Montana Matriarch: Yellowstone National Park’s Oldest Wolf Dies

She was the leader of the pack, and maybe her advanced age contributed to what was  likely a painful demise.

Smithsonian Magazine shared the news that one of Yellowstone National Park’s most revered gray wolves, known as 907F, died after sustaining injuries during a fight with members of a rival wolf pack. The fight broke out on December 22.

Several years ago, she had been fitted with a radio collar. For two days after the fight, the collar was sill sending a "Life" signal.

But her tracking collar signaled "Mortality" on Christmas day.

The "Queen of the Wolves" as many caller her, was 11 years old, well beyond the average lifespan for gray wolves, even for those in the protected area of Yellowstone. The average lifespan for gray wolves is four-to-five years.

She was the alpha female of the Junction Butte Pack, which roams the northern regions of the park. Even though she was so old and blind in eye, 907F was doing what mothers do, protecting her young while they were feeding on a bison carcass as members of the Rescue Peak Pack crossed the Yellowstone River and launched their attack, according to Mark Heinz with Wyoming's Cowboy State Daily.

907F was somewhat of a celebrity among outdoor enthusiasts, who also followed the travels of 399, an iconic grizzly bear, that lived in nearby Grand Teton National Park. 399 was struck and killed by a vehicle on October 22 of 2024, at the eye-popping age age of 28. Making her incredible longevity even more astounding, 399 left behind a cub.

Even though 907F’s death was a likely a violent one, her fans are taking comfort in knowing she died a natural death rather than suffering 399’s fate.

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