Skip to main content

Boreal Community Media

How a lone 'immigrant' wolf revived a forest ecosystem on Isle Royale

Sep 14, 2023 09:47AM ● By Content Editor
Photo: The wolf M93, nicknamed 'Old Gray Guy' by researchers, stands out amid other pack members with his distinctive lighter color.

By 
Issam Ahmed - Phys Org - September 14, 2023

In 1997, a lone wolf crossed an ice bridge that briefly connected Canada with the remote Isle Royale, which lies off the coast of Michigan in Lake Superior and is renowned for its rich biodiversity.

His arrival revived the flagging fortunes of the wider wolf population, which had been hit by disease and inbreeding, and triggered cascading effects that improved the health of the overall forest ecosystem, a study in Science Advances showed.


To read the full story, visit the Phys Org site here. 

Boreal Ship Spotter - larger view here