Yellowstone’s ‘Queen of the Wolves’ dies after fight with rival pack

All reigns, no matter how historic, ultimately come to an end. And according to officials, Yellowstone National Park’s “Queen of the Wolves” finally passed away at 11-years-old after succumbing to wounds from a fight.

The recognizable, one-eyed gray wolf (officially known as Wolf 907F) had long been a staple for conservationists in the 22.2-million-acre park, and lived over double the species’ average life expectancy in the wild. Smithsonian Magazine notes 907F is one of just six gray wolves known to live past the age of 11 since the animals were reintroduced into Yellowstone in 1995. The matriarch of the Junction Butte pack birthed a total of 10 litters, the most recent of which were born in May 2024. Although the total number of surviving offspring are unknown, she is considered the most reproductively successful wolf in Yellowstone’s history.

907F overcame adversity time and again during her life in the national park. She lost her left eye due to an unknown injury at the age of 4, contracted mange, and at one point developed a limp—none of which changed her prominent status among her pack. 907F also possessed a distinctive howl that set her apart from many other gray wolves.

“She had a very low-pitched howl,” wildlife enthusiast and longtime 907F follower Jeff Reed told Cowboy State Daily last month. “I always laughed, because she had a flat howl, like a monotone. And I always thought that she was saying, ‘That’s because I’m so old, I don’t give a shit. I’m just going to give this monotone howl.’”

On December 22, however, 907F and some of her pups were ambushed by members of the Rescue Creek pack while grazing on a bison carcass near Yellowstone River. An offshoot of the Junction Butte pack, the Rescue Creek wolves reportedly generally stay on the river’s south side, but for unknown reasons decided to cross the waters that day. Although 907F survived the initial encounter, her radio collar indicated she ultimately succumbed to her wounds on December 25.

“It’s sad. But specifically for all of us on the project, we always like to see a wolf die naturally, rather than at the hands of a human,” said Taylor Rabe, a biological science technician with the Yellowstone Wolf, Cougar and Elk Project. “It gives us peace to know that she went in a natural manner. She was a cool wolf.”