Five More Wolves To Be Released In Yellowstone

Today, biologists plan to release a pack of five wolves from their pen in Yellowstone National Park, as part of the project to rebuild a wolf population in the Yellowstone ecosystem.

The Soda Butte pack consists of two adults, a yearling female and two pups. The pups were born in April on a ranch near Nye, after the older wolves wandered from the park and established a den on the private property.

Managers of the wolf project eventually returned the pack to the park, after some residents of the Nye area expressed discomfort with the animals’ presence, particularly after a dog was killed.

In the future, wolves that wander will not be returned to the park, said Mike Phillips, a wolf biologist. As the wolves multiply, their territory should expand, he said.

In anticipation of their release today, the pups were tranquilized on Thursday and removed from the pen shared with the three other wolves. Biologists took blood samples, vaccinated the pups, weighed them and fitted them with radio collars before putting them back in the pen.

The older wolves were brought from Canada in 1995 as part of the wolf reintroduction project.

Phillips said he is hopeful the pack will stay in the Trail Creek area of Yellowstone. Most wolves that have been released after 70 days of acclimation were found within 15 miles of their release sites 80 days later, he said. The Soda Butte pack has had about 50 days of acclimation, and Phillips is unsure how the shorter duration might affect their willingness to stay around.

There are now 52 wolves in the reintroduction project that began less than two years ago. The release today will bring the number in the wild to 40, in eight packs.