Casanova

THE STORY OF WOLF 302

The Rise Of The Black Wolf

Nicknamed Casanova by some and star of the film “The Rise of Black Wolf,” 302Mb was one of 10 pups born in April 2000 into the Leopold pack. He was born to Leopold alphas 7Fg and 2Mb on the Blacktail Deer Plateau in Yellowstone National Park.

Field observations in 2002 strongly suggest that 302Mb and his brother 301Mb were indeed the black uncollared dispersing wolves that had accompanied their father the Leopold alpha 2Mb on his last journey away from home in 2002. This journey ended with their father's death on the last day of that year.

During the 2003 breeding season, 302 and his younger brother 301Mb traveled east from their Blacktail Deer Plateau homeland and formed an ephemeral association with three Druid Peak females -- 255Fb, U-Black (427Fb) and Half-Black -- and 302Mb was seen breeding with two of the three (255Fb and U-Black).

After the breeding season, it appeared as though the group was on its way to forming a new pack, but they disbanded after numerous aggressive interactions with both the Geode Creek and Slough Creek packs.

302M achieved fame and popularity over the years, so much so that the film "The Rise of Black Wolf" was made to celebrate his life.

The footage and documented observations of this film reveal some of 302's unique talents during the 2003-2004 years that made him a favorite for thousands of watchers; talents such as his ability to woo the Druid females and his use of the road as a buffer from Druid alpha male 21's resulting chases.

He seemed to prefer the periphery but was known to visit his pups even though he was not a member of the Druid pack.
But in 2004, first the Druid alpha female 42Fb and then the Druid alpha male 21Mb died, and 302Mb and his younger brother 480Mb eventually joined the Druids.

Many observers thought 302Mb would assume the role of alpha male, but he instead remained a beta while his younger brother became alpha male.

The 2005 year was hard on the new Druid pack, with an outbreak of canine distemper leading to the death of seven pups and the disappearance and probable death of two other adult female pack members.

The pack was now down to four wolves, and were soon driven out of Lamar Valley by the larger Slough Creek pack, whose home territory was just to the west.

302Mb and his brother and the remaining two Druid females moved into exile in the northeastern edges of Druid Peak territory (the Pebble Creek area), but it was there that the Druids would rise again.

In spring 2006 the future of the Druid pack was born in a den north of Round Prairie where two yearling females gave birth to a total of 11 pups.

302Mb and 480Mb fed the pups and both female adults throughout the summer. When the alpha female 529Fb disappeared just before winter, the other female 569Fg quickly took over and for the next two years the Druid pack flourished, taking back the Lamar Valley and territory it had not controlled for many seasons.

302Mb seemed content to play the part of dutiful beta: hunting prey, defending the pack and never challenging his younger brother's leadership.

During the 2008 breeding season the nearly eight-year-old wolf was beginning to show his age, and started to aggressively oppose any non-Druid males in his pack’s territory and who came near the Druid females.

Observers watched with fond reminiscence as he repeatedly chased the males day after day; nearly a mirror image of years before when he himself was the intruder being chased by Druid alpha 21Mb.

Although his younger brother Druid alpha 480Mb was rarely aggressive toward his beta brother, it was clear that 302Mb would have no chance to breed in his own pack.

And so during 2008 breeding season, he left his home territory and was observed with multiple Agate Creek pack females. It wasn’t clear at the time, but this would become a small glimpse into the future.

In November 2008, 302Mb and five young Druid males joined up with four dispersing Agate Creek females, including 692Fg and 693Fg. The group remained together and was subsequently named the Blacktail Deer Plateau pack.

And at the age of eight-and-a-half wolf years (the equivalent of 75 human years), double the average lifespan of a Yellowstone wolf, 302Mb finally became the alpha male of a pack.

In April 2009 he sired his first litter of pups as an alpha male with 693Fg (who had taken over the role of Blacktail alpha female from 692Fg) and subordinate female 642Fb.

On the morning of October 8, 2009, 302Mb’s collar switched to mortality mode. His body was found a few miles south and east of Swan Lake, at the very western edge of the Blacktail pack’s territory.

Outward signs of injury were minimal but hemorrhaging was extensive beneath the skin, with many wolf-sized bite wounds.

This area bordered on Quadrant Mountain pack territory, and there was a carcass nearby. The two very large males of the Quadrants may have found him and a fight ensued.

He was able to get away but his injuries were too extensive and he died sometime in the early morning hours.

Small wolf tracks around his body suggested that at least a few of his six-month old pups stayed with him for some time before he died.

By the end of 2009, the Blacktail pack numbered five adults and four pups, and the position of alpha male was assumed by 302Mb’s nephew, a large gray wolf called Big Brown (later collared as 778Mg).

302Mb died as an alpha at the western edge of his new pack's territory; the very same territory in which he was born as a Leopold wolf nine-and-a-half years earlier.