The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports that the 2012 wolf count in Denali National Park was the lowest in 25 years.
Fifty-seven wolves in nine packs were counted during an October survey; last year, 72 wolves were counted in eight packs.
Groups who have been fighting for greater protections for wolves are crying foul over the results. They want to reinstate the buffer zone prohibiting hunting and trapping of wolves on state land around the park. The buffer zone was removed by the Alaska Board of Game in 2010, in a 4-3 vote.
President of the Alaska Wildlife Alliance Tina Brown said, "When you see a dramatic decline like this, it's common sense something should be done."
Dale Rabe, deputy director for the Division of Wildlife Conservation in Juneau, told the News-Miner that the state will probably not take any action, as the wolf populations on state land appear to be at healthy levels, and the state does not manage wolves inside the park.
Denali National Park spokeswoman Kris Fister said that park officials are also not concerned by the survey results. "The low numbers could be the result of a lot of different factors," she said.
The highest number of wolves ever counted in the park was in 2007, when the population was at 143.
Read more at the News-Miner.