'Culture war' killing ends storied life of alpha female
832F, leading the pack. (Courtesy of the Yellowstone Wolf Project)
She never had a real name. Scientists called her 832F. To her fans, she was known simply as ’06 after the year that she was born. But for anyone who had ever seen the large, sleek gray wolf roaming the Yellowstone plains, she was the epitome of all things free and wild.
Last week, ’06 was killed by an unknown hunter just outside of the park. She was still wearing her radio collar.
The death of ’06 is a stark reminder of the culture war in the Northern Rockies between those who recognize the gray wolf’s right to exist and role in maintaining a balanced ecosystem, and those who view the creature as a threat to livestock and public safety that must be mercilessly exterminated.
For scientists and conservationists working to restore the gray wolf to the Northern Rockies after a century-long absence, the loss of ’06 was a huge blow. She was the alpha female of the Lamar Canyon pack—Yellowstone’s most famous wolf pack. Visitors described how the strong and agile she-wolf was able to singlehandedly take down large elk to feed her litter. One observer recalled watching ’06 outsmart 16 invading wolves from a rival pack, luring them away from a den of vulnerable pups. The Lamar Canyon pack now faces the real possibility of disbanding if another leader does not fill the void.
Wolves of Yellowstone's Lamar Valley. 832F was the alpha female of the Lamar Canyon pack.
(Jeremy Weber)While a bullet killed '06, politics and misguided fears pulled the trigger. Long demonized by cattle and sheep ranchers, wolves account for less than 1 percent of all livestock mortality in the United States—behind domestic dogs, digestive problems, respiratory disease and weather. Yet, despite this data, the Fish and Wildlife Service bowed to political pressure and relinquished wolf management to the state of Wyoming. Wyoming cleared the way for wholesale slaughter of its gray wolf population throughout most of the state—with Yellowstone National Park being one of the few safe havens for the beleaguered species.
But like all animals, wolves do not abide by lines on a map. Even those that spend the vast majority of their time inside Yellowstone are fair game to licensed hunters the moment they step out of the park’s borders—as '06 did. Her unnecessary death has sparked outrage among scientists, conservationists and park visitors, and state officials in neighboring Montana have responded by banning the hunting of collared wolves in areas bordering the park. Wyoming has not indicated it will follow suit.
The only way to prevent a repeat of the slaughter that claimed the lives of ’06 and 265 other wolves this year is to return wolf management to the Fish and Wildlife Service. And that is exactly what Earthjustice attorneys and our clients are attempting to do right now in court. We are suing the federal government for its decision to hand the reins over to Wyoming—a state that has clearly shown it has no intention of adequately protecting its population of wolves. But the legal battle will be fierce and we are counting on the public’s support to keep this fight alive. You can take a stand for the wolves by making a small emergency donation right now—any amount is appreciated.
She may have died without a real name, but ’06 did not die without a purpose. If any good can come out of this tragedy, it would be a clear recognition that gray wolves are an intrinsic part of the Northern Rockies ecosystem. Their presence is critical to maintaining the natural balance between predator and prey—and to sustaining our notion of what it truly means to be free and wild.
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Hunting to survive is so limited. I do know there are some honorable hunters, like animals, who do hunt for meat, to survive, who do not inflict pain, wo do not abuse nor torture, who do not use traps not make unneeded kills.
How much money do you spend in guns, amo, gear, and do you also GROW VEGETABLES. How much do you waste and HOW MUCH PAIN DO YOU INFLICT.
And what about the cowards who kill in canned hunts, who torture former pets (yes tigers, lions, bears, even wolf-dogs).
To the top comment about surviving off of deer or elk meat, it is your choice to live there. You can move to anywhere on the Earth, but the wolf can not. Yes, there are some population control problems....but that doesn't mean we need to open up an infinite slaughtering process. I'm sure there is a better way and mistakes like this (06's death) should never happen.
Hi, I was born and raised in Montana. I have lived in and around Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado all my life. My family are hunters, we legally hunt to provide food for our family and to survive. Minimum wage isn't much and raises aren't much either. Anyhow without the deer or elk meet each year we could not survive ourselves. I have always had a profound respect and love for wolves, they have Always been here, despite what some may say. I think the problem stems from those back East who wanted to SEE the wolves, instead of letting them do there own thing and be wild and hidden in their own world. Thus, more wolves then the land could sustain were introduced and breed and that has inturn caused the wolves to venture out and not only kill ranchers animals but to also almost Completly wipe out the Elk population in Gardner Montana and else where. The Elk population was so large but within the last 2-3 years the Elk are almost Extinct and are no longer aloud to be hunted. In fact the heard has been killed off so much by Wolves that it will take the Elk a minimum of 10 years to grow to the size it was, IF no more are Killed, which is impossible. Did you know that Wolves are the ONLY animal that Kill for FUN! They might have eaten and be full, but will still Kill for Fun! The wolves were already here, they lived in harmony with nature, but it was Selfish people who wanted to SEE the wolves that breed them and brought more into an area that couldn't sustain it and now this is what has happened, more animals then needed had to die.....including the wolf.
Hi, I was born and raised in Montana. I have lived in and around Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado all my life. My family are hunters, we legally hunt to provide food for our family and to survive. Minimum wage isn't much and raises aren't much either. Anyhow without the deer or elk meet each year we could not survive ourselves. I have always had a profound respect and love for wolves, they have Always been here, despite what some may say. I think the problem stems from those back East who wanted to SEE the wolves, instead of letting them do there own thing and be wild and hidden in their own world. Thus, more wolves then the land could sustain were introduced and breed and that has inturn caused the wolves to venture out and not only kill ranchers animals but to also almost Completly wipe out the Elk population in Gardner Montana and else where. The Elk population was so large but within the last 2-3 years the Elk are almost Extinct and are no longer aloud to be hunted. In fact the heard has been killed off so much by Wolves that it will take the Elk a minimum of 10 years to grow to the size it was, IF no more are Killed, which is impossible. Did you know that Wolves are the ONLY animal that Kill for FUN! They might have eaten and be full, but will still Kill for Fun! The wolves were already here, they lived in harmony with nature, but it was Selfish people who wanted to SEE the wolves that breed them and brought more into an area that couldn't sustain it and now this is what has happened, more animals then needed had to die.....including the wolf.
Can't fathom why anyone would need, psychologically, to hunt an animal that's been persecuted for so long. Maybe no sense of history. Hunt herbivores, if you must (and you should) since feeding yourself w/ something you've hunted (and learned about) is exactly the wolves's way. And, while you're doing that, how might the rest of ensure the chance to hunt?
Afford the alphas the space and keep the pack strong. Find a way to effect size (or pack status) limits on wolves, so this grievous error isn't repeated. If it was gross negligence, and the shooter knew which individual he got, well, G-d bless you, you special case.
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