You’re helping build a path to safety for wolves and other wildlife
A lost wolf collar, missing for 18 years, tells an incredible story.
In 2024, a worn and weathered radio collar was discovered deep in the forests of Montana.
It belonged to Wolf 57, a young female wolf collared in Banff National Park in 2001. She was part of the Fairholme pack until she disappeared in 2003. Because the collar remained intact, researchers believe she likely died of natural causes.
But for nearly two decades, no one knew what happened to her.
Then, the discovery of her collar — 311 miles (500 km) from where she was last seen — confirmed what conservationists have long known: wolves, like all wide-ranging species, need vast, connected, and intact (or wild) landscapes to survive.
How Pluie the Wolf inspired large-scale conservation
Wolf 57’s journey echoes the story of another famous wolf, Pluie.
On a rainy morning in 1991, researchers placed the first-ever satellite tracking collar on a wolf. Over the next two years, Pluie traveled an astonishing 40,000 square miles (100,000 sq. km), crossing three U.S. states and two Canadian provinces before she was trapped and legally killed in British Columbia.
Pluie’s incredible journey inspired the creation of the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative when it became clear that conservation couldn’t focus only on isolated parks and reserves.
As a Y2Y supporter, you know that wolves, grizzly bears, and other wildlife need vast, connected corridors to roam safely, find food and mates, and keep their populations healthy.
Without safe corridors, wildlife face immense risks:
- They become isolated and struggle to find mates.
- They’re hit by vehicles while attempting to cross busy roads.
- They’re threatened by human-wildlife conflict and land development.
Your support keeps wildlife moving safely
When Pluie’s story inspired Y2Y’s creation in the 1990s, there were no dedicated wildlife crossings in the region.
Today, more than 177 crossings connect key landscapes across the Yellowstone to Yukon region! These crossings, along with protected lands and corridors, are helping wildlife like Wolf 57 and Pluie move safely.
Every conservation breakthrough, whether it’s a lost-and-found collar, a new conservation easement, or a new crossing, proves that your support of Y2Y is making a difference. Thank you.
More stories like this
Banff wolf’s death in Montana highlights need for connected landscapes
Wolf 2001’s story shows the need to support the movements of wide-ranging wildlife that need to feed, find mates and habitat.
Linking protected areas from Yellowstone to the Yukon shows the value of conserving large landscapes, not just isolated parks and preserves
Is the Y2Y vision of connectivity working?
Mammals on the move show why protected and connected habitats matter
Wildlife needs room to roam – more room than one might think! Follow along with the famous travels of three wide-ranging animals in the Yellowstone-to-Yukon region.
Safeguarding spaces between parks
Many parts of the Yellowstone to Yukon region are getting busier. What does this mean for wildlife and our role in protecting them? See how you are conserving the spaces between parks.
