No 41F–The last remaining introduced wolf dead: 2/17/04
The last remaining wolf reintroduced into Yellowstone park is now dead. No. 41F, originally released with the Druid Peak pack during the second, 1996-97 release program was shot by U.S. Fish and Wildlife agents on Feb. 12 in or near Sunlight Basin, east of Yellowstone after she and a second wolf reportedly killed a calf. No. 41F was the surviving sister of #42F(see: Famous Druid Pack Female Found Dead 2/3/04 ) her physical condition was very poor at time of death, old, and was reported to be limping prior to her death.
Here is the description by the USFWS, and provided courtesy:Ralph Maughan
“Two members of the Sunlight Basin pack killed a newborn calf on private land on the (Feb.) 6th. Female wolf #41- the last? of the original reintroduced wolves and the pack’s former alpha female was responsible. She is no longer alpha, has mange, and is limping, and is no longer closely associated with the pack. She was accompanied by another uncollared wolf with mange and only 2 sets of tracks were documented coming and going from the kill site. She and the other wolf are hanging out in the area where the calf was killed and she was actually located from the air on the fresh calf carcass. The rancher temporarily confined his 25 cow/calf pair to reduce the potential for continued problems but that can only be very short term solution. WS was authorized to kill both of them ASAP, as she was involved in several other cattle depredations over the past couple of years. Her chronic pattern of depredation, the wolves’ poor condition, and the dispersed nature of livestock throughout this area negate the potential for long-term success of any non-lethal tools. On the 12th, she was shot from the ground by WS. She had a lame front foot and severe mange. Further control is on hold unless there are further depredations.”
Unlike her sister 42F, 41F couldn’t or wouldn’t tolerate the domination of her sister 40F in the Druid Pack, so she climbed over the Absaroka Range and met dispersing Rose Creek male 52M and they formed the Sunlight Basin Pack in 1998-9, a pack which did very well until it contracted mange in 2003. Both 52M and 41F died in 2003-4 (52M’s death might have been natural).
