Yellowstone National Park has lost one of its most renowned and resilient residents: a one-eyed, 11-year-old wolf who had a record-breaking ten litters of pups during her lifetime.
Wolf 907F, also known as the “Queen of the Wolves” due to her dominant role in the Junction Butte pack, died on Christmas Day (December 25, 2024) following a confrontation with a rival pack.
Wolf 907F more than doubled the typical lifespan of gray wolves in Yellowstone, which is four to five years. Her longevity and role as a matriarch elevated her to legendary status within the park’s ecosystem and among wildlife enthusiasts.
According to Cowboy State Daily, the events that led to her death occurred on December 22, when Wolf 907F and her cubs were feeding on a bison carcass on the north side of the Yellowstone River.
Members of the rival Rescue Creek pack, who are typically confined to the southern bank, unexpectedly crossed the river and engaged in a brutal skirmish with 907F’s group.
Although Wolf 907F survived the initial encounter, her injuries were fatal. Her radio collar, which was being monitored by Yellowstone biologists, detected her lack of movement on December 26, implying she had died the day before.
“It is sad. But, specifically, Taylor Rabe, a wildlife technician with the Yellowstone Wolf Project, told Cowboy State Daily, “We always prefer to see a wolf die naturally, rather than at the hands of a human.”
One of Yellowstone’s oldest wolves
According to the Smithsonian Magazine, Wolf 907F was one of six recorded wolves to reach the age of 11 since the animals were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park in 1995.
Wolf 907F was no stranger to hardship. Scientists suspected she lost her left eye around the age of four, but the cause is unknown. Wolf 907F also survived a case of mange, a contagious skin disease caused by microscopic mites that burrow into the skin and can kill.
Despite these setbacks, she continued to lead her pack successfully, even giving birth to a litter of cubs in the spring of 2024, surprising researchers with her youthfulness at such an advanced age.
Wolf 907F gave birth to pups every year for the decade leading up to her death, beginning when she reached sexual maturity. Rabe told Cowboy State Daily that this made her “the most reproductively successful wolf in Yellowstone history.”
