Wolves Arrive In Great Falls Some Headed For Yellowstone, Others Bound For Idaho
Canadian wolves destined for the wilderness of central Idaho and the back country of Yellowstone National Park arrived in Great Falls, Mont., just before midnight Monday, a Great Falls charter company reported.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokeswoman Georgia Parham said the 20 wolves left aboard a U.S. Forest Service DC-3 from Fort St. John, British Columbia at 8:30 p.m., for the three-hour flight.
Officials have been trapping wolves in British Columbia and hope to snare a total of between 30 and 38.
Plans called for the first 20 wolves to clear customs at Great Falls late Monday, then fly on to Bozeman, Parham said. Eleven of the wolves would be transported to Yellowstone. Nine others will be flown to Missoula before being released in Idaho.
The Yellowstone wolves were expected to be released into three one-acre pens today for an acclimation period of about 10 weeks.
The Idaho wolves will be released immediately after being flown to back-country airstrips, either today or Wednesday.
That is the pattern that was established last year, in the first wolf reintroduction. Then, 14 wolves were released in Yellowstone and 15 in Idaho.
Yellowstone spokeswoman Marsha Karle said Monday the final breakdown could change but probably will be as follows.
One pen, between Madison Junction and Old Faithful, would hold a pack of five wolves, including one adult pair, two female pups and one male pup.
A second pen, on the Blacktail Plateau between Mammoth Hot Springs and Tower Junction, will include one adult female and one adult male.
A third pen, near the Lamar Valley, will include four wolves, including an adult female and two pups from one pack and another adult male.
Federal officials describe the wolf re-introduction program as a success. The park wolves produced nine pups. Two wolves there have been killed - one illegally shot near Red Lodge and one hit by a delivery truck in the park.
The deaths were fewer than expected, however.
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