The first pen of wolves brought to Yellowstone from Alberta last January has been released. On March 21, the door to the Crystal Creek enclosure was opened by Park biologists.The 3 pens that have held the wolves for the last three months in an effort to acclimatize them to the Park and the food biologists want them to eat, are the Crystal Creek Bench pen, the Rose Creek Pen, and the Soda Butte Pen. Each holds a pack of wolves captured in early January in western Alberta. The three pens or "enclosures" are situated on three sides of the Lamar Valley, a wildlife-rich mountain valley in the NE corner of Yellowstone National Park.
Early indications are that the wolves have been reluctant to leave the Crystal Creek enclosure. Undoubtedly the other pens will be opened soon.
In January, 15 wolves from Alberta were released immediately upon arrival into the wilds of central Idaho. Except for one unsolved shooting of an Idaho arrival, the Idaho wolves seem to be doing well and have not returned to Canada as some feared. The Idaho method of release is called "hard release". The Yellowstone method is called "soft release". Biologists consider the two methods to be an experiment and don't know which works the best. Perhaps we shall see which is the better over the next year or two.
) 1995 Ralph Maughan
Not to be reprinted, archived, redistributed, etc., without permission.