YELLOWSTONE'S WILD WORLD

After only three days at home, 820, her daddy and 776 left once again, returning to the east and no doubt the area that much of the pack would call home for the rest of their days.

It was not long before 755 returned to the park, having bid his family goodbye and set off to find a new mate and start a new family.  He met a large grey gal from the Mollie pack and they began a life of peace and quiet up in the high hills.  755’s new mate did not like people and so our glimpses of the new couple were but dots in bright sunshine on a hill.

Often, I drove through the valley and thought about how wonderful and peaceful the couple were and that made me smile.  I was not the slightest bit happy when they captured and re-collared the girl, along with 755, because that seemed to send her further up the hills.  And, besides, why did both need to be collared?

Everyday I looked for the other, the remaining members of the Lamar Canyon pack, to return to the valley, because it was so dead, so empty and so not right.  Even though I had barely seen wolves in the valley, I knew that a big chunk of its essence had died with 06′ and the upheaval of the pack that caused them to disperse to other areas.  And so, I told myself, optimism was important.

One morning I drove around the confluence and noticed some cars at Hitching Post and my heart soared.  Turned out that 820 had returned and she sat on the hill and howled and howled.  Only a few of us knew that she was there because the wolf watchers were to the east, until the wolf plane just happened to fly that day and spotted her.  It was not long before the parking lot filled.  Day 2, 820 was there again, howling and howling and we kept hoping that daddy would come home but they were way off to the east.

The damned plane came out again that day and this time it circled her into irritation and she got up and moved a couple of times, finally getting fed up and moving into the forest where we could not see her.  The wolf folks are so concerned about us interrupting the wolves but the whole idea is so contradictory because they have bussed them with planes and disturbed them many times while I have been watching.  And then there is the capture and collar so that they can be monitored and followed everywhere they go, which, of course, restricts their movements because there are always walls of people around.

I agree that wolves are more sensitive than other animals and so it is important to be aware of their movements and to try and not disrupt them from a carcass or a den area, but don’t blame all disturbance on visitors and photographers – wolf watchers find the wolves and disturb them more than anyone in the park.  For one thing, if folks did not know where they were, they would not be there to watch them.

Anyway, 820 moved into the forest and we were all very disappointed.  The following day she was across the valley and the next day she had moved on again.

It was not long before 755 returned to the valley and the den area, and it seemed as though they had narrowly missed one another.

And then like a fire storm, 776 returned with the pack and a couple of new guys, and found 755 with an enemy woman and a fight ensued.  We saw 755 and his mate running for their lives across the valley and could see blood on the gal’s rear leg – so much blood that many knew that it was not good.

As the couple continued across the valley, 755’s son, later collared 859 and nicknamed, Prince, by myself, followed behind.  I will never forget the moment that 755 allowed his young son to catch up and the happiness that followed.  Tears ran down my face and I could not speak because it was heart-wrenching.  859 tried to make nice with dad’s new gal but he was a little too rambunctious for her and her injury and I could see her snarling at him a bit.  Still, the youngster was allowed to follow his dad up to the spot that would be his step-mom’s final resting place.

The three wolves spent the night together and first thing in the morning, I was the first to the valley and to see wolves next to the road.

Apparently, 755, knowing his mate would soon die, had left her and come across the valley, with Prince, to see the remaining members of his family, all of which were on the hillside west of the ranch.

I will never forget this scene, despite not really having a clue what was going on.  Prince, daddy, 776 and another wolf all stood in a square, facing each other for a long moment.  I can only imagine that 776 was telling daddy that he needed to leave but who really knows. The finished staring at each other and then 776 led the other two up the hill and re-joined the remaining members of the pack, leaving 755 all alone.

For quite some time 755 howled and howled for his family.  He was such a small, lonely wolf there on the valley floor that was covered with snow, and one could not help but feel for his heart.  None of his family came back to him, or returned his howls but he kept on with such an empty and lonely sound.  At one point 755 tried going up the hill towards his family but soon returned to the valley floor to howl some more.

And then 755 simply turned and began walking west.  I was in the dark about the movements of the wolves, or 755 in particular, but those who knew what was going on, followed 755, who was then still fairly black, as he left the valley, traveled through Lamar Canyon and on across Slough and Little America.  The boy went all of the way to Gardiner and it was a long, long time before he was seen in Lamar Valley again.

The following day, 755’s mate was recovered from the forest.  The wolf project crossed the river and skied to her location and brought her body back on the sled.  Once back to the road, Doug Smith uncovered her body and allowed us to see and touch her while he answered questions.  She was a large, healthy and beautiful wolf.  I did not care much for 776 when we figured out that, because she was also injured, that she no doubt killed her step-mom.  I later found out that she had been pregnant with only one pup and so two lives were lost that day and 755 has not been the same since – or had luck in love.

I will stop here and resume the story in two days, with the first time I noticed Spitfire, during a very special and private viewing.