This wolf pack is almost entirely black wolves, which is quite rare for Minnesota! Of course, this is not to say it does not happen, but rather that it is definitely not the norm. For reference, black wolves make up 1.5-2% of wolves in Minnesota based on data in the state from 1980 to 2020.

There is some indication that black wolves in Minnesota have increased in prevalence a bit over the past 70 years or so. In the Superior National Forest, only 4 out of 580 wolves that were legally hunted or trapped by three conservation officers before 1960 were black. By the late 1960s, black wolves made up 3.6 percent of wolves in the same area. Whether this indicates a biologically meaningful or even a statewide trend is hard to say but definitely is intriguing.

Notably, the pack in the video is not in our study area—the Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem—but just outside of it! A member of the public shared the footage with us and we thought it quite exceptional given the prevalence of black wolves. The most black wolves in a pack we have documented is 1. I.e., we have never captured anything like this!

On a different note, we will be relatively quiet on social media until after the holidays. We are taking some time away to be with family, relax, and disconnect! We will be back to posting regularly come 2022! Thanks again for everyone’s interest in our work and Happy Holidays to everyone from all of us at the Voyageurs Wolf Project!

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