Famous Yellowstone Wolf Killed Same Way as Mother

Yellowstone wolf-watchers are mourning Lamar Canyon Wolf Pack member 926F—a she-wolf better known as "Spitfire." The 7-year-old wolf was legally killed by a trophy hunter in Montana just outside the park's boundary, the New York Times reports. Spitfire's mother, known as the "most famous wolf in the world," died the same way in 2012. The mother, 832F, was an alpha female nicknamed "06" who became the subject of a book, American Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West. There are around 100 wolves spread across 10 packs in Yellowstone, and wildlife advocates have called for a "buffer zone" around the park to protect the Yellowstone wolves, who have little fear of people.

"Wolf hunters talk about seeing a pack of park wolves outside the boundary and being able to pick the one they want," says Doug Smith, the park’s wolf biologist. "They just stand there and have no fear." The "06 Legacy" group for fans of the Yellowstone wolves paid tribute to 926F in a Facebook post, the Huffington Post reports. Spitfire "showed incredible strength, courage and resilience in everything she did," the group wrote. "She had a special bond with her daughter Little T and they stayed together all these years." (Police are still looking for the person who illegally shot a rare white wolf inside the park last year.)