Yellowstone wolf population is declining

[Coach Chris]

Wolf population declining in Yellowstone National Park

By Mark Davis, Powell Tribune, Associated Press POWELL, Wyo. (AP) – Officials say Yellowstone National Park’s gray wolf population has dropped to about 80 wolves—less than half of the highest population mark in the park. The Powell Tribune reported on Thursday that while park officials won’t...

buckrail.com

 

[wheels]

sounds like on the bust side of boom and bust

 

[TheJason]

sounds like on the bust side of boom and bust

Or possibly a longer term equilibrium.

 

[wheels]

true

 

[Gr8bawana]

Smith largely blames outbreaks of disease—including distemper, mange and the parvovirus—and packs moving out of the park for the decline.

I think wolves leaving the park is the most likely reason because they certainly have been reported in a lot of areas that never had wolves before.
I dread the day packs establish themselves in NV.

 

[Twolftg]

Wolves a heavily cyclical animal. The rise and fall as the prey does. I am guessing in short time there will be an increase in prey species.

 

[walking buffalo]

Or possibly a longer term equilibrium.

Which does not exist in Nature....

 

[TheJason]

Which does not exist in Nature....

If you're telling me populations do not stay static, I'm quite aware of that.

 

[BrentD]

Which does not exist in Nature....

Really? When did that happen?

 

[375H&H]

Don’t worry, if the wolves blink out from Yellowstone count on the federal govt to do another Isle Royale and air lift them in “naturally”.

 

[wyoboypt]

Well when they eat all the food then their numbers decline too. Don’t plan on seeing much of anything if you’re planning on wasting vacation time in Yellowstone. The wolves ate everything to see except old faithful! Really.

 

[BrentD]

Well when they eat all the food then their numbers decline too. Don’t plan on seeing much of anything if you’re planning on wasting vacation time in Yellowstone. The wolves ate everything to see except old faithful! Really.

Funny, but that's not what folks that have been there this spring are saying. I wonder how that could be?

 

[mtmiller]

Well when they eat all the food then their numbers decline too. Don’t plan on seeing much of anything if you’re planning on wasting vacation time in Yellowstone. The wolves ate everything to see except old faithful! Really.

I wish they would eat those damn road bison. No shortage of them. Maybe they will switch diets to those buffets unloading from buses everywhere in the Park.

 

[Sytes]

Good write-up.
Ecosystem is pretty fickle. Rise and fall. Along with disease, etc - I would imagine they are not really the sort to define their boundaries to the N.P. As their elk buffet reduces, they spread to keep their tasty treats in focus.

Must be coincidence...

Elk - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

Elk are the most abundant ungulate in Yellowstone National Park.

www.nps.gov

Wolves consume a wide variety of prey, large and small. They efficiently hunt large prey that other predators cannot usually kill. In Yellowstone, 90% of their winter prey is elk; 10–15% of their summer prey is deer. They also kill bison.

From 1995 to 2000, in early winter, elk calves comprised 50% of wolf prey, and bull elk comprised 25%. That ratio reversed from 2001 to 2007, indicating changes in prey vulnerability and availability. The discovery of this change emphasizes the importance of long-term monitoring to understand predator-prey dynamics.

Gray Wolf - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

Wolves in Yellowstone National Park were restored in 1995.

www.nps.gov

 

[wytex]

Dispersion, happens all the time, unless you have a high fence.

 

[coleslaw]

I'm guessing they are just expanding their range mostly. Larger packs kicking out the beta's and forcing them to follow other food sources. I was just in Yellowstone last October- no way are they going to run out of other critters to eat.

 

[Ben Lamb]

 

[RobG]

One of my classic bigfoot quality pictures of some wolves on a bison at Slough Creek. They had another one down the next day. With lower elk numbers I wonder if they will target bison more.

(Aside, I’m not a wolf worshipper but my mother wanted to see some this spring.)

 

[dan.kirkpatrick]

when will the elk in yellowstone be restored?none left for the wolfs,so the wolfs left to follow there food supplys,,l o l

 

[Ben Lamb]

when will the elk in yellowstone be restored?none left for the wolfs,so the wolfs left to follow there food supplys,,l o l

If you mean when will elk in Yellowstone once again be overpopulated like they were in the past, never. Right now, the N. Herd is within objective .