Yellowstone is one of the best places in the world to spot wolves, and lovers of all things lupine/fairy tale/Duran Duran have the opportunity to do this on a wolf tracking excursion in the national park.
Yellowstone National Park is a pretty special place to visit at the best of times. Covering almost 9,000 square kilometres of dense woodland, technicolour lakes, and some very dramatic geysers, the park seemingly ticks all the boxes of what a nature-lover might want in a park.
Until you consider the wildlife. Namely, the 100 or so wolves living within it.
We’re taught from a young age to fear wolves: they’ll impersonate your sick gran and eat you; they’ll huff and they’ll puff and they’ll blow your house down (and eat you); or they’ll dress up as your mum (who happens to be a goat), trick you into opening the front door, and then – yep – eat you (along with your six goat brothers and sisters). But this negative reputation is largely unfounded; wolves – having been hunted almost to extinction – can’t stand humans, and will do just about anything to remain hidden from view.
What is wolf tracking?
“Wolf tracking is more like a safari or game drive, where the aim of the game is spotting a wolf. You’ll go out into the park with a guide, whose expert knowledge of Yellowstone and its 100-or-so wolves (along with the CB radio they use to communicate with other guides and rangers), will increase your chances of seeing a wolf in the wild,” Ben tells me.
How many wolves are you likely to see in Yellowstone?
Even with an experienced tracker, spotting wolves can be tricky. But as they’re pack animals, if you see one, you may be lucky enough to see multiple wolves all at once, playing together, eating, or looking after the young cubs.
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