One of Yellowstone National Park’s most iconic wolves — 907F — died on Christmas day after a fight with a rival pack three days prior. At 11 years old, 907F was one of the oldest known wolves in the park. 907 was the number on her tag and F denotes she was a female.
The average lifespan of a Yellowstone wolf is between four to five years, with the oldest known wolf being 478F, who died in 2015 after living for 12.5 years. Wolves outside the park only live for two to three years.
Wolf 907F was known as the “Queen of the Wolves” in Yellowstone, and her story and fame has been compared to the recently deceased grizzly bear 399. They both lived in visible areas of the park, mothered record numbers of offspring, and have overcome multiple challenges that would have proven fatal for a less hardy and stubborn animal.
At about four years old, 907F became blind in one eye, but despite the challenge she has consistently been a leader in the Junction Butte pack. The pack often dens near the road at Slough Creek, making it one of the most visible packs in the park for both visitors and researchers.
Starting when she was 2 years old, 907F birthed 10 litters, including one this past spring. One of 907F’s sons now leads a rival pack and two of her daughters are leaders of smaller packs.
The attack on Christmas came for the Rescue Creek pack, which is an offshoot of the Junction Butte pack. While 907F and her pups were feeding on a bison carcass, members of the Rescue Creek pack invaded Junction Butte’s territory and attacked. 907F still survived for a few days before succumbing to her injuries.
907F is one of only six Yellowstone wolves known to have lived at least 11 years.