Yellowstone wolves eye 15th anniversary

By Mark Holyoak

Posted: Mar 5, 2010 4:15 PM
Updated: Mar 5, 2010 8:49 PM

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK -- It was 15 years ago this month that federal wildlife officials reintroduced wolves into Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho. 

Since then the population grew to at least 1,500 across the northern Rockies.  Yellowstone wolf manager Doug Smith says abundant habitat and a changing attitude led to the growth.   

"I think we have progressed as a culture in civilization past that unregulated killing. At least I hope we have," said Smith.  "Yellowstone had one of the densest elk populations in North America when wolves were introduced. And every single western state has more elk than it did 25 years ago."  

Smith said six different wolf packs died off in Yellowstone since reintroduction. The most recent is the popular Druid Pack that lost its alpha female when another pack killed it, and the alpha male wandered off.  Disease killed off all but one of the other members.

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