(KTNV) — A sighting of three suspected wolves in northern Nevada has prompted wildlife officials to investigate.
The animals were spotted by a helicopter pilot near Merritt Mountain, north of Elko, during a scheduled moose collaring project, according to a statement from the Nevada Department of Wildlife.
That sighting was reported on Sunday, March 17 and prompted state wildlife officials to coordinate with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for a thorough search of the area in an effort to confirm the wolves' presence.
During that search, biologists found tracks in the area. They noted "the freshest tracks appeared to be a set that led in the direction of the Idaho border, where they were lost in broken snow conditions."
Biologists also collected other evidence in an effort to confirm wolves had been there, including measuring tracks — which were consistent with a wolf, officials noted — collecting scat and hair samples and installing trail cameras.
The Department of Wildlife is still awaiting the DNA testing results of scat and hair samples collected from the area.
"We are doing all we can to gather information regarding this sighting and will keep the public updated as we learn more information,” said NDOW Director Alan Jenne.
“Nevada is not a historic habitat for wolves, and we’ve had very few confirmed sightings in the state. Wolves are not known to reside in the state of Nevada, but we know that they may occasionally cross state lines for brief periods.”
The department added that it is working to ensure the state's ecosystems, natural resource industries and people "are not negatively impacted by the presence of wolves in the state."
When was the last time a wolf was seen in Nevada?
It's been about seven years since the last documented wolf sighting in the Silver State. A gray wolf sighting in 2017 at Fox Mountain, west of the Black Rock Desert, was the first such sighting in nearly 100 years.
In that case, wildlife biologists speculated the wandering wolf had ventured east from California's Shasta pack, the Elko Daily Free Press reported.
Are wolves rare in Nevada?
Wolves are not common in Nevada, though research demonstrates they were known to roam through this part of the country up until the turn of the 20th century.
Nevada is still surrounded by wolf populations, and wolves have been known to roam hundreds of miles to hunt or find a mate. As reported by the Elko Daily Free Press, nearby Idaho is home to an estimated 1,337 wolves (as of 2022). Other neighboring states, Oregon and California, had estimated wolf populations of 178 and 30, respectively.
This week's wolf sighting news was met with excitement by the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit organization that advocates for endangered species.
"I'm thrilled to welcome wolves back to the Silver State and I hope wildlife officials make sure they're given the room they need to roam," wrote Amaroq Weiss, the Center's senior wold advocate.
"Wolves are a symbol of the wildness of the West, and Nevada is as wild as it gets."
As of February 2022, gray wolves are protected under the Endangered Species Act in the lower 48 states and Mexico — with the exception of the Northern Rocky Mountain population, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
