Yellowstone: White wolf was shot; $5,000 reward offered

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. – Yellowstone National Park officials say a wolf they euthanized after hikers found the animal suffering from a serious injury had been shot.

Park officials released preliminary necropsy findings Thursday for the wolf that was discovered wounded on April 11 near Gardiner, Montana, in northern Yellowstone.

They are offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the shooter’s conviction. The alpha female of the Canyon Pack was one of three white wolves in Yellowstone.

She was 12 years old — twice the age of an average Yellowstone wolf — and one of the park’s most sought-after wolves for photographs.

Park officials say the wolf was shot likely between 1 a.m. on April 10 and 2 p.m. on April 11.