Wolf #24F was a trailblazer

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Wolf 24F was a trailblazer—a quiet but powerful force in the story of wolf recovery in Jackson Hole. Born in 1995 as the sole pup of the elusive Soda Butte Pack, she carried the legacy of Yellowstone’s reintroduction of wolves. After leaving her birth pack in 1998, she paired with 133M, a male from the disrupted Washakie Pack, and together they chose the northeastern edge of Grand Teton National Park, an area of high elk and deer density, as their home.

As expected, in the spring of 1999, the two made history. Wolf 24F gave birth to the first known wolf pups in Grand Teton in more than 70 years—five black pups full of promise and life. Thus, the Teton Pack was born, becoming a foundation of wolf recovery in the region. But their story was not without hardship. That summer, tragedy struck when 133M was killed by a vehicle, leaving 24F to raise the pups alone just as cattle were released near their den site.

Despite having no history of preying on livestock, 24F’s desperation grew. Malnourished and with broken teeth, she was found caught in a snare intended for grizzly bears. She was freed, and in an act of compassion, park officials began providing road-killed prey to help her and her pups survive. That summer, all five pups made it through—a rare and remarkable outcome.

Still, challenges persisted. She was later seen feeding on a dead cow calf, a turning point that underscored a difficult truth: when ranchers leave carcasses unburied, hungry predators may adapt in ways that seal their fate.

Wolf 24F’s resilience was undeniable, but her story ended in heartbreak. In November 2000, the founding matriarch of the Teton Pack was found dead, a victim of poisoning.

And yet, her legacy lives on. As of 2024, at least six wolf packs roam Grand Teton National Park, including the Lower Gros Ventre, Two Ocean, Spread Creek, and a new group near Blacktail Butte known as the “Jackson Five.” These wolves—and the wildness they represent—trace their lineage to 24F’s quiet courage and tenacity.

Her story is not just one of survival, but of deep endurance in the face of human pressures. It calls on us to remember, with both awe and empathy, the fragile and beautiful balance of life in the wild.