An iconic life ended in senseless tragedy last week as one of Yellowstone’s most famous wolves was gunned down just outside the park’s borders in Wyoming.

Researchers called her 832F. She was the Alpha female of the renowned Lamar Valley pack, known and loved by wolf-watchers everywhere. 

The killing needs to stop now. Donate today and help Defenders stop more tragic killing of Yellowstone wolves.

She was the 9th Yellowstone wolf wearing a radio collar to be shot outside the park boundary since hunting season began. Researchers know from her collar that she and her pack remained within the invisible park borders 95 percent of the time. But as she crossed from the park into the state of Wyoming, she was killed.

Defenders has pulled out all the stops to protect Wyoming wolves - including those that periodically cross Yellowstone Park’s borders. Just last month, we filed suit to reverse the Interior Department’s decision to delist Wyoming’s wolf population and to stop the tragic killing. Now it’s time for the states to place permanent buffers to stop wolf hunting adjacent to the Park.

Please donate today to fight for these critical protections for Yellowstone’s wolves.

The tragic loss of this majestic wolf is a loss for our nation’s natural heritage. But beyond that, the killing of radio-collared wolves from Yellowstone is a huge setback for scientists who have been studying the critical role wolves play in the balance of nature in their habitats. It’s research that goes beyond wolves as well. It contributes to our understanding of predator-prey relationships involving a wide range of wildlife.

Thousands of people come to Yellowstone every year to be delighted and awed by the sight of a wolf pack. The wolf called 832F has been a particular crowd-pleaser. She was big. She was beautiful. She was the alpha female of the Lamar Valley pack, one of the park’s best known.

Defenders has been at the forefront fighting to protect wolves in the Northern Rockies and your critical support provides us with resources that are essential when responding to emergencies surrounding imperiled species. We’re working with wolf biologists to establish a no-kill buffer zone around Yellowstone National Park and urging state wildlife managers and federal land managers to take extra steps to protect the Yellowstone wolves.

The Tragic Death of a Beloved Wolf Matriarch

(c) Doug McLaughlin

The shooting of Alpha female 832F is a heartbreaking loss to Yellowstone wolf-watchers and researchers alike.

Please donate today to help us stop the tragic killing of Yellowstone wolves.

Please donate today.

Sincerely,

Jamie Rappaport Clark President Defenders of Wildlife

defenders@mail.defenders.org

P.S. These are desperate times for wolves, and they call for swift, powerful action. Your donation is urgently needed to help stop the war on wolves. Please give today!