by Sandy Sisti
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April 14, 2017 |
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Today is a sad day for all of us who love Yellowstone. One of the most beloved members of the Yellowstone family passed away - the beautiful white alpha female of the Canyon Pack.
She was the first wild wolf I'd ever seen when I encountered her and her pack near Cascade Meadow in 2008. After that early encounter, I'd catch occasional glimpses of her and her mate, 712M, but the pair always seemed to elude me.
One morning in August of 2012, as I was photographing a heron along the Firehole River, a group of wolves suddenly appeared. It was the white female with 712M and one of her pups. Aside from Steve and I, there was nobody else around. The wolves didn't seem to mind us and walked right past as they headed to the river to drink.
After they drank, the white female and 712M began to run along the shore of the river. I'll never forget that moment as we watched them run, seemingly just for the joy of it. I'd like to think that's what she's doing now....forever young, forever wild, forever free.
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