Washington’s wolf population grew by 28 percent last year

The population of wolves in Washington state grew by 28 percent last year, with at least two new packs, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife said. At the end of 2016, the state was home to a minimum of 115 wolves, 20 packs, and 10 successful breeding pairs. That’s an increase of at least 25 wolves since 2015, despite the confirmed deaths of 14 wolves from various causes. Those findings draw on information gathered from aerial surveys, remote cameras, wolf tracks, and signals from radio-collared wolves, and are considered minimum estimates, the agency said. “Washington’s wolf population continues to grow at about 30 percent each year,” said Jim Unsworth, director of Fish and Wildlife...more