Wanderlust World Wanderlust World The wolf subspecies inhabiting Yellowstone National Park is Canis lupus irremotus, commonly known as the Northern Rocky Mountain wolf—a subspecies of the gray wolf (Canis lupus).
Wolves were eradicated from Yellowstone by the 1920s through government predator control. In a landmark restoration effort, 31 wolves from Canada were reintroduced in 1995–1996. The population has since flourished, with multiple packs now established across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
As top predators, these wolves primarily hunt elk and bison, triggering a trophic cascade that has revitalized vegetation (aspen, willow), brought back beavers, increased biodiversity, and even altered river courses by reducing overgrazing.
Yellowstone's wolves are monitored via radio collars and aerial surveys. They remain a focal point for research on predator-prey dynamics, disease ecology, and human-wildlife coexistence—making Yellowstone a global model for large-carnivore restoration.