What are the odds of seeing a wolf in Yellowstone?

But even with a guide, seeing the elusive Canis lupus isn't guaranteed. Normally, you have a 50/50 percent chance of seeing a wolf, says Varley. But this year odds have climbed as high as 90 percent. These consistent sightings are mostly thanks to the Junction Butte pack.



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For example, no wolf has attacked a human in Yellowstone National Park since wolves returned in 1995. Yellowstone receives 4 million visitors per year, including tent campers.

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Approximately 150–200 with home ranges wholly or partially in the park. As of 2021, 1,063 estimated in greater Yellowstone.

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In 1999, a wolf pack denned in Grand Teton and produced a litter of pups—the first in the park in over 70 years. Since then, wolves continue to live and reproduce in the Jackson Hole area, including Grand Teton and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

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Wolf reintroduction caused unanticipated change in Yellowstone. It rebalanced elk and deer populations, allowing the willows and aspen to return to the landscape. The end to overgrazing stabilized riverbanks and rivers recovered and flowed in new directions. Songbirds returned as did beavers, eagles, foxes and badgers.

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Weighing as much as 700 pounds apiece, they had no serious rivals. Grizzly bears, Yellowstone's top predators, are capable of bringing down an adult elk, but they mainly prey on calves. Coyotes, though numerous, were much too small to attack elk.

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There are an estimated 34 to 42 mountain lions that reside year-round in Yellowstone. But for wildlife watchers in the park they remain a rare and special sight. The lions tend to move across rugged and difficult-to-access terrain, and are adept at hiding.

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