Last year the Yellowstone wolf population suffered a big decline due to very high pup mortality in addition to the normal annual attrition of yearling and adult wolves.
Last year they counted 118 wolves in 12 groups in Yellowstone at mid-year.
At year’s end, it was 116 ±2 in 11-13 packs. This was later revised 118 wolves in 16 packs in Yellowstone. Only 19 pups had survived to Dec. 31, 2005.
Back at the end of 2004, it was 171 wolves in 16 groups in Yellowstone.
This year the mid-year Yellowstone count is 143 wolves in 14 groups. This includes 76 pups!
The Yellowstone wolf population is still below that of 2004 and even 2003 (157 wolves at year’s end).
I think these data show how fast a wolf population can grow or sink, with the major factor being pup survival rate more than control killing or death of adult wolves.
Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan's Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of "Hiking Idaho." He also wrote "Beyond the Tetons" and "Backpacking Wyoming's Teton and Washakie Wilderness." He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.
I am looking for any information on current research on wolves in the wild to compare with for college research credit. Also does anyone know much about the social grooming of wolves in the wild? thanks for any help I might find here.
AK