Wolves close campground at Michigan state park

A growing problem with increasingly adventurous wolves has forced officials to close a second campground. Isle Royale National Park in MichiganWhere predators are sniffing out tents, dragging backpacks and, in one reported incident, breaking into a camper’s tent.

The National Park Service has now closed both Duncan Narrows and Three Mile Campground until at least July 31 as rangers work to reverse wolf behavior before it spreads further. Officials say the closure could be extended and additional restrictions imposed elsewhere in the park if the animals continue to seek out people and camping sites.

For decades, Isle Royale has been known as one of the nation’s premier wilderness destinations, with tourists traveling in hopes of catching a glimpse of the island’s famous wolves from afar. However, this summer, some campers are finding predators closer than anyone expected.

According to park officials, wolves are repeatedly entering developed campgrounds after dark. Campers at Three Mile Campground reported wolves sniffing and clawing at tents, dragging backpacks away from camping sites, and in at least one case breaking into a tent.

“We had some campers report that a wolf came into their campsite in the middle of the night and was sniffing around their tent,” said Acting Administrative Officer Liz Valencia. “The wolf clawed at a tent. Eventually he dragged some of the flock away from the tent. In another place, the wolf did the same.”

Officials said they were unsure whether the incidents involved a single wolf or multiple animals.

National Park Service That behavior suggests that at least one wolf has become accustomed to people and is becoming increasingly dependent on human food.

The closure is more than a precaution. Three Mile Campground has been closed since July 9, with individual tent sites, group campsites and nearby off-trail camping areas all closed. Shelters remain open. Duncan Narrows, which was temporarily closed earlier this month after a rise in wildlife encounters, has now also been closed until the end of July.

To discourage wolves from returning, park staff are dramatically increasing persecution efforts throughout developed areas. Rangers will use yelling, stomping, clapping, air horns, paintball guns, and motion-activated noise devices to scare wolves from the campground. Similar monitoring is taking place at Rock Harbor and Daisy Farm Campgrounds.

The aggressive response comes despite new food storage rules that took effect earlier this year. Campers, backpackers, paddlers and boaters are now required to store food, trash and fragrant items in approved hard-sided, animal-resistant containers or designated food storage lockers.

Park officials say backpacks without food can also attract wolves because they contain human scent.

While officials continue to urge visitors to follow food storage rules, the situation appears to have escalated beyond unsafe food. Wolves are now investigating occupied campsites and tents, a level of boldness that has forced park managers to close areas typically busy with summer campers.

The time has also come when Isle Royale’s wolf population has reached levels not seen in decades. Winter surveys estimate about 37 wolves on the island this year – the highest population since the 1970s – while the island’s moose population, the wolves’ primary food source, has declined significantly.

This is not the first time that park officials have faced aggressive behavior by wolves. Last summer, the National Park Service euthanized a wolf after what was described as a series of escalating encounters with visitors.

For now, officials say their goal is to reopen both campgrounds on August 1. However, they caution that additional closures or regulations remain possible if wolves continue to regard campgrounds as an easy source of food and human-related scent.