Yellowstone Is Among the World's Best Places to See Wild Wolves. Here's the Story of the Animal Called Both 'Public Enemy' and Cultural Icon
A century ago, resident wolves were eliminated from the park. In 1995, biologists brought them back, marking a historic reintroduction of a top carnivore
Yellowstone National Park is one of the world's top destinations for witnessing wild wolves, known for being both a cultural icon and a controversial figure. These canines live in family groups, hunting large mammals cooperatively. Historically, the wolf was widespread across North America but faced widespread persecution, leading to near-extinction in the lower 48 states by the early 1900s.
Within Yellowstone, the park's superintendent in 1915 deemed wolves a threat to prey animals, and efforts to exterminate them ensued. This culminated in a systematic eradication program using poison, resulting in the last known wolves being killed in 1926. A century later, thanks to a reintroduction program that began in the 1990s, Yellowstone has become one of the best places in the United States to observe wild wolves, protected within its vast 2.2 million-acre domain.
Written by urgent.news from Smithsonian's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
