A Poacher Is Believed To Have Killed a Beloved Yellowstone Wolf
Park officials were alerted when they received a distressing message from the wolf's tracker.
Published Feb. 4 2026, 2:21 p.m. ET
It's a sad day for rangers and parkgoers in Yellowstone National Park, after it was reported that one of the wolves from the Junction Butte pack was killed on Christmas Day. The National Park Service rangers were alerted to the situation after the wolf's collar sent an alert to them, letting them know that there were no longer any signs of movement or life coming from the wolf's tracker.
NPS is now on the hunt to figure out what happened with the beloved wolf, and they are offering a reward.
Anyone with tips that lead to the arrest of the poacher will receive $31,000 in funds that were raised by both Montana officials, the Large Carnivore Fund, and Wolves of the Rockies.
Sadly, this news comes after the success of a reintroduction program that brought wolves back to Yellowstone after the gray wolf was added to the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Keep reading to learn more about the wolf killed at Yellowstone, and what kind of charges the poacher will face if they are found.
A wolf is believed to have been illegally shot and killed on Christmas.
Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks released a statement about the Yellowstone wolf, saying that they received a mortality alert from the wolf. The information came in via a tracker that was placed into the collar of the wolves in Yellowstone, and it was sent to officials at 10 p.m. local time from somewhere in the Jardine area.
Once officials arrived, they found a collar that had been cut off and thrown into a tree; however, the wolf's body was nowhere to be found.
Despite not having a body, game wardens are confident that the wolf was killed around the time the signal was sent on Christmas Day.
ABC News notes that the hunting season had already closed for wolves in that area, as the quota had been met for the year. Sadly, the wolf may have been targeted, because her pack is known as one of the most visible packs at the park, which means that they are often seen by Yellowstone's visitors, and those that live in the surrounding area.
Who was the wolf believed to have been killed in Yellowstone?
ABC News notes that while game wardens haven't explicitly said which wolf is believed to have been killed, most experts in the area think that it was wolf 1478F. She was one of the more notable wolves in her pack, and would've been next in line for the alpha role if the current pack's leader had been killed instead.
Wolf 1478F was remembered by a wildlife photographer named Russ Kehler, who spoke with the publication.
He described the young wolf as being a skilled hunter and a loving mother to her pups and the pups within her pack. She also gamely faced adversity, even when the current alpha sensed that she was a potential rival, and tried to have her forced from the group.
Anyone with information about the wolf is being asked to visit tipmont.mt.gov.