Wolves Spotted in Nevada for First Time in Nearly a Decade
The sighting of three wolves in the Silver State is a positive sign that wolf populations are recovering in the area.
A gray wolf. Credit: Gary Kramer/FWS.
Wolves have been spotted in Nevada for the first time in eight years.
Initially, three animals thought to be wolves were sighted in northern Elko County by a helicopter crew contracted by the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) on March 17.
The Department, along with biologists from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, then thoroughly searched the area to verify the sighting.
During the investigation, tracks consistent with wolves were discovered. Biologists were also able to send scat and hair samples for DNA testing, as well as set up trail cameras to possibly capture future movement.
“Wolves are not known to reside in the state of Nevada, but we know that they may occasionally cross state lines for brief periods,” said NDOW Director Alan Jenne. The last sighting of wolves in Nevada was documented back in 2016.
At 2 to 3 years old, wolves typically disperse from the pack in which they’re born and set off to find mates and territories of their own. As this search can result in hundreds of miles of traveling, the newly-spotted wolves could be from packs in California, Oregon, or Idaho.
Conservationists describe the sighting as a positive sign of how wolf populations are recovering in the region thanks to the protections of the Endangered Species Act.
According to the Centre of Biological Diversity, wolves are a vital part of healthy mountain ecosystems in the West, and any wolves dispersing into Nevada or establishing packs there have the potential to thrive.
The animals were spotted in an area which is a mix of high desert and mountainous forest, with Northern Elko County also rich with food sources for wolves including moose, elk, and deer.
“I’m so happy to welcome wolves back to the Silver State where they belong,” said Amaroq Weiss, a senior wolf advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity. “Wolves are symbols of the wildness of the West, and Nevada is as wild as it gets.”
Weiss explains that wolves have historically ranged through Nevada. Federal trappers reported capturing wolves in the northern half of the state throughout the early part of the 20th century. However, wolves were systematically exterminated from Nevada through a system of bounties.
Now, the newly-spotted wolves are protected under the Endangered Species Act, which means that the killing or harming of them is prohibited and punishable by fines and jail time.
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