At Least Two Wolves Remain on Isle Royale
Researchers working on the Wolves and Moose of Isle Royale project found tracks of two wolves frozen in the slush of Lake Eva. They had spent time during a two-day thaw nosing around an active beaver pond.
For over 50 years the researchers working on the Wolf-Moose Project have been observing and learning about the predator and prey dynamics between wolves and moose on Isle Royale National Park. Sadly, wolves have shown a 90% decline since 2009. For decades the wolf population kept itself healthy by occasional immigrants from the mainland. But with warming temperatures the frequency of ice bridge formation has dropped dramatically.
Experts say those animals are inbred and weak and without intervention, the island’s native population wolf may go extinct. So while it is reassuring that at least 2 wolves are still roaming the island, scientists leading the project insist that importing wolves from the mainland is the population’s only chance of recovery.
Learn more about the Wolf-Moose Project of Isle Royale at http://www.isleroyalewolf.org/