Yellowstone National Park was founded in 1872 and housed over 130 gray wolves. Up until the 1940s or 50s, the wolves were exterminated because nobody understood the necessity of predator vs. prey, and saw wolves as destroyers of elk and deer. By the mid-1900s there wasn’t a wolf population inside the majority of the lower 48 states, much less in Yellowstone. Throughout the following decades, environmental issues reached the national level and gained more attention. Many people started suggesting that wolves had to be brought back for the good of the ecosystems.
Then in January 1995, 14 wild wolves were captured in Alberta, Canada, and brought to Yellowstone. The wolves were from 3 packs and one lone male wolf. They were placed into 3 different acclimation pens. The pens were a fenced-in acre that let the wolves get used to Yellowstone without being in danger. The Yellowstone staff would bring elk, deer, and bison carcasses 2 times a week.
The Rose Creek pack consisted of wolf 9 (mother) and wolf 7 (her pup). The rest of their original pack had been killed, so wolf 10 (the lone wolf) was introduced to them. The Crystal Creek pack was made up of wolves 5 and 4 (alpha female and male respectively) and their 4 pups (2,3,6,8). The last 5 wolves were called the Soda Butte pack.
The wolves were kept in their pens for 10 weeks. After that, the fences were cut because the wolves were too scared to use the gates the people used. Over the next 10 days, all the wolves were out and roaming freely. The packs all started taking control of territories.
The story of the Rose Creek pack is one of the first instances of pups being born in Yellowstone again. First, the yearling wolf 7 left her mother. Then wolf 9 and 10 left the park and when they were tracked down, wolf 9 was nearing the end of her pregnancy. Sadly, wolf 10 was illegally killed by Chad McKittrick. The same day 10 was shot, 9 gave birth to 8 pups(including 16,17,18,19, and 21). This pack was brought back to 9’s original pen for 6 months for safety. There are still descendants of 9 and 10 in the park today.
While the Rose Creek pack was in their pen, yearling wolf 8 from the Crystal Creek pack visited them and helped take care of the pups. This led 9 to accept him and become his mate. 8 and 9 went on to have several litters together and had one of the biggest packs in Yellowstone. 9’s son, 21, was also the biggest wolf in the history of Yellowstone.
In 1996, more wolves were brought in from Canada, growing the gene pool. In 1997, 10 more wolves were brought in from Montana. As of January of this year, there are at least 108 wolves inside the park in 10 different packs. Wolves have helped balance prey populations, bring back plants, etc. This was one of the most successful reintroduction projects in history. I hope that this kind of success can be achieved in all reintroduction/restoration projects from now on.
Sources: The Rise of Wolf 8 by Rick McIntyre, https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/wolf-restoration.htm
Questions:
- Did you know about this?
- Have you ever been to Yellowstone? If so, did you see a wolf?
- Is there another animal that should be restored/reintroduced in its natural habitat?
Replies
I agree that it's cool that animals can restore nature mostly on their own.
Personally, I have never been to Yellowstone but it is somewhere I defineitely want to visit someday. I think Yellowstone is doing a fantastic thing by restoring these wolves to their natural habitat, hopefully to protect them and their kind. I'm sure there are many more animals out there that wish for the same.
I have been to Yellowstone and it's awesome. I definitely suggest going.
No I didn't know about this. Yes, I've been to yellowstone a few times and it was really cool. No, I didn't see any wolves when I was there. I can't think of any animals that should be restored/reintroduced in its natural habitat.
When I went to Yellowstone, I didn't see any wolves either.
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