In the Greater Yellowstone area a minimum of 67 pups have been observed to date. This number is lower than what was expected and is attributed to several packs having only 1-3 pups each.

The two main exceptions are the Rose Creek pack, headed by Alpha female #18, which has been confirmed to have at least 7 pups and the Druid Peak pack which has been observed with a whopping 13 pups! Although there is still no confirmation on female #9's pack (Beartooth), Wyoming U.S Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Mike Jimenez believes her granddaughter female #77 has had a litter.

According to the latest Gray Wolf Recovery Report the only pack that does not appear to have pups is the Gros Ventre pack in Wyoming. There are still no radio-collared wolves in that pack and because of this they are extremely difficult to locate. There was no mention of Rose Creek's break-away "Tower Group" and I'm not certain if any pups have been seen at the den site, but we should be hearing more accurate numbers and confirmations by next month.

According to the USFWS, "with an estimated 400 or so adults and yearlings and as many as an additional 200 pups born this spring to packs (in all three recovery areas), the wolf population appears to be doing great. This appears to be at least the first year, possibly the second year, of the 3-year count down to the Service proposing to delist wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains."

Wildlife Services finally succeeded in locating Wolf #196M on the 20th. #196 was in the company of 3 other wolves at the time he was shot and killed. There have been no further livestock depredations in the area since last month when #196 was located near the dead calf he was thought to have killed.

I personally believe that this may very well indicate that #196 did not take to killing livestock again and may have been unjustly accused. But because he was so expeditiously eliminated, unfortunately that is something we will never know for sure.