Moose-Hunting Wolves Air-Dropped Into National Park

Four wolves were dispatched into Lake Superior's Isle Royale National Park.

roadkill moose wolves
Wolves were dropped into a national park to hunt moose. (Photo by Jessica Matthews/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The Washington Post/Getty Images

America’s least visited national park is welcoming some new arrivals– four Canadian wolves, which they hope will cull exploding moose numbers.

The wolves were released on Lake Superior’s Isle Royale National Park after being caught in Canada last month. The wolves were evaluated by veterinarians before making their way to the U.S.

“I am… blown away by the resilience of these wolves, who within hours after undergoing capture and handling and arriving on Isle Royale, immediately got on the trail of their pack mates,” Mark Romanski, the park’s natural resources division chief, said.

A moose population of about 1,500 is growing. Steps to prevent overeating of the island’s vegetation, which leads to starvation among the moose, is necessary, Fox News reports.

With the addition of the four Canadian wolves, the total number of moose hunters on the island is eight- divided equally between male and female. Last fall, two wolves were brought to the park however, one died and the other escaped using an ice bridge created by the polar vortex.

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