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In the mid-1990s,
more than 60 years since the last gray wolf was eradicated in
Yellowstone National Park, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided it was time
to bring the wolf back.
Biologists traveled to Canada, where the species is still abundant, to trap several animals for relocation. A total of 31 wolves were transplanted to Yellowstone, where they were held for eight to ten weeks in temporary outdoor pens. In 1995, 14 wolves were released, and one year later another 17—including the Druid Peak five featured in Return of the Wolf—were set free.
The wolves have settled in well, forming packs and producing offspring. Today
there are roughly 120 wolves in the Yellowstone ecosystem, thrilling visitors
and helping to return the park to its natural balance.
Video still courtesy of CNNP
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© 2000 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved.