Return of the Big Bad Wolf
Posted February 1, 1998
When you think of threatened or endangered species, do you usually consider the black rhinoceros, Siberian tiger, and mountain gorilla? You might say that these animals
deserve immediate protection in their home ranges. But what would you think about wolves being reintroduced into their home ranges?
A wolf reintroduction program began in Montana in the early 1980s. The Montana wolves roamed widely, establishing territories in unpredictable locations. However,
conflicts caused by wolves were not nearly as significant as many had feared. In 1995, after more than a decade of controversy and intense study, wolves were brought back to Yellowstone
National Park where they had been extinct since 1924.
Fourteen wolves were captured in Alberta, Canada and held together in enclosures at Yellowstone for three months. They were kept in three separate enclosures to acquaint
them with the local diet, sounds, and smells, and to give them time to mate. This procedure has been called "soft release." The wolves were all given numbers, checked for diseases,
vaccinated, and radio-collared before their release.
Donations and personnel from private groups and cooperation from British Columbia allowed another 18 wolves to be trapped and transported to Yellowstone for a second
round of reintroductions. These wolves were introduced into different areas of the park from the first wolf reintroductions.
By 1997, there were 51 wolves inhabiting the Yellowstone area, including individuals in each pack that can be monitored. Possibly eight packs could produce pups in
the next year. More than 75 wolves could inhabit the greater Yellowstone area by 1998.
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