The saga began last January when three packs, the Rose Creek pack, Crystal Creek pack and Soda Butte pack, were introduced into Yellowstone. The goal of the Yellowstone recovery effort is 100 wolves or ten packs by 2002. The alpha male of the Rose Creek pack was illegally killed at about the same time the female gave birth to eight pups. The female and pups were captured and returned to a pen until able to hold their own in the wild. A yearling from the Crystal Creek pack joined the female and pups shortly after they were released in October and has taken on the role of alpha male.
Biologists expect the alpha pair to mate next spring.