Two Idaho wolves from the original reintroduction found to be still alive.
7-6-2005
Wolves B7M and B11F from the 1995 central Idaho wolf reintroduction are still alive with their Big Hole Pack, over ten years later. The wolves are, therefore, at least 11 + years old, and probably older.There have been a lot of stories about the last Yellowstone wolves from the reintroduction (now all dead), and also about several old Idaho wolves, like B2M, and the original Kelly Creek Pack alpha male (a "native" wolf who lived 12-13 years). Now, however, it seems we really are at the last two.
This wolf pair founded the Big Hole Pack. They are not only long lived, but also a testament that moving wolves rather than shooting them after some trouble, can work.
After killing some cattle in Montana's Big Hole Valley at long time ago, this pair was shuttled all over the place, including a stint in a Yellowstone Park enclosure and later a special enclosure built in Running Creek in Idaho's Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. During the process B7M became the first wolf to escape from an enclosure. See: "Idaho Wolf B7 escapes from Selway Pen."
Although they met early in 1996, this pair didn't have pups until the spring of 1998. The name "Big Hole Pack" is a bit misleading and based on the location near where they met rather than their pack's territory which has always been the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness area, a bit south of Lolo Pass.
B11F was originally named "Blackfire" by Idaho school children.
The two wolves met on the Idaho-Montana border in the winter of 1995-6 after B11F had wandered all over the place.
She became the first wolf to be relocated a long distance only to quickly return 180 miles to find her mate. In an effort to remove them from the Big Hole Valley, only B11F was caught. She was released 180 miles from the valley, but in a few weeks she was back with B7M.
The pair was seen this June at the den site by Isaac Babcock and Tyler Hollow of the Nez Perce Tribal wolf recovery team. The pair looked healthy and may well still be the alphas of the pack. If so, they are one of the longest known alpha pairs in the history of humans studying wild wolves.
See: "Two Idaho Wolves are Brought to Yellowstone!" 12-21-96