The First Free Wolf in Yellowstone

10M's contribution to wolf recovery endures today—a legacy that no hunter can ever take away.

Wolf reintroduction

In January 1995, fourteen wolves were captured in Alberta, Canada, and transported over 1,000 miles to Yellowstone National Park. These wolves had a critical mission: to restore an iconic species to the American West, one that had been missing for seven decades.

A momentous return

The return of wolves to Yellowstone was an eagerly anticipated and joyous occasion. On Jan. 12, 1996, school children lined the road at the North Entrance, waving American flags and cheering as the truck carrying this precious cargo arrived. Among the wolves were a breeding female, 9F, and her daughter, 7F, who were taken to an acclimation pen near Rose Creek in Lamar Valley. However, this pack was not complete without an alpha male.

10M; Barry O'Neill; 1995/NPS Photo

10M arrives

Eight days later, a second shipment of wolves arrived at Yellowstone that included an especially impressive male wolf, unrelated to 9F, whom biologists believed would make her the perfect mate. Weighing in at a hefty 122 pounds, reintroduction staff called wolf 10M “The Big Guy”. His coat was a striking silvery-beige, and his golden eyes didn't hesitate to look directly at the reintroduction staff. Bold, confident, and charismatic, this wolf was every bit an alpha male.

Matchmaking success

The shipping crate containing 10M was carried to the Rose Creek acclimation pen. The kennel door was raised, and 10M ran straight to 9F, eager to become acquainted with his new mate. She was equally magnificent, with a beautiful black coat sprinkled with flecks of brown and silver. There was no guarantee the unrelated wolves, especially in close confines would bond. 10M wanted to immediately take charge, so things didn't start well for the couple. However, after the initial tension wore off, the couple paced the pen side-by-side and slept curled up together. The matchmaking worked, giving biologists another reason to celebrate.

9F; Barry & Teri O'Neill; 1995/NPS Photo

Free to roam Yellowstone

At the end of a two-month acclimation period, reintroduction staff opened the gate to the Rose Creek pen to allow the wolves to leave freely. When biologists returned later, 10M had already exited through the gate and was standing on a hillside watching them intently and howling as snowflakes fell onto his lustrous coat.

His head high, he howled again, with the snow and wind blowing through his fur. Chills shivered down my spine. The first wild wolf released in Yellowstone.... For twenty-five minutes he followed us at a distance as we headed back. This was rare wolf behavior to be sure, but 10M was no ordinary wolf.

— Doug Smith, Yellowstone Wolf Project Lead Biologist

Though 10M was free to explore Yellowstone, he wasn't about to leave 9F behind. He waited patiently until his mate joined him, and together they founded the Rose Creek pack, named after their acclimation pen in Lamar Valley. However, 9F’s daughter, 7F, chose a different path. She separated from her mom and stepfather almost immediately, traveling the Northern Tier of Yellowstone as a lone wolf. She became adept at hunting on her own and providing for herself. Eventually, she encountered 2M from the Crystal Creek pack, and together they formed the Leopold pack—a story that marks another chapter in Yellowstone’s wolf reintroduction.

A tragic end

9F and 10M made their way across the Beartooth Plateau and left the park, stopping near Red Lodge, Montana. Heavily pregnant, 9F sought out a den site. On the morning of April 26, 1995, 10M was searching the area when two locals spotted him standing on a ridge. Despite federal protections under the Endangered Species Act that safeguarded gray wolves, one of the men grabbed his rifle and fired anyway.

9F found her beloved mate and laid down beside his headless and skinless body, left behind by the locals who killed him. On that same day, she gave birth to eight pups beneath a spruce tree. These were the first wild wolf pups born in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in over half a century. Among their offspring was 21M, who would become the grandfather of the legendary 06, making 9F and 10M her great-grandparents.