With eight wolf pups on the way, hunters killed 9F's mate
With eight wolf pups on the way, hunters killed 9F's mate
- Sun, Nov 30 2025 at 10:12 AM
Mark,
Imagine this: You're wolf 9F, one of the first female wolves transported from Canada to Yellowstone, tasked with carrying your species forward.
You and your mate, 10M, are strangers in a strange land -- but at least you have each other.
One day, things are looking bright. You're about to raise eight beautiful, healthy pups.
The next day, tragedy strikes: 10M is hunted and killed, leaving you to fend for your family alone in hostile lands.1
When hunters slaughtered 10M, they practically left 9F and her pups for dead. Here's why: Wolves are incredibly social creatures. Pack members always depend on one another to some degree -- but vulnerable wolf moms with young pups are especially dependent on the rest of the pack.
Wolf dads play a critical role in protecting their young. They bring food back to the den for the family. They fend off predators. And they help transport newborn pups who can't walk yet -- carrying them by the scruff of their little necks -- when the family needs a new denning spot.
By an "extreme stroke of luck," wildlife managers were able to save 9F and her pups from the inevitable.2 Many wolves never get this lucky.
This problem -- the ongoing slaughter of wolves at hunters' hands -- is bigger than this pack. Researchers have found that when humans kill a wolf, their pack becomes increasingly unstable.
Human-caused wolf killings lowered the chances that a pack stays together by 27%.3 Worse, when humans kill a pack's leader, the odds of the pack's continuation drop by a harrowing 73%.4
Every member of the pack plays an instrumental role in the pack's survival. Some wolves are great leaders, others are incredible pup-sitters, and some are excellent at scouting out safe spots for the pack to relax.
So when hunters kill a pack member, their harm goes far beyond one wolf -- or even one generation.
We wish we could tell you that the tragedy of 10M, 9F, and their eight pups was unique. But they were early victims in a decades-long struggle to protect these packs from senseless hunting.
That's why, with wolf defenders like you, we're working to defend Endangered Species Act protections for wolves, urging Northern Rockies governors to stop the senseless hunts in their state, and calling for an end to cruel killing and trapping practices that steal wolves from their families far too early.
With you by our side, we'll keep working to prevent wolf packs from losing an irreplaceable piece of their familial puzzle.
Thank you for doing this work with us,
The Environmental Action team
P.S. People like you power all of our work to keep wolf families safe. Will you join our pack by donating today?
1. Chris Clarke, "Court Scraps Endangered Species Killing Loophole," PBS SoCal, June 23, 2017.
2. Chris Clarke, "Court Scraps Endangered Species Killing Loophole," PBS SoCal, June 23, 2017.
3. "New research shows humans impact wolf packs in national parks," University of Minnesota, January 17, 2023.
4. "New research shows humans impact wolf packs in national parks," University of Minnesota, January 17, 2023.Your donation will be used to stand up for wildlife and the wild places they call home, and to support all of our campaigns to protect our environment. The generosity of people just like you is what makes all of our work possible.
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