Since the 1995 reintroduction of eight gray wolves to Yellowstone National Park, their numbers have grown. As of January 2024, there are at least 124 wolves in the park. The wolves have broken into ten separate packs that can be found across the entirety of Yellowstone’s 3,472 square miles.
The northern range of Yellowstone National Park is one of the best places in the world to observe wolves, with peak activity at dawn and dusk. The following footage comes from Hayden Valley, a large sub-alpine valley north of Yellowstone Lake. In it a lone wolf confidently trots across an open field and weaves its way through a line of vehicles stopped on the road. Incredibly fortuitous sighting for anyone of these folks who had pulled over.
Every year Yellowstone National Park researchers capture around 20% of wolves and fit them with radio tracking and GPS collars. The collars offer researchers insights into the wolves’ movements throughout the park and how they interact with other animals and plants. Data gathered has contributed to a wide range of research papers, including subjects like inter-pack aggression and wolves’ beneficiary effect on quaking aspen trees.
Yellowstone National Park Wolf Country Safety Guide:
Wolves are not normally a danger to humans, unless humans habituate them by providing them with food. No wolf has attacked a human in Yellowstone, but a few attacks have occurred in other places.
Like coyotes, wolves can quickly learn to associate campgrounds, picnic areas, and roads with food. This can lead to aggressive behavior toward humans.
What You Can Do
- Never feed a wolf or any other wildlife. Do not leave food or garbage outside unattended. Make sure the door is shut on a garbage can or dumpster after you deposit a bag of trash.
- Treat wolves with the same respect you give any other wild animal. If you see a wolf, do not approach it.
- Never leave small children unattended.
- If you have a dog, keep it leashed.
- If you are concerned about a wolf—it’s too close, or is not showing sufficient fear of humans— do not run. Stop, stand tall, and watch what the wolf does. If it approaches, wave your arms, yell, flare your jacket. If it continues, throw something at it or use bear pepper spray. Group up with other people, and continue waving and yelling.
- Report the presence of wolves near developed areas or any wolf behaving strangely.
Wolves in Yellowstone occasionally become habituated to human or vehicle noise. Biologists successfully aversive-condition several wolves each year. Visitor education is important to help keep wolves wild and wary of humans. There have been no cases of people injured by wolves in Yellowstone; however, two have been killed (2009 and 2011) when their behavior could not be changed with aversive conditioning. Both wolves were likely fed by people.
