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The Iconic, One-Eyed 'Queen of the Wolves' Dies After Fight With Rival Pack in Yellowstone National Park
Though she faced many challengesincluding the loss of her left eyethe gray wolf named 907F persevered and lived to be more than 11 years old. National Park Service / Jeremy SunderRajOne of Yellowstone National Parks most famous gray wolves, an 11-year-old matriarch who was blind in one eye, has died after a fight with a rival pack.Nicknamed the queen of the wolves, 907F lived much longer than most grey wolves (Canis lupus) at Yellowstone, which have an average lifespan of four to five years. She was the alpha female of the Junction Butte pack, which prowls the parks northern range.On December 22, 907F and several of her pups were eating a bison carcass on the north side of the Yellowstone River, reports Cowboy State Dailys Mark Heinz. For unknown reasons, members of the rival Rescue Creek pack crossed the river and launched an attack.After the fight, Taylor Rabe, a wildlife technician with the Yellowstone Wolf, Cougar and Elk Project, kept tabs on the signals coming from 907Fs radio collar. For the first two days, the collar indicated 907F was still alive.But, three days after the conflict, on Christmas Day, 907F succumbed to her injuries. Her collar later signaled mortality, which occurs when the wolf wearing it hasnt moved in 12 hours. Rabe recovered and froze 907Fs body, which will undergo a full necropsy.Its sad. But we always like to see a wolf die naturally, rather than at the hands of a human, Rabe tells Cowboy State Daily. It gives us peace to know that she went in a natural manner. Wolf 907F wore a radio collar that ultimately sent biologists the "mortality" signal. Taylor RabeOver the years, 907F had become a bit of a celebritymuch like 399, a female grizzly bear that lived in nearby Grand Teton National Park. But while 907F died of natural causes, 399 was struck and killed by a vehicle on October 22 at the age of 28. Grizzly 399 left behind a cub, and some conservationists have argued that her death was preventable.Many wildlife enthusiasts noted the sharp contrast between how the two charismatic creatures died.[907F] lived a wild life, says Deby Dixon, a professional wildlife photographer, to KTVQs Isabel Spartz. She wasnt killed by a hunter. She wasnt killed by a car. She never got into any trouble. She got to live and die as a wild wolf, and 399 didnt get that chance.Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven, another wildlife photographer, echoed that sentiment.Although [907Fs death] would have been violent, its more comforting to know she died a natural death rather than suffering 399s fate, he tells Cowboy State Daily.To make it to age 11or 11.8, to be exact907F had to overcome her fair share of challenges. As Sheena Goodyear wrote for CBC Radioin June, 907F was a shrewd survivor, a wise elder, a prolific motherand an absolute boss.Born in the spring of 2013, 907F contracted mangean itchy, contagious skin condition caused by mitesearly in life, which led to the loss of half the fur on her tail, per the Billings Gazettes Brett French. She lost her left eye around the age of 4, though biologists dont know what happenedpossibly an infection or injury.Later in life, the wolf walked with a limp, but that didnt stop her from mating and raising pups. Last May, she gave birth to her tenth litter.Just six total Yellowstone wolves, including 907F, have lived to be 11 since the predators were reintroduced to the 2.2-million-acre park in 1995. The oldest known wolf at Yellowstone, a female named 478F, lived to be 12.5 years old.Though she was ultimately killed by a rival pack, 907Fs advanced age likely contributed to the overall success of her Junction Butte pack in battle over the years.Packs that have elderly wolves are much more successful in those pack-versus-pack conflicts because of the accumulated knowledge and the experience that they bring to that really stressful situation, Kira Cassidy, a researcher with the Yellowstone Wolf Project, told Live Sciences Patrick Pester in June.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Animals, Death, Mammals, National Parks, wildlife, Wolves, Yellowstone National Park
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