Rabies: Decimation of a Wolf Pack in Arctic Alaska

• Published in: Science
• Main Author: Chapman, Richard C.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 1978
• Subjects: Arctic; Alaska
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.566470; https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.566470

In a pack of ten wolves, one wolf behaved atypically and fought with several packmates. This wolf was shot when it approached the author. Within 4 weeks at least six other members of the pack were dead. Rabies was confirmed in the wolf that was shot and in two others that had not decomposed. Most of the wolves infected with rabies had sought or remained at familiar areas in the core area of their territory, which implies that they were not contacting neighboring packs. This was confirmed with an aerial survey. Arctic foxes, experiencing a regionwide rabies epizootic, were suspected vectors.