<p>The wolf known as '06 could take down an elk by herself.</p>

The wolf known as '06 could take down an elk by herself.

Photograph by Jimmy Jones

The 'Most Famous Wolf in the World' Lived Hard—and Died Tragically

This alpha female dominated the wolves of Yellowstone. But outside the national park, she was vulnerable.

In 2012, “the most famous wolf in the world” was shot by a trophy hunter outside the sanctuary of Yellowstone National Park. She was known as ’06, and her death caused an international outcry comparable to the killing of Cecil the Lion in 2015. It also led to a new awareness of the plight of wolves and demands for greater protection, as Nate Blakeslee explains in his new book American Wolf. [Find out why wolves are so polarizing.]

Speaking from his home in Austin, Texas, Blakeslee explains how the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone sparked a renaissance of other species, from bald eagles to beavers; why the fight over wolves is part of a larger

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