Isle Royale Wolf Pack by Isle Royale National Park

The Smithsonian shares that the Isle Royale wolf population has reached the highest level in nearly 50 years. This is an excellent article you should read in full that begins:

After completing their annual survey this year, scientists estimate 37 of the apex predators are now roaming around Isle Royale, a 132,000-acre U.S. national park that’s part of Michigan and located near Thunder Bay, Canada. The moose population, meanwhile, has declined to an estimated 524 animals, according to a report released in April.

Together, the new figures suggest Isle Royale is returning to a healthier predator-prey dynamic after years of imbalance.

“The wolf and moose populations are now approaching the edge of where they have been in the past, with moose low and wolves high,” says Rolf Peterson, an ecologist at Michigan Technological University and co-leader of the Isle Royale Wolf-Moose Project, in a statement.

The photo is from a 2021 post by Isle Royale National Park about GPS collars they use to monitor wolf packs and their dynamics that are referenced in the Smithsonian article.

Michigan in Pictures has lots more about wolves & Isle Royale. One highlight is a look at where we were just over a decade ago in April of 2015 when the Freep reported that wolves were almost gone from Isle Royale.