Celebrity Yellowstone wolf illegally killed as reward climbs past $31,000

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Montana authorities are investigating the unlawful death of a famous wolf from Yellowstone National Park. The wolf’s GPS collar was discovered cut and thrown away, and rewards for information leading to the perpetrator now exceed $31,000.

Wolf 1478F was a young female member of the Junction Butte pack in Yellowstone National Park, a pack famous for being often seen by visitors and researchers. Born in 2022, she was well-known and considered a promising future leader for the group.

Park officials say game wardens think the animal was killed around 10 p.m. on Christmas Day 2025, near Jardine, Montana.

The animal was illegally killed because the hunt had already ended in that area. Wolf Management Unit 313 had reached its limit of three wolves on November 16th, and hunting was no longer permitted there.

Reward rises to $31k for info regarding wolf killer

Wildlife officials were notified when a wolf’s tracking collar indicated it had died. Upon searching the location, they discovered the collar had been intentionally cut from the wolf and tossed into a tree. The wolf itself remains missing.

Investigators think the way and when the wolf was killed suggest it was intentional, not accidental. Experts believe the killer likely used night vision or thermal imaging to find the wolf in the dark.

The removal and concealment of the collar is also being treated as an attempt to hide the crime.

This case is notable because of the wolf 1478F’s family history. She was the daughter of 907F, a famous and long-lived wolf in Yellowstone who passed away in late 2024 at the age of 11. She was also the sister of 1479F, who was legally hunted and killed in September 2025.

The park first offered a $1,000 reward for information that would lead to an arrest and conviction in the case. Thanks to donations from groups like the Large Carnivore Fund and Wolves of the Rockies, the reward has now increased to at least $31,000, and could be as high as $36,700 with further contributions.

If you have any information about this case, please contact Game Warden Kameron Rauser at 406-224-5207. You can also submit a confidential tip online through the TIP-MONT portal.

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2026-01-31 19:19