A new study says native Isle Royale wolves are genetically disadvantaged.
It looked at the DNA of wolves on the island spanning a period of 30 years.
Rolf Peterson is a researcher on the study from Michigan Technological University.
He says the wolf population developed genetic deformities from inbreeding that may have shortened their lifespan.
By the 1980’s, Peterson says the wolf population on the island reduced to 14.
“So that produced a very small genetic bottleneck as it’s called. So ever since that time wolves increasingly had to breed with close relatives.”
The National Parks Service recently brought in several wolves from Minnesota and Ontario to bring the population back.
But Peterson says if new wolves don’t come to the island on their own the population won’t last.