Yellowstone
Accounting for Yellowstone wolves
Published
5 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersBiologist shares insight on population counts
By Jessianne Castle EBS ENVIRONMENTAL & OUTDOORS EDITOR
LIVINGSTON – Standing before a cart lined with wolf skulls in the Yellowstone National Park Heritage and Research Center in Gardiner, park biologist Doug Smith weighed in on the oft-controversial topic of wolves. His words were a part of a recent video broadcast published on Yellowstone’s Facebook page and included him pointing out information gathered from the skull specimens, which are on display at the research center.
During the April 17 broadcast, Smith discussed wolf research and management, noting that the latest count, from December 2018, indicates there are roughly 80 wolves in Yellowstone. This is a drop from a peak of 174 back in 2003, and is a slight decline from the approximate average of 83 to 108 wolves over the last decade, as reported by the National Park Service.
Following the broadcast, news outlets such as the Powell Tribune and the Associated Press characterized this as a significant decline, and incorrectly quoted Smith as saying the survival rate of gray wolf pups is only about 7 percent.
In a May 15 phone interview with EBS, Smith said the drop to 80 wolves “is not a significant decline.”
“A population is never perfectly stable,” he added. Smith is one of the lead biologists for the Yellowstone Wolf Project, which is operated by a team of scientists who have documented and researched wolves since the first reintroduction in 1995.
Smith said there are two main factors impacting the lower number of wolves. First, he said a pack of about 10 wolves has historically lived along the southern boundary of Yellowstone. Last year, however, the wolves were spending roughly 70 percent of their time across the boundary in Wyoming so park biologists did not include them in the tally; Wyoming counted them instead.
“[The pack] still exists,” he said. “It’s an accounting issue … If we had counted that pack, our numbers would have been at 90.”
Smith pointed to another reason for the slight decline: the last couple years haven’t produced large pup crops either. “That’s just a natural phenomenon. It could be population saturation,” he said. During the April broadcast, he described this as an equilibration between wolves and their prey; based on food, the park can only support so many wolves,
While Smith doesn’t know the exact reason for a lower pup crop, he said the main impacts to pup survival are summer food source and disease. Currently, he said, the park is experiencing the aftermath of a distemper outbreak.
Canine distemper is a highly contagious disease found in many wild carnivores. Infecting the respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous systems, distemper can be deadly to animals that don’t have immunity, though those that live through an outbreak are likely to survive a second exposure.
Biologists believe four distinct outbreaks of distemper have swept through the Yellowstone wolves since reintroduction, occurring in 1999, 2005, 2008 and 2017, likely spread by smaller carnivores like skunks and raccoons.
In a good year, Smith said pup survival is about 70 percent, meaning that about 70 percent of puppies born in the spring will make it to the fall. During a year of distemper outbreak, however, he said that number could drop to 20-30 percent.
This year, Smith and his team suspect that the wolves have 10-11 dens, meaning that a potential 10-11 litters were born in April and will begin exploring their pack’s range this summer.
“Pup production looks like it’s going to be up,” Smith said over the phone, though he added that biologists won’t get a solid count on pup numbers until fall. “Right now, with a lot of wolves in dens, I think we’re going to be in the 90-100 range by the end of the year.”
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
Upcoming Events
march, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
more
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
more
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
Time
15 (Friday) 7:00 pm - 30 (Saturday) 8:30 pm
Location
Verge Theater
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
more
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
29mar3:00 pm4:00 pmGood Friday Mass: St. Joseph Catholic Mission3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Event City:Big Sky
Event Details
Friday of the Passion of the Lord St. Joseph Catholic Mission
Event Details
Friday of the Passion of the Lord
St. Joseph Catholic Mission
Time
(Friday) 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm