Isle Royale National Park is reporting at least two new wolf pups have been born on the island.
The park has so far transported 19 wolves to the island in an effort to rebuild the wolf population. A recent survey of wolves on the island estimated as many as 14 on the island as of April 2020.
Experts say one of the females brought over was likely pregnant with two pups before coming to Isle Royale. Droppings suggest that at least two more pups have since been born on the island.
Mark Romanski is with the park, says the births are a great sign that wolf populations are making themselves at home on the island.
“We’re super pleased wolf pups are being born on the island," he said. "We’ve been in this project for two years and we’re happy that we have this positive sign our efforts are paying off.”
He says droppings found near dens will need to be analyzed to determine how many wolf pups there actually are.
Romanski says another good sign is that wolves have been taking down moose. Moose overpopulation was one of the reasons behind bringing wolves back to the island.
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