A Changing Island: Isle Royale
Jess Edberg, Information and Program Specialist

This past year has been eventful on Isle Royale-both for people and the wildlife they study on this remote island in Lake Superior.

The moose population on Isle Royale continues a four-year decline and now numbers 450 moose. The ratio of wolves to moose is now the lowest on record, at 15 moose to every one wolf, according to the recently released annual report Ecological Studies of Wolves on Isle Royale, 2005-2006. The wolf population on the island has remained steady for the second year in a row with a population of 30 wolves.

Given a high rate of predation on moose by the wolves, biologists predict that the moose will most likely continue to decline until the wolf population also decreases. With the low moose population came a significant increase in conflicts among wolf packs on the island as well, including one that resulted in the death of an alpha male. Full story.