Howl: The story of how wolf reintroduction in America’s West became nature’s greatest comeback

Howl: The story of how wolf reintroduction in America’s West became nature’s greatest comeback

Seventy years ago, wolves had been virtually exterminated from the western United States. But the wolves’ remarkable recovery started Jan. 14, 1995, when a handful of adults were released in Idaho and Yellowstone National Park. The animals thrived, and now there are over 3,000 wolves from Idaho to the Mexican border.

A joint reporting series by the Idaho Capital Sun and Boise State Public Radio takes readers and listeners deep into the backcountry to tell one of America’s wildest comeback stories – wolf reintroduction. Reporters Clark Corbin and Heath Druzin spent 14 months trekking through harsh and remote wolf territory to explore how politics and science have collided while these once-endangered animals struggle to survive.

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Wolves in the West panel event

On Tuesday, June 17, join us for a panel discussion around the history, reintroduction and politics of wolves at the Special Event Center at Boise State University from 6 to 8 p.m.

June 17: Wolves in the West - 30 Years of Reintroduction and the New Threats Wolves Face Today

Join Boise State Public Radio and the Idaho Capital Sun on Tuesday, June 17 for a discussion around the history, reintroduction, and politics of wolves at the Special Event Center at Boise State University from 6-8 p.m.

The Idaho Capital Sun is producing a written version to go along with the podcast. Articles will be published every Wednesday and will be available on the Idaho Capital Sun website, as well as ours. Like all work produced by States Newsroom, the Idaho Capital Sun’s parent nonprofit, the print stories are available to be picked up by any news outlet for free with proper attribution.

Read the stories here

Mike Phillips, Jim Evanoff, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Director Mollie Beattie, Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Mike Finley and U.S. Secretary of Interior Bruce Babbitt carry the first crate with a wolf in it to the Crystal Bench Pen in Yellowstone National Park in January 1995.

Carter’s Hope: After U.S. government killed off Western wolves, a bold experiment brought them back

The helicopter was flying low above a remote snow-covered mountain ridge outside Hinton, Alberta, Canada, when pilot Clay Wilson jumped the wolves and gave chase. Carter Niemeyer picked the tranquilizer gun off his lap and sighted through the opening where the helicopter's passenger side door had been removed especially for the mission.