Photo by Jim Peaco--NPS

Updates on Yellowstone Park's wolf population, and location-territory map

  ©Kevin Sanders 2004

Information provided courtesy of Yellowstone Gray Wolf Restoration Project

Please note that this count is likely to include any pup mortalities not yet discovered

 

   Total Wolves Reintroduced : 14+9 pups-1995
17+14 pups-1996,
   additionally 10 pups were brought in from Augusta, Mt-1996 = 64

Total Free-Ranging Packs: 12 packs, and 3 +pairs

Dispersal's: Numerous

Loners: 6+

Wolves In Acclimation Pens: 0

Total Pups Observed During First Three Years
   11; 6 litters 1995-96
64 during 1997
42 in 1998
61+  in 1999
includes mortalities not listed
 

Total Wolf Population Inside Park Borders: 4/5/10 less than 100~ estimated

2008 Summary

At the end of 2008, at least 124 wolves in 12 packs and various groups occupied Yellowstone National Park. This is one more pack than in 2007, but several long-term, stable packs were lost and smaller, newly formed packs replaced them. This represents a 27% decline compared to the 2007 population and was similar to the 30% decline in 2005. Only six of these packs were breeding pairs, the smallest count since 2000 (when wolves first reached the minimum requirement for delisting of 30 breeding pairs in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming). High mortality of both pups and adults caused the low breeding pair count, despite there being 12 packs. Disease and intraspecific mortality are the two primary factors that caused the wolf population decline.

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Updates/Notes

Yellowstone Guide Services---Winter Wolf Viewing, Summer Bear Viewing

 

Wolf Researcher and Seasonal Park Ranger Rick McIntyre (left)
Bob Landis, Cinematographer and National Geographic Filmmaker (right)
©Kevin Sanders 2004
  

 

Winter, and early Spring is the best time of year to view wolves in Yellowstone Park, join me for a Yellowstone wolf viewing tour!

 

 Read over the Wildlife Viewing Etiquette page prior to your visit. Don't get caught up in the "herd" or group mentality.

 

 

Yellowstone Wolf Pups

Emily Almberg Tracking Wolves Winter 2005/06

1999 Final Yellowstone Pup Count---HERE

2000 Final Yellowstone Pup Count---HERE

2001 Final Yellowstone Pup Count---HERE

2002 Final Yellowstone Pup Count---HERE

2003 Final Yellowstone Pup Count---

2004 Final Yellowstone Pup Count---HERE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Note how large the head of #194M's head is, in relation to Deb Guernsey's body in photo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    In the past, coyotes have been fed by visitors, only to then attack cross country skiers and sometimes visitors standing near the roadway after they became habituated to humans and learn that humans often have food with them. Wolves could do the same thing, and they also will loose any fear they have of humans and leave the park placing them in even greater danger.

PLEASE DON'T FEED THE WILDLIFE!

   If a wolf or coyote comes in close to the road and appears to be begging or looking for food, it is recommended that you not stop. Just drive on by, they will live a lot longer if we do so.

 

 

 

 

 

Past News:
 

Predation Payments To Ranchers

Soda Butte Female Dies

Druid Alpha Female Killed

Alpha Male Number 8 Found Dead

Bruce Babbitt Bids Farewell

Female #217 Found Dead, 1/23/04

Druid Female #42 Dead 2/3/04

The Last Remaining Released Wolf Dead

Druid Alpha Male, #21 Missing, Found Dead

Bears, not wolves killing more elk calves--research data 2004

Wolf Numbers Decline and elk getting older--December 2005

 

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 Wolf Pack Locations in Yellowstone National Park

and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Note: The wolf pack territory map is the most up-to-date data that is available. Information and data is supplied by the wolf recovery team once per year, but tends to be at least a year behind. For the most part, the wolf territories remain about the same___+/-, and are always fluctuating.

Wolf Location Map Courtesy Yellowstone National Park