How Wolves Change Rivers [View all]
This month, one of the alpha females of the Canyon pack - a rare white wolf - was seriously injured and euthanized.
I've been privileged to see her in action at Yellowstone. She was a magnificent creature, and had eight litters! ( thanks for the info 2naSalit )
If you haven't seen this *minidocumentary yet, it's worth a watch although it's a bit simplistic. This isn't the full story of recovery at Yellowstone, wolves haven't been the perfect fix. Willow-recovery is still sluggish, due to beavers and elks.
Still, wolf behavior is part of the dynamic behind this trophic cascade at Yellowstone. The predatory patterns of wolves are predictable - they target the sick, the lame, the slowest. Yellowstone's deer population was reduced but not eliminated so they became more resilient and ecological balance was restored to areas impacted by the effects of overgrazing.
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