Yellowstone researchers have been piecing together the details of what led to a wolf attack that resulted in the death of the oldest wolf in the park: 907F. Abnormal behavior from both the attacking Rescue Creek pack and the defending Junction Butte pack likely set the stage for the face-off. Over the next few weeks, researchers will be watching to see how 907F’s pack and pups deal with restructuring after loosing their matriarch.
Leading up to the attack
907F and her mate have been the leaders of Junction Butte pack for the past few years, according to Yellowstone wolf researcher Kira Cassidy. Days before the attack, their research team tracked the pack’s location as they ventured out of the park.
During their time outside the park, two of the pack members were shot and killed. Following this, 907F returned to her den with five pups (her two biological pups and three pups from another female in the pack).
While the pack was split, 907F and the pups were feeding on a bison carcass they found near a river. This is when the Rescue Creek pack attacked.
The aftermath
The Rescue Creek wolves wounded 907F in the attack, and she died from her wounds three days later, on Christmas day.
“We have seen a couple of the pack’s pups [since the attack], but not all five,” said Cassidy. “I feel very confident saying that during that attack, her pups probably got away no problem. . . . We will have to see the pack a couple more times before we can try and confirm if [907’s] particular ones are still there or not. Of the ones that we can confirm are still out there, they seem to be trying to figure out how to get through this period of real instability and major restructuring.”
Since the attack, 907F’s mate has not been seen by researchers. He’s not wearing a GPS collar, explained Cassidy, so they are waiting to see where he turns up. Just days before the attack, 907F and her mate were spotted hunting a bison.
The future of Junction Butte pack
It’s not uncommon for pack restructuring to occur after the death of one of its leaders. Since 907F’s mate would be related to many of the females in the pack, he has likely moved on to find another pack to join.
As for the Junction Butte pack, the remaining females have been spotted with males from the Rescue Creek pack. The mating season for wolves begins in February, so it’s likely that some wolves will switch packs to mate, according to Cassidy.
In Yellowstone, pack territory is passed down a matriarchal line, which means that one of 907F’s daughters will likely take over as pack leader. Cassidy says that researchers have observed wolf 1478F begin to emerge as a dominant leader and strong contender for leader.
If new males join the pack, the males currently in Junction Butte might leave to join up with the Mollie’s pack, which is currently led by one of 907F’s sons.
907F’s legacy in the park
Yellowstone will soon celebrate the 30th anniversary of wolf reintroduction in the park. Because the packs are fairly well protected from human interference, Cassidy and other wolf researchers believe they are observing how wild wolves would have acted hundreds of years ago.
“907F has been a key figure of the wolves in Yellowstone,” said Cassidy. 907F was first fitted with a radio collar when she was nine months old, and has since “outlived” the battery life of several collars.
Because the Junction Creek pack dens in a place that is fairly easy to see with a spotting scope, there were multiple years where researchers would see her pups come above ground for the very first time.
For wolf researchers like Cassidy, 907F has provided an abundance of data and information about her species. “We’re just so lucky to live in this place and have an animal like 907 because you get to see them often enough that the data just builds and builds and builds on itself,” said Cassidy. “As a scientist, it’s just such a rich, beautifully delicious pile of information and data that we can ask a million different questions about her and her pack and wolves in general.”
Because researchers have been able to track her through her abnormally long life, 907F has become somewhat of an advocate for her species. They have been able to tell the story of 907F’s life because of their long-term data collection, and that, Cassidy believes, “drives home the plight of the species in a way that no science really can do.”
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