Wolves

Discover the history of wolves in Yellowstone, including what happened to the ecosystem when they were eradicated and when they were reintroduced Jan 12, 1995

Yellowstone’s huge, wide valleys make excellent habitat for wildlife. For your best chance of spotting bears, wolves, bison, pronghorn, and many more species, head to  Lamar and Hayden valleys.

Nowhere in the Lower 48 is there more abundant wildlife than in the greater Yellowstone region. Yellowstone National Park is home to the largest concentration of large and small mammals, and most of the species in the park also inhabit regions of Grand Teton National Park and the states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.

Wolves are causing a trophic cascade of ecological change, including helping to increase beaver populations and bring back aspen, and vegetation.

All together there are approximately 75 different packs in the greater Yellowstone region.

My family embarked on a 1-day private tour with the Yellowstone Association Institute. Read about our adventure.

For decades, the sole rulers of Yellowstone were grizzly bears. Today, they are learning how to cope with the rise of an equal competitor - the reintroduced gray wolf.

Dr. James Halfpenny, famous mammal tracker, instructor and author in Yellowstone National Park, says reading animal tracks is like a detective game

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Complete your vacation to Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks by visiting the not-for-profit Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone, Montana. Observe live bears and wolves in naturalistic habitats.

Yellowstone wolves pick their prey depending on wolf pack size. Small packs attack elk. Larger packs attack bison.

Wolf 832AF (AKA "06" - for the year she was born) was the Alpha Female of the Lamar Canyon Pack killed on Dec 6, 2012 as part of Wyoming's wolf hunt.

A recent study out of the scientific journal reports that killing a wolf that preys on sheep or cattle is not be the best strategy to protect the livestock.

Predator attacks, a hard winter, and hunting has resulted in a 10% decrease in the Northern Yellowstone elk herd in 2012

Ecotourism in Yellowstone has increased since gray wolves were reintroduced to the ecosystem, boosting local economies by an estimated $5 million per year.

Check out Tom Reed's author page.

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Yellowstone elk populations have dramatically risen and fallen in recent decades, but researchers are arguing over the relative impact of wolf predation on elk populations.

A flood of science is emerging from research focused on the impact that wolves have on a host of other species, especially elk and coyotes.

Check out Staff's author page.