. None of them approached the hide after that incident. It is possible that this resulted in all 3 wolves avoiding anything smelling like cattle. The standard dog (Pet-Safe brand- no endorsement by the federal Government is to be implied) training collar is suspected of only being triggered on that one instance. Unfortunately the collars did not have a counting device to show how many times they may have been triggered, something that WS is attempting to add to future experiments. The study results so far indicate wolves may be quick social learners and one experience by one wolf may be quickly learned by other wolves who have simply watched. If these early encouraging results continue to indicate these wolves' lack of interest in cattle, the 3 wolves will be radio-collared and released in mid-October back in the original Sheep Mountain pack territory north of Gardiner, MT. If they depredate on livestock again they will be killed.
Information and Education and Law Enforcement
The week of October 15th is National Wolf Awareness Week. We have 100's of the posters (drawing of Mexican wolf on front and national distribution map and information on back) to display if anyone (agency or educators only please) wants them. They are great to hand out to classrooms, etc., if you are doing that type of thing. Call 406-449-5225 x204.
This information is provided by the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on 05 Nov 99. As of this date, 160 wolves, comprised of about 12 packs inhabit the greater Yellowstone area. About 9 packs have established territory within Yellowstone National Park as well as Grant Teton National Park. Three packs currently inhabit wilderness areas in the Yellowstone ecosystem. There are currently nine breeding pairs in the Yellowstone ecosystem.
On 29 Jul 99, the appeal of the ruling by Judge Downes to remove the wolves from Yellowstone and central Idaho was heard. Oral arugments were heard by a three judge panel at the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, Colorado. A decision on the case was not made at that time. A ruling on the appeal is expected within three to nine months.
The 1997 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.
The Chief Joseph Pack is inhabiting the northwest area of Yellowstone.
The Druid Peak Pack is located in the Lamar Valley area in the northeast section of Yellowstone.
The Sheep Mountain Pack (Formerly the Chief Joseph II Pack), has been located just north of Yellowstone.
The Soda Butte Pack, has been located along the southern border of Yellowstone.
They have been named the Teton Pack.
The Washakie II Pack, (a newly formed and named pack) has been inhabiting the area known as the Washakie Wilderness. It is possible that two to three wolves are members of the old Washakie and/or old Thorofare Packs.
The Gros Ventre Pack (formerly the Jackson Trio), has been located in the Teton Wilderness area.
The Teton Pack, has been located in the Grand Teton National Park area.
Twelve females in ten packs have produced pups in the Yellowstone ecosystem. They are:
Chief Joseph PackCrystal Creek PackDruid Peak PackGros Ventre PackLeopold PackNez Perce PackRose Creek Pack (three dens)Sheep Mountain PackSunlight Basin PackTeton Pack
Sixty-four (64) pups in ten packs have been observed by wildlife biologists.
Visitors are reminded that denning areas are closed to help protect the pups and the packs. Please check at any visitor center in Yellowstone or Grand Teton for closure areas.
There have been two confirmed wildlife depredations on livestock just north of Yellowstone. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and National Park Wildlife Services recently removed 6 wolves from the Sheep Mountain Pack. The alpha male was put down as it is believed that he was the leader of the depredation.
Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Michael Finley announced today that beginning 11 Jan 1999, weather permitting, park biologists plan to capture and radio-collar approximately 25 to 30 free-ranging wolves from 10 different wolf packs in the greater Yellowstone area. The capture and radio-collaring project is a part of the monitoring and recovery plan approved in 1995 and underway since then. During last year's wolf-collaring project, 27 wolves from 7 packs were captured and radio-collared, bringing the total to 35 radio-collared wolves in the greater Yellowstone area.
Wolves were reintroduced to the park in January 1995 (14 wolves) and 1996 (17 wolves) as a non-essential experimental population under the Endangered Species Act. The reintroduction program is doing better than predicted, with approximately 130 pups born over the reintroduction period and currently a total of 120 free-ranging wolves that reside mainly in the park. Federal law requires that a recovered gray wolf population be documented in each of three recovery areas (Yellowstone, central Idaho, and northwestern Montana) before they can be removed from the endangered species list. (A recovered population is defined as a minimum of 10 pairs of wolves breeding for 3 successive years in each of the recovery areas.) The radio-collaring project will enable park biologists to continue to track reintroduced wolves and their offspring and to determine if and when a recovered wolf population has been achieved.
All capture attempts will be accomplished by helicopter dart gunning in a safe and humane manner. Processing will include radio collaring, blood extraction, weighing, sex determination, and condition evaluation. Collared animals will be released at point of capture. The goal is to capture 30 to 50 percent of the pups in each pack and replace or install collars on the two lead adults in each pack.
Hawkins and Powers of Greybull, Wyoming, was the successful competitive helicopter bidder for the wolf collaring project. Staff from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Animal Damage Control, will do the dart gunning. All capture operations will be overseen by and coordinated with the Yellowstone Wolf Project staff and the park's Fire Cache (helicopter operations). This is a National Park Service Press Release.
This information is provided by the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on 06 May 99. As of this date, 110 wolves, comprised of eleven packs inhabit the greater Yellowstone area. About 8 packs have established territory within Yellowstone National Park as well as Grant Teton National Park. Three packs currently inhabit areas near the border of Yellowstone.
The Chief Joseph I Pack is inhabiting the northwest area of Yellowstone.
The Jackson Trio Pack, has been located in the Grand Teton National Park area.
The Teton Duo Pack, has been located in the Teton Wilderness.
Eleven females in ten packs have likely denned and produced pups in the Yellowstone ecosystem. They are:
Chief Joseph PackCrystal Peak PackDruid Peak PackJackson Trio PackLeopold PackNez Perce PackRose Creek Pack (two dens)Sheep Mountain PackSunlight Basin PackTeton Duo Pack
Visitors are reminded that denning areas are closed to help protect the pups and the packs. Please check at any visitor center for closure areas.
May 13th, has been set as the date to hear the appeal of Judge Downes ruling to remove the wolves from Yellowstone and central Idaho. Lawyers from both sides will give oral arguments in the appeal of this ruling.
The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, Colorado will hear the argument. No decision will be made at that time regarding the case.
A total of 24 wolves have recently been radio collared in an effort to better understand population dynamics of wolves in the Yellowstone ecosystem. This valuable data will help wolf biologists in determining the delisting of the wolves in the Rocky Mountain Region. This collaring effort brings the total collared wolves in Yellowstone to 54. In 1999 - 12 pups, 9 yearlings, 3 adults in 7 packs in Yellowstone's ecosystem were collared.
The month of December has seen continued wolf activity in Grand Teton National Park and the surrounding area. Since their initial forays south from Yellowstone in late November, the Soda Butte Pack, currently comprised of six wolves, along with two newly-formed groups of two and three wolves respectively, have been frequenting Grand Teton National Park on an increasing basis. While wolves #133 (black male) and #24 (black female) have been lingering in the Elk Ranch area near the park's eastern boundary, the Soda Butte Pack and the trio of #129 (black female), #29 (gray male), and an uncollared subordinate appear to be exploring the southern part of the valley. The latter group arrived on the National Elk Refuge on Monday, 04 Jan 99, and made their first known kill on the refuge two days later.
Throughout December, wolves #24F and #133M remained near Grand Teton National Park's east boundary, in the vicinity of the Elk Ranch reservoir and Wolff Ridge. According to Park Biologist Mason Reid, "Uhl Hill and Wolff Ridge have the best ungulate winter range in the park, so these animals should be doing quite well, as evidenced by their small-scale movements."
Wolf #129F and her two associates ranged widely during December, exploring Granite Canyon and Phelps Lake in the park's southwestern region. This group continued to frequent Timbered Island and Burned Ridge, where they were first located in the park over a month ago. Radio signals from #129F indicated that she had reached the northern hills of the National Elk Refuge as of Monday, 04 Jan 99. On the morning of Wednesday, 06 Jan 99, the trio were observed feeding on an elk carcass further south on the refuge.
The six wolves of the Soda Butte Pack continued south from the Teton Wilderness, passing through the vicinity of Pacific Creek/Two Ocean Lake en route to Burned Ridge, where they were observed within a mile of wolf #129F on 23 Dec 98. Radio signals from three collared wolves located the Soda Butte Pack in the Snake River bottoms south of Deadman's Bar, and most recently on the southeastern side of Blacktail Butte. Several wolf sightings were reported in the vicinity of Kelly on 05 Jan 99.
Consistent use of the park and sustained southward movements by the wolves suggests the possibility that some or all of these groups could den in or near Grand Teton National Park this spring, marking the first wolf denning attempts in over fifty years. The establishment of den sites in the park could lead to special area closures during the spring to protect the wolves and their pups. Park and refuge biologists continue to monitor developments related to wolf pack dynamics in Jackson Hole. This is a National Park Service press release.
This information is provided by the National Park Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service as of 01 Apr 97. As of this date, about 80 wolves grouped in 10 packs inhabit the greater Yellowstone area. Seven of the ten packs have established territory within Yellowstone National Park. The eight 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 recently been seen 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 have been orphaned. 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 an avalanche site. However, biologists do not know if the two deaths are connected until they are able to retrieve the carcass.
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 report, the decision to collar Yellowstone wolves was made prior to Judge Downes decision and therefore was not connected to the ruling.
This information is provided by the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as of 12 Dec 98. As of this date, 117 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 Thorofare and Washakie packs have dispersed and are no longer considered packs.
There are five or six wolves now in the general area of Grand Teton National Park.
The alpha male, number 29M, of the Nez Perce Pack has dispersed for unknown reasons. He has been located with a female yearling from the Thorofare Pack. They have been located in Grand Teton National Park, south of Yellowstone.
Wolf number 133, a Washakie black male wolf and wolf number 24, a black female from the Soda Butte Pack are in the Teton area and there may be one or two other wolves with them.
Within a two to three week period, the wolves will be going into their mating season.
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