The gray wolves of Isle Royale in Lake Superior are suffering from backbone malformations caused by genetic inbreeding, wildlife biologists from Michigan and Sweden report in the May 2009 issue of the journal Biological Conservation.  While this discovery threatens the long-term survival of wolves on Isle Royale, it also heightens the importance of ensuring genetic connectivity among the three subpopulations of wolves in the Northern Rockies.

One of the principal concerns of prematurely removing wolves in the Northern Rockies from the endangered species list is that regular genetic connectivity among Northern Rockies wolves has not yet been established.  There are three subpopulations of wolves in the Northern Rockies:  Greater Yellowstone, central Idaho, and northwest Montana.  The wolves in Yellowstone are the most genetically isolated.  Without genetic connectivity among the subpopulations, Yellowstone would essentially become an island of wolves with resultant inbreeding.

In its final delisting rule, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) said that if genetic inbreeding ever threatens the population of Northern Rockies wolves, "agency-managed genetic exchange will be used to correct the issue."  (See Issue 11 on p. 15142.)  What does "agency-managed genetic exchange" mean?  Shockingly, according to what Ed Bangs, FWS's wolf recovery coordinator, told Science magazine last year, it means that "[genetic] [c]onnectivity can happen through a ride in the back of a truck."

Does moving wolves around the Northern Rockies in trucks sound like management of a fully recovered species?  I don't think so either.

The inbreeding discovery on Isle Royale also undercuts past devaluing of the threat of genetic inbreeding with wolves.  An article in Science Daily noted that "[u]p to now, wildlife management agencies in the US and Scandinavia have cited the Isle Royale wolves as proof that small wolf populations can avoid genetic deterioration and remain viable."  Hence, Swedish scientist Jannikke Raikkonen said, "Our study removes one more example that some use to downplay the consequences of genetic deterioration."

Finally, let me be clear:  Yellowstone is not Isle Royale.  Isle Royale is a big island, but Yellowstone dwarfs it in size.  The inbreeding problem on Isle Royale is not perfectly analogous to Yellowstone.  It should, however, serve as a cautionary finding when considering the future of wolves in the Northern Rockies. 

And as for the wolves on Isle Royale, I hope they make it.  My younger brother, Dan, and I went backpacking on Isle Royale in June 2002.  It is an amazing place, and we had a great trip.  We unfortunately didn't see any wolves, but we did surprise a huge bull moose on a windy ridge one afternoon.  We also camped on a bay one night that had so many calling loons we could hardly hear each other speak. 

It will be interesting to see what happens with the wolves on Isle Royale.  Will they survive on their own?  Or will the genetic inbreeding become so damaging to the population that agency-managed genetic exchange is necessary?  Hopefully we'll never be forced to ask those questions in the Northern Rockies.