Wolves Rebound to 37 on Isle Royale as Moose Drop to 524

Wolves on Isle Royale, a remote national park in Lake Superior, are rebounding to robust numbers after years of decline, but their success as predators is rapidly eroding the island's moose population, according to the latest wildlife survey released this week.

The 134,000-acre island, located between Grand Marais, Minnesota, and Thunder Bay, Canada, serves as an isolated natural laboratory where scientists have studied wolves and moose interactions since 1958. Free from most human interference, the park's roadless terrain and surrounding waters make it ideal for observing predator-prey dynamics. Traditionally, researchers conduct annual winter surveys when the island closes to visitors, relying on skiplanes to land on the frozen lake for tracking. However, recent challenges have disrupted this routine.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the first-ever cancellation in 2021. In 2024, the National Park Service evacuated the team mid-survey due to unusually warm weather that made the ice too thin for safe landings. The following year, a pilot's last-minute medical emergency halted efforts entirely. This winter, though, a team led by Michigan Technological University scientists completed...