After not being seen since August 26, the former beta male of the Druid Pack, wolf 253M has returned to the northern range of Yellowstone Park. He was in the "Little America" area yesterday, and today on a carcass which appeared to be a pronghorn.

Rick McIntyre told me that 253 appears to be in good condition and seemed to be moving toward to the Lamar Valley. Everyone wonders what kind of greeting he will receive, especially in view of the latest news which is that the wolf called "the new black" seems to have displaced 302M as the dominant male among the Druids in Lamar Valley.

When Druid 21M died or was killed last summer there was lots of suspense whether 253M would become the new alpha male. However, after a few snarls between 253M and the "new black," 253M left with a number of other Druids to go far up the Lamar River to the pack's usual summer range. The rest of the Druids stayed in the Lamar Valley, with some coming and going upriver. During the summer and fall, long time fringe pack member 302M and the seeming alpha female 286F seemed to pair off and were suspected to be the new alpha pair, especially as more and more Druids drifted back to the valley and 253 was not among them.

As a bit of background, folks will recall that in 2002, 253M left the Lamar Valley and showed up near Morgan, Utah about a month and a half later, caught in a coyote trap. Federal wolf manager for Wyoming, Mike Jimenez then picked up 253M and released him in Grand Teton National Pack. Within a few days 253 was back in the Lamar where he became the loyal beta to long time alpha 21M.

253 is a readily identifiable gray black wolf due to the limp he sustained as a youngster when the Druids battled the Nez Perce Pack during an Nez Perce incursion on Druid territory.

Update 10-25

Rick McIntyre said that 253 did come through the Lamar Valley today and cautiously investigated the rendezvous site area.  Apparently the other 9 wolves were not aware of him. Then he went up the Lamar River, which McIntrye indicated was probably the wise decision - perhaps to look for more scattered wolves to join with and return to the Lamar. Nine Druids might have chased 253, whereas there might be a unification if he appears with some of the scattered missing Druids.