Yellowstone Update
**The following exert is from the Yellowstone Journal** (1998-1999)
Yellowstone is currently home to about 118 gray wolves. This is 118 more than the park had prior to January of 1995, when wolf reintroduction efforts began.
A combined 31 wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone during the winters of 1995 and 1996.
Yellowstone's new wolf population has been prolific.
During 1997, 67 pups were born, and during this past spring, 43 pups were born. According to Kerry Murphy, a wildlife biologist manager working on the wolf project, a total of 133 pups have been born since reintroduction began.
Except for two recent fatalities, the wolf population that currently inhabits Yellowstone is faring well.
On August 22, the alpha male of the Crystal Creek pack died from a wound he suffered while pursuing prey. According to Murphy, the wolf's femur was lacerated by a stick while running through some thick brush. The wolf bled to death as a result of the injury.
Interestingly enough, a male yearling from the Druid Peak pack soonafter replaced Crystal Creek's alpha male. According to Murphy, only a few weeks passed after the pack's alpha died that the Druid Peak pack yearling dispersed from his original pack and took the former alpha's place.
According to Murphy, a wolf's social status within a pack is determined in large part by its personality. Some wolves are dominant and aggressive while others are submissive during interactions with other wolves. Some wolves are good hunters, others bad, he says.
And on Oct. 16, a wolf pup was killed by a motorist on Highway 191 in the Gallatin area.
Wolves reach breeding age when they're about two years old. That means that during the next few months, many of the 1995 and 1996 pups that were born could disperse from their packs in search of a mate.
Wolves mate during winter and usually give birth to pups around the end of April.
Murphy says biologists monitor the wolf population on a regular basis. Because many of the wolves are fitted with radio collars, biologists can determine through telemetry a wolf's position, his social status and whether a wolf is alone or with others, if wolves are involved with a kill and what they killed, and information about seasonal distribution and whether a wolf has dispersed from a pack or not.
"And we can see their interaction with other carnivores, such as grizzlies and coyotes," says Murphy. "We can also see how prey react while being pursued by wolves."
Murphy says the information gained about wolves since reintroduction began almost four years ago is abundant. Murphy, along with Doug Smith, the biologist in charge of Yellowstone's wolf restoration project, are studying wolf population dynamics, the effects of wolves on the prey population, wolf-bear interactions, and wolf genetics through the use of DNA sampling.
There are numerous other studies underway, which are being conducted by graduate students. They include: A study that focuses on "wolves' hunting success," which aims to learn what characteristics affect wolves when they hunt, etc.; A study of "wolf pack leadership," which will determine what wolf leads a pack and makes decisions regarding where to travel, whether or not to attack prey, whether to attack other wolves, when to bed down, etc.; Another study is focusing on the "characteristics of the prey base" associated with wolves P how many elk are taken, and how many are bulls, calves, or cows, etc.; One study focuses on the "behavior of ravens relative to wolf kills." According to Murphy, ravens respond very strongly to wolf kills, and this study seeks more information in regard to that; Another study seeks to determine "how much food wolf kills provide to scavengers." Coyotes, ravens, eagles, and other scavengers often feed on kills made by wolves and this study aims to determine how significant a food source wolf kills are to such animals; There are many other studies being conducted as well, says Murphy.
This pack consists of an alpha pair and six yearlings. The
alpha male of this pack is a yearling that dispersed in
mid-September from the Druid Peak pack and replaced this
pack's former alpha male, who bled to death after lacerating
his femur while in pursuit of prey. At least nine pups were
born to this pack this year. This pack inhabits Yellowstone's
Pelican Valley area.
Leopold pack
The Leopold pack consists of an alpha pair, two two-year-olds
and four yearlings. There were at least five pups born to this
pack this year. This pack inhabits the Blactail Plateau region
of the park.
Rose Creek pack
The Rose Creek pack is large pack. It consists of an alpha
pair, a beta female, two two-year-olds and eight yearlings. In
addition, at least 10 pups were born to two females in this
pack this year. The pack inhabits a region west of
Yellowstone's Lamar Valley.
Druid Peak pack
This pack consists of an alpha pair, a beta female and four
yearlings. There were at least two pups born to this pack this
year. A male yearling from this pack dispersed in
mid-September and became the new alpha male of the Crystal
Creek pack. The Druid Peak pack inhabits the Lamar Valley.
Chief Joseph I pack
This pack consists of an alpha pair and four yearlings, plus
six pups. The pack inhabits the northwest region of
Yellowstone.
Chief Joseph II group
An alpha female and at least six pups are currently residing
in this group. The group inhabits an area north of
Yellowstone.
Soda Butte pack
This pack consists of an alpha female, a three-year-old
female, two two-year-olds and four yearlings. They inhabit an
area west of the park's Thorofare region.
Thorofare group
There are five yearlings in this group. The social status of
each wolf is currently unknown, as are their exact locations.
One of the wolves has been spotted southwest of Heart Lake,
however.
Washakie group
This group consists of four yearlings. Each wolf's social
status is unknown., as are their locations. However, one wolf
has been seen in the park's Thorofare region.
Nez Perce pack
This pack consists of an alpha pair, two two-year-olds and a
yearling. In addition, there are at least four pups that were
born this year. All but the alpha male of this pack has been
inhabiting the west-central portion of Yellowstone. The alpha
male's location was unknown as of the end of October.
Sunlight pair
This is an alpha pair that inhabits Wyoming's Sunlight
Basin.
Missing wolf
Wolf #65, a two-year-old female, is a loner and her location
is unknown.
Un-monitorable, free-ranging wolves
The locations and health of one three-year-old, three
two-year-olds, and four yearlings are unknown. Because
none of them are radio-collared, their whereabouts are
uncertain.