One Of The Oldest Wolves Ever?<\/p>\n
Not only is 1090F the oldest living wolf, she\u2019s among the oldest wolves ever in Yellowstone.<\/p>\n
Biologist Doug Smith, who led the wolf program in Yellowstone National Park for nearly three decades, told Cowboy State Daily that the longest-lived wolves he recalls reached \u201c12, maybe 13, so she (1090F) is close.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe average age of death (for a wolf) is about 5 to 6 years, so she\u2019s about double the normal lifespan. Somewhat remarkable, and it\u2019s not an easy life,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n
Yellowstone Wolves Are Brawlers<\/p>\n
It\u00a0wasn\u2019t unusual that Wolf 907F died from injuries she suffered during a pack-on-pack brawl. Yellowstone wolves fight frequently.<\/p>\n
The average lifespans for wolves can vary, according to location and circumstances, biologist\u00a0Robert\u00a0Crabtree told Cowboy State Daily.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of talk about \u201caverage lifespan, but it doesn\u2019t make any sense unless you understand the mortality rate of a particular population,\u201d said Crabtree, the founder, chief scientist and president of the Yellowstone Ecological Research Center.<\/p>\n
In Yellowstone, the mortality rate is driven in large part by fights between rival packs, which can turn deadly, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYellowstone has a strong\u00a0incidence\u00a0of wolves killing wolves,\u201d he said. \u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not certain why that is, Crabtree said, but one factor could be the relative \u201cinstability\u201d of prey populations, such as elk and bison.<\/p>\n
And also, game herds there move around quite a bit, he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe prey migrates.\u00a0The\u00a0wolf packs\u2019 territories overlap and they are strongly defended in areas of higher ungulate density,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In other places where pack-on-pack fighting is less common, wolves might routinely live 12 years or longer, Crabtree said.<\/p>\n
Under the right circumstances, wild canines can live about as long as domestic dogs, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne coyote I caught was 16.5 years old,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
![\"Wolf](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Geriatric-old-wolf-1090-2.-JPG-1.10.26.JPG\")
Wolf 1090F, of the Mollie\u2019s pack in Yellowstone National Park, recently hit the age of 11 years, nine months. That makes her her the oldest living wolf in the park, and one of the oldest ever. (Courtesy Sylvia Borgonovo Photography)Mollie\u2019s\u00a0Wolves Are Huge<\/p>\n
The Mollie\u2019s\u00a0pack has been around a while, it\u2019s thought to be the first pack established after wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone in the mid-1990s, wildlife photographer Sylvia Borgonovo told Cowboy State Daily.<\/p>\n
They are also \u201cvery big wolves,\u201d she added. Another female from the pack, 779F, is thought to be about 136 pounds, she said.<\/p>\n
Despite\u00a0her\u00a0age, 1090F also appears to be huge, said Borgonovo.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny Mollie\u2019s\u00a0pack wolf looks bigger than other wolves,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Last winter, she captured some dramatic photos of 1090F, as her pack moved in on the Junction Butte Wolf pack, although there wasn\u2019t a full-on fight that time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw the Mollie\u2019s\u00a0come running in, and they were pushing off the Junction Butte pack. I was just lucky to be right there at the time,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Borgonovo said she mostly follows the Junction Butte and Wapiti Lake wolf packs, but she\u2019s still in awe of 1090F.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo have lived this long, that\u2019s pretty damn good,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Wolf 907F, a one-eyed pack leader, was one of Yellowstone\u2019s most famous wolves.<\/p>\n
Although 1090F has surpassed her age, it\u2019s not certain whether she\u2019ll beat 907F\u2019s level of popularity, Borgonovo said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt could end up being the case,\u201d she said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n