12,640 Signatures Delivered to Protect Yellowstone’s Mollie’s Wolf Pack

Last week, ahead of the scheduled opening of Wyoming's wolf hunting season, Species Unite submitted 12,640 petition signatures to the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission's seven members, calling on them to protect Yellowstone's historic Mollie's wolf pack by closing Hunt Area 1. The Species Unite community came together and surpassed our initial 10,000 signature goal in just a few weeks, and we are truly grateful to everyone who joined us in speaking out for this vulnerable family of wolves.

For more than 30 years, Mollie's Pack has represented one of the greatest conservation success stories in North America. They are the last remaining pack descended from Yellowstone's original 1995 wolf reintroduction, and their lineage has stayed intact for generations, making them one of the most scientifically valuable wolf families in the world. This year, an unusually mild winter and hunting challenges pushed the pack farther outside Yellowstone's boundaries than ever before, into an area of Wyoming less than an hour from where Hope, a yearling wolf, was subjected to a horrific act of cruelty in 2024 that shocked people around the world.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission has so far refused to close Hunt Area 1 to protect these wolves, and the hunt has opened as scheduled. Fortunately, while Wyoming's leadership refuses to act in favor of protecting wildlife, reports indicate the Mollie's pack moved back within Yellowstone National Park's boundaries just as the season began, along with the five pups who are now old enough to travel with the adult members of the group. Advocates remain concerned, though, that the pack could wander outside the park's safety once again before the hunting season closes in December. These wolves are accustomed to nonthreatening encounters with humans inside Yellowstone, and if they leave, they would be caught unprepared and at the mercy of a vocal contingent of cruel trophy hunters who have expressed plans to kill them.

One particularly disturbed individual, operating a Nevada-based hunting profile under the name Kyri Ranch, specifically vowed to slaughter the pack's 12-year-old matriarch, stating on social media, "The matriarch 1090F is going down on the 15th of September." A Big Piney-area hunter, Mitch Gilliam, has also said he plans to hunt the pack and would kill 1090F if given the chance. The unnecessary violence and spite behind these statements has brought condemnation even from within hunting circles. Unfortunately, the widespread rejection of this mentality wouldn't protect her if she left Yellowstone again and crossed paths with someone determined to make her death their trophy.

The only thing that could guarantee this pack's safety if they leave Yellowstone again is Wyoming's leaders, including the seven members of the Game and Fish Commission, listening to the concerns of scientists, activists, and countless individuals who want to see this pack spared. The commission has the broad administrative discretion to shut down the hunt if this scientifically invaluable pack is once again under threat, and we will keep fighting to make sure they understand what's at stake. We've raised the goal for our Mollie's Pack petition and will keep pushing to raise awareness of this pressing issue. If you haven't already, please sign and share today.