Denali Wolves Adopt New Alpha
The Toklat pack's alpha male killed during a research project.
DENALI, ALASKA—A wolf that was moved from its home range east of Fairbanks six months ago as part of a caribou recovery plan has joined the Toklat wolfpack in Denali National Park and Preserve. The wolf roamed nearly 200 miles to join the pack whose alpha male died in March after being darted for research.
The pack is the best known of Alaska's approximately 1,000 wolf packs, and an estimated 20,000 people catch a glimpse of the animals each year while visiting the park.
The transplanted male wolf was identified by park officials from an ear tag number. Lone wolves are sometimes adopted into a pack, especially in the absence of an alpha male. The wolf is one of two all-black wolves that joined the Toklat pack in May after being moved.
Wolf control has been a controversial wildlife management issue in Alaska for some time. Subsistence and recreational hunters have asked the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to shoot more wolves, arguing that the predators take too many moose, reducing the number available for hunters.
The Toklat pack has attracted attention in recent years because of efforts by animal rights and conservation organizations, including NPCA, to create a no-trapping, no-hunting buffer zone on state lands northeast of the park.
The pack is the best known of Alaska's approximately 1,000 wolf packs, and an estimated 20,000 people catch a glimpse of the animals while visiting the park.
The transplanted male wolf, identified by park officials from an ear tag number, may take the place of the previous alpha male that died in March after being darted for research. Lone wolves are sometimes adopted into a pack, especially in the absence of an alpha male. The wolf is one of two all-black wolves that joined the Toklat pack in May after being moved as part of the Fortymile Caribou Herd recovery plan.
Wolf control has been a controversial wildlife management issue in Alaska for some time. Subsistence and recreational hunters have asked the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to shoot more wolves, arguing that the predators take too many moose, reducing harvests. The Toklat pack has attracted attention in recent years because of efforts by animal rights and conservation organizations, including NPCA, to create a no-trapping, no-hunting buffer zone on state lands east of the park.
Read more about gray wolves.
