Fifth gray wolf pack confirmed in Washington

Published 1:35 pm Saturday, July 23, 2011

By The Associated Press

OLYMPIA — Washington state wildlife officials have confirmed the state’s fifth gray wolf pack, this one in Stevens County in the northeast corner of the state.

Fish and Wildlife biologists ear-tagged and released a 2-month-old pup earlier this month and have been trying to capture a breeding adult to radio-collar it.

Ranchers reported seeing three pups and hearing howling in late June.

Officials say the pack is believed to include a breeding-age male and female and at least three pups.

It has been named the Smackout Pack, after a nearby mountain pass.

Gray wolves are making a comeback in Washington decades after being trapped and hunted to near-extinction.

The first pack was confirmed in 2008 in Okanogan and Chelan counties.

Two more packs were documented in Pend Oreille County.

A fourth pack was confirmed last month in Kittitas County, about 90 miles east of Seattle.

Gray wolves are protected a state endangered species. In the western two-thirds of the state, they are also federally protected under the Endangered Species Act.