302M

302M, also known as "The Casanova" (2000–2009), was a wolf in the Yellowstone Wolf Project. He was featured in the PBS documentary In the Valley of the Wolves and National Geographic's documentary Rise of Black Wolf.

302M
Other name(s)The Casanova
SpeciesCanis lupus
BreedGray Wolf
SexMale
Born2000 (2000)
Yellowstone National Park
Died2009 (2010)
Yellowstone National Park
Cause of deathFight
Known forA wolf in the Yellowstone Wolf Project

Early life

He was born in the Hayden pack to a 2-year-old daughter of Hayden pack's founders.[1][2][3] He dispersed from the pack in 2003 and mingled with the Druid Peak Pack dominant breeding pair's (wolves #21M & #42F) daughters during the breeding season of 2003. Whilst 21M was in charge he raised a litter. The following spring, he opportunistically visited his pups when the Druid Peak Pack dominant breeding pair were away.

Joined Druid Peak pack

Later, in 2004, both dominant breeders of the Druid Peak Pack died. Wolf #42F was killed by another wolf pack in early February 2004 and Wolf #21M was found dead on Specimen Ridge in June 2004. With these events, he joined the pack permanently as the assumed new dominant breeding male. However, his nephew, Wolf #480M stepped up in that role shortly after.[4][1]

In 2006, only 4 wolves remained (302M, 480M, and two yearling females from the last litter of 21M).[5][1] The dominant breeding female was collared as Wolf #529F and her sister, Wolf 569F was collared on the last day of 2006.[5][1]

All 4 wolves bred in 2006 and produced a total of 11 pups in two litters, reviving the famous Druid Pack.[5]

Left Druid Peak

In late 2008, Wolf 302M decided to disperse from the pack with a group of five younger males (his nephews and sons), drifting through rival pack territories until joining four females of the Agate Creek Pack, one adult, one young adult, and two yearlings, to form the Blacktail Plateau pack in late 2008, which 302M began leading. The name of the pack comes from the location their territory was centered on and it was the natal land of Wolf 302M as the Blacktail Plateau was the core of the Leopold Pack territory.[6]

In October 2009, he died from the wounds inflicted by other wolves.[7][8][9]

See also

References
  1. vonHoldt, Bridgett M.; DeCandia, Alexandra L.; Cassidy, Kira A.; Stahler, Erin E.; Sinsheimer, Janet S.; Smith, Douglas W.; Stahler, Daniel R. (20 February 2022), High retention of genomic variation and fitness-related traits in the effective population of reintroduced wolves in Yellowstone National Park (PDF), doi:10.1101/2022.02.18.481090, S2CID 247027130, retrieved 7 February 2023(Preprint){{citation}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  2. McIntyre, Rick (2021). The redemption of wolf 302 : from renegade to Yellowstone alpha male. p. 223. ISBN 9781771645287.
  3. Halfpenny, James; Leckie, Leo; Baron, Shauna (2020). Charting Yellowstone Wolves : 25th Anniversary. pp. 135–136, 177–178. ISBN 979-8622004537.
  4. McIntyre, p. 14, 25
  5. Smith, Douglas W.; Stahler, Daniel R.; Guernsey, Debra S.; Metz, Matthew; Nelson, Abigail; Albers, Erin; McIntyre, Rick (2007). Yellowstone Wolf Project—Annual Report 2006 (PDF) (Report). National Park Service.
  6. Smith, Douglas W.; Stahler, Daniel R.; Albers, Erin; Metz, Matthew; Williamson, Libby; Ehlers, Nick; Cassidy, Kira; Irving, Joshua; Raymond, Rebecca; Almberg, Emily; McIntyre, Rick (2009). Yellowstone Wolf Project—Annual Report 2008 (PDF) (Report). National Park Service.
  7. Smith, Douglas W.; Stahler, Daniel; Albers, Erin; McIntyre, Rick; Metz, Matthew; Cassidy, Kira; Irving, Joshua; Raymond, Rebecca; Zaranek, Hilary; Anton, Colby; Bowersock, Nate (2010). Yellowstone Wolf Project—Annual Report 2009 (PDF) (Report). National Park Service.
  8. Nathan Varley (December 19, 2010). "Decoding 302M: Obtaining genetic insight into one of Yellowstone's most unique wolves". Yellowstone Reports. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  9. "Black Wolf / Special Documentary". National Geographic. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. Retrieved July 15, 2015 – via YouTube.
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