Wolf, Four Pups Found Dead In Park

A two-year-old female wolf that had given birth to four pups early this month was found dead this week, apparently the victim of an attack by other wolves, federal biologists said.

Her pups died of exposure and malnutrition, park officials said in a release.

Biologists said they began receiving a “mortality signal,” indicating the wolf had not moved for a certain amount of time, from her radio collar on Saturday.

They did not attempt to find the animal for several days, however, because the signal had intermittently changed back to normal.

Biologists found the wolf’s carcass Tuesday and determined she had recently given birth. Her den and the remains of her pups were located during a subsequent search.

Ed Bangs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s wolf recovery coordinator, said several factors could prompt wolves to kill another wolf.

Among the most likely scenarios, he said, was another pack of wolves trespassed into the new mother’s territory. xxxx