One of Yellowstone National Park’s most notable wolves was killed after sustaining severe injuries.
April 11, 2017, a group of hikers discovered the injured wolf outside Gardiner, Montana.
Park staff concluded the wolf was in shock and dying from her injuries. According to P.J. White, Chief of the Wildlife and Aquatic Resources Branch, speaking in a Yellowstone press release, said staff decided to euthanize the wolf on-site. From the press release:
Park staff identified the wolf as the white female of the Canyon Pack, one of three known white wolves in the park. This wolf lived to 12 years, twice the age of an average wolf in the park and had a broad range that extended from Hayden Valley to the Firehole River area to the northern portion of the park. For these reasons, the wolf was one of the most recognizable and sought after by visitors to view and photograph.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to call the Yellowstone National Park Tip Line at 307-344-2132 or email Yell_LEO@nps.gov. For more information, visit http://go.nps.gov/tipline.
Park staff plan to perform a necropsy to determine cause of death. Officials will provide more information as the investigation continues.