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Wolf pack 'doing well' in Tetons MOOSE, Wyo. (AP) - The first wolf pack to den in Grand Teton National Park in 50 years is "healthy and doing well," despite the recent death of the pack's dominant male, park biologists said. All five pups have been seen romping at a site near the pack's den. The dominant, or alpha, female became the only adult member of the pack when the alpha male, No. 133, was found dead beside U.S. 26-287 on June 20. An examination revealed the male died of massive trauma consistent with being hit by a large, fast-moving vehicle. Similar situations have shown that single adult wolves can successfully raise pups, particularly in areas with low wolf density and high prey density, officials said. Those conditions exist in the vicinity of a rendezvous site where the pups were taken by the female about June 7, officials said. The female, No. 24, has been hunting mainly at night and bringing food back to the pups, believed to be about 3 months old. With the arrival of cattle at a nearby permitted pasture, monitoring and patrols have been increased to track the movements of the adult wolf. So far, monitoring has shown no evidence of her approaching the cattle. Some roads and trails have been closed near the wolves to help maintain a high concentration of prey, officials said. Copyright 1999 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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