New pack on the Northern Range-

To surprise of everyone a brand new wolf pack of eight, with no radio collars, suddenly appeared about 4 days ago in Round Prairie in Yellowstone Park.

Where they came from, no one knows, but they are led by a striking very light gray female, described by many as "white," and a black alpha male with a whitish muzzle.  The pack also has 2 more black adults (probably female) and a gray adult male. There are 2 black pups and a gray pup. Most of these wolves have distinctive markings and will probably become recognizable to wolf watching veterans if they stay in the area.

Rick McIntrye described the white female as looking very much like the original Crystal Creek alpha female 5F and also like the Druid's first alpha female 39F. This raises some possibility that they are derived from Mollies Pack (formerly the Crystal Creek pack) or the Sunlight Basin Pack which lives over the mountains just to the east of YNP. The Sunlight Basin Pack was founded by one of the three famous Druid sisters, wolf 41F and a Rose Creek Wolf. 41F would have had some of 39F's genetic material.

Where this new pack has been for at least several years is unknown.

Upon arriving at Round Prairie they quickly turned their attention to a large bull elk, which they killed in Soda Butte Creek. They have been most thoroughly consuming the elk. The pack acted a bit wary around the autos and the pups seem afraid to come down into the creek and feed and have been begging food from the adults.

While it's hard to say, the Druids so far seem unaware of these interlopers in the midst of their territory.

The "white" alpha female. © M.A. Bellingham. Used with permission. The 2 other canids are coyotes.

Meanwhile on Specimen Ridge-

Today the Druids moved from across from the Lamar Ranger Station (Yellowstone Institute) to Little America and then up on Specimen Ridge. A lot of bark howling was heard. Bark howling is an aggressive or defensive howl. Spotters with big scopes soon saw that a chase between the Druids and the Agate Creek pack was underway. It lasted until near the end of the day.

The Agates were somewhat outnumbered, but compensated by spreading out and repeatedly running in pairs or singly toward the more compact Druid Pack of eleven. The Druids would give chase and regroup, socialize, and then the Agates would come at them again. Kind of like guerilla warfare. After several hours the Druids moved the Agates off to the southwest and the chase was probably over.

Not all of the Agate Pack was there. Both packs at full strength are about the same size, although the Agates have more pups.

Specimen Ridge has been a real spot of contention among wolf packs. In the past the Druids battled Mollies Pack up there, and last winter in another incident, Mollies Pack (or perhaps the Agates) killed long time Druid alpha female 42F near the backside of the Ridge. In fact part of this apparently low injury fight took place right where her carcass rested. Also, Druid alpha male 21M died on Specimen Ridge this summer. Death from other wolves is a possibility.

The new Druid alpha male -- "the New Black"-- was in the midst of the chase today, while 302M didn't participate much. He is still nursing his sore foot from the recent charge by the two bold Mollies Pack wolves at the Druid rendezvous site.

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The huge Leopold Pack continues to press up the Yellowstone River, spending today on Hellroaring Slopes. The Geode Pack had a double kill a few miles off.