In a promising sign for the effort to restore the
ecosystem of Yellowstone National Park, wolves imported in January
are already trying to breed. Although the 14 wolves shipped from
Canada to Yellowstone are still cooped up in one-acre pens in
Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley, rangers have observed male wolves
attempting to mount female wolves. Biologists had initially doubted
the wolves would produce pups this spring because of the stress of
their transplant. Pups may still be a long-shot, because not all
mating tries are successful, but at least they’re now a
possibility. Two of the 15 wolves released into the wilderness of
central Idaho are keeping close company and may also have mated.
Biologists expect to keep the wolves penned until about the end of
March or until grizzly bears emerging from hibernation begin casing
the wolf pens.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Wolves feel the urge.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
