![]() ![]() They are also in danger of being hunted in Montana and Wyoming, as it is legal in those states to hunt them outside of national park borders. ![]() Wolves almost never attack humans and kill only 0.2-0.3% of available livestock. Although their populations are now stable, they are threatened by a lack of awareness about the animal. Beavers and songbirds returned, elk populations stabilised and cold-water fish, willows and aspen flourished once again!Īs of 2020, there are at least 94 wolves and 8 separate packs living within the wilderness of Yellowstone National Park. This was one of the most successful conservation endeavours in history!Īmazing ecological restoration soon followed. 17 more wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone in 1996. In January 1995, 14 grey wolves were transported from Canada to Yellowstone and released into the wilderness of the park. ![]() Songbird populations shrank, coyote populations surged and riverbanks began to erode.Ĭheck This Out Next: International Sloth Day – 13 FactsĪlthough American grey wolves were one of the first species to be added to the list of endangered species, conservation efforts did not begin until the 1990s. With fewer beavers and dams, water temperatures rose too high to support cold-water fish. Elk populations exploded, leading to overgrazing of vital aspen plants that beavers depend on for food and shelter. Consequently, the ecosystems of Yellowstone became severely imbalanced. Programmes to get rid of grey wolves were initiated and wolves were almost entirely eliminated from the lower 48 states by the mid 1900’s. Big-game hunters viewed wolves as hunting competition and many humans feared them. As a result, wolves began to prey on domestic livestock such as chickens, which put the livelihoods of Western ranchers at risk. However, in the late 19th century, a large part of the wolf’s natural prey and habitat was replaced by the spread of agriculture and ranching. Grey wolves once roamed freely from the Arctic tundra to Mexico. The lifespan of a grey wolf is around 4-5 years within the Yellow National Park and just 2-3 years outside of the park’s borders.Ī Turbulent History – Elimination, Reintroduction and Ecological Change Wolves howl to communicate with different packs, defending their territories from any intruders, organising social activities and sometimes, like dogs, simply because they hear the howling of others.ĭespite their large size and status as top predators, wolves tend to live short lives. These packs travel large distances, in some cases, up to 19 kilometres a single day! Wolf packs work together to raise and care for pups, hunt down large prey and defend their expansive territories. Each wolf has unique personality traits and their own role within the pack. A pack usually consists of 6-10 wolves, with an alpha male and female, who are usually the only ones to mate, leading the rest. American grey wolves have piercing blue eyes as pups that change colours to shades of light yellow, brown and gold as they grow up.Īs extraordinarily social animals, grey wolves live in packs that are like families. They have night vision and a fantastic sense of smell and are able to sprint at speeds of up to 56 kilometres per hour. Grey wolves are the largest member of the dog family, weighing up to 58 kilograms and measuring between 1.2 and 1.8 metres from the nose tip to the tail. Luckily, thanks to a wave of environmental campaigns in the 70’s and 80’s, the grey wolf achieved a miraculous return to Yellowstone and has healed the ecosystem in a way that no one could have imagined! On a cold snowy day in 1926, the last two grey wolves in Yellowstone National Park were killed by park rangers. ![]()
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