Isle Royale wolves inbred but likely to survive, study says

Filed 1h ago · Via Mongabay · The Buffoon Desk

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Waltz Primordial

Kevin MacLeod · incompetech.com · CC BY 4.0

Photo: U.S. Army RHCE by [null Courtesy] · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons

A study in Conservation Science and Practice finds wolves introduced to Isle Royale between 2018 and 2019 have over an 80% chance of surviving 20 years, after the island's population had dwindled to just two inbred wolves by 2016. Officials brought in 19 new wolves to restore genetic diversity, and the population has grown since the study period ended.

Inbreeding remains a significant concern for the isolated population, the study notes. Meanwhile the moose population, the wolves' primary food source, has sharply declined since the study concluded, raising further questions about the island ecosystem's stability.

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Source: Read the original at Mongabay → Scored: Waltz Primordial · Kevin MacLeod · CC BY 4.0

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