More on wandering wolf
by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
March 4, 2009
An 18 month old female wolf that was originally radio collared in southwesters Montana dispersed from her natal pack in September 2008.
She has traveled from Montana, through parts of western Wyoming, southeastern Idaho, and northeastern Utah.
Last week, locations from her GPS satellite collar indicated she was near Vail, Colorado, approximately 450 (straight-line) miles from her natal home range. It is a well documented fact that wolves can disperse extremely long distances, commonly over 500 miles and across huge expanses of habitat unsuitable for wolf pack persistence. These types of dispersal events are common.
This incident only provides further evidence that genetic connectivity in the NRM wolf population is and will remain extremely high and is not a long term wolf conservation issue. Wolves in Colorado are listed under the ESA as endangered.
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