ISLE ROYALE NATIONAL PARK-- Only two wolves remain on Isle Royale National Park.
That’s according to a report released this week by Michigan Technological University researchers who study the predator-prey relationship between the island’s wolves and moose.
Report co-author Rolf Peterson says genetics has decimated the wolf population.
“There’s no doubt about it. It’s full agreement that it’s a reflection of the inbreeding that resulted in reproductive failure,” he says.
Peterson notes ice bridges to the mainland haven’t allowed new wolves to cross to Isle Royale. He says as wolf numbers have gone down moose numbers have boomed, which threatens the island’s vegetation.
“Right now there’s a race going on between some small trees that have finally had an opportunity to grow into real trees and the moose population, which is growing rather quickly. And it’s impossible to say which one is going to win: the trees or the moose,” he says.
The National Park Service is taking public comment on four management alternatives. Some include the introduction of new wolves to genetically rescue the current population.
