Wildlife Photographer Captures Rare Encounter with Wolf at Yellowstone National Park

Wild Place Project Welcomes A Pack Of Wolves — BRISTOL, ENGLAND - MARCH 13: A young male wolf, one of five that has recently arrived, explores its new enclosure at The Wild Place Project on March 13, 2014 in Bristol, England. A pack of five all male European grey wolves are the latest residents at the recently opened attraction which is an extension of Bristol Zoo Gardens, just off junction 17 of the M5. Originally from Scotland, the wolves and are now living in the new Wolf Wood exhibit; an area of woodland at The Wild Place Project which has been left as natural as possible to replicate their native woodland habitat in Europe. Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images

A wildlife photographer shows to the world rare footage of a "majestic predator" in its natural habitat, running alongside the shoulder of the paved road as it howls.

The Yellowstone National Park's dark-colored grey wolf kept pace of the car driving past it, just last week. Justin Byerly of Woodlife Photography said that the "iconic animal" was trotting in the same direction on the other side of the road, and pausing to make a skyward howl, NewsBreak reported.

In addition, Byerly told USA Today that the encounter happened in the middle of the afternoon, making it even more bizarre knowing that wolves typically move around dawn and dusk. The photographer believes that other wolves were also close but did not show.

"I believe it was calling to his other pack members to give his location," he said.

Mid-day Howl of a Lone Wolf

Byerly said that he was unable to catch a longer glimpse of the lone wolf as it vanished into the woods to the north after their encounter between Norris and Mammoth at about 2:30 p.m.

Yellowstone Park is one of the country's top five most popular national parks as of today and has had a handful of wolf sightings, although not many in the present, especially up close. Yellowstone wolves typically roam the Lamar and Hayden Valleys to steer clear of public's eye in most cases.

The Wapiti Lake Pack which was what Byerly suspected the howling wolf belongs to was founded by 755M in 2014, according to Yellowstone Wolf. This former alpha male of Lamar Canyon Pack denned in 2019 and produced two litters for a total of 9 pups. At the end of the year the pack was the largest in Yellowstone with 19 wolves.

Unfortunately today, the wolf population of Yellowstone National Park, and Montana in general, faces decline.

A "Significant Setback" for the Species

While wolf sightings in the National Park are typically rare, it is not totally impossible. Last Christmas Day, another photographer captured footage of a solo wolf howling into a snowy wilderness at dawn, which Park officials believe also belonged to the Wapiti Lake Pack.

The wolf population in the area did decline mainly due to wolf hunting in the state. As of December 2021, Yellowstone estimated 95 wolves live within the park - a substantial 23 percent decline from 2020.

Hunting wolves in Montana during special seasons is not illegal, as long as it is done outside of the national park boundaries. A hunter in Montana can harvest up to 20 wolves, with restrictions. A legal wolf is defined as any male or female, including pups.

However, Park officials issued a statement in early January saying that the high number of wolf kills represented "a significant setback for the species' longterm viability and for wolf research."

"Allowances for trapping and especially baiting are a major concern, especially if these tactics lure wolves out of the park," Yellowstone spokesperson Morgan Warthin said.

Officials and representatives of the hunting industry note that preservation of wolves inside Yellowstone is still vital and indispensable, but once the animals cross the boundary, sustainable hunting and trapping should be allowed.