LAKE SUPERIOR — Researchers released the annual Isle Royale winter wildlife survey on April 27, 2026, estimating the wolf population on the Lake Superior island at 37 animals and the moose population at 524. The wolf count is the highest recorded since the late 1970s, while the moose figure represents a 75% decline from a peak of 2,000 animals in 2019.

A team led by scientists from Michigan Tech University conducted the survey from January 22 through March 3, 2026. For the first time in almost 70 years, researchers observed no moose calves during the winter count.

Scientists estimated that wolves killed almost a quarter of the moose population over the past year. Moose serve as a primary food source for the island's wolves.

The 2026 wolf estimate of 37 animals marks an increase from the 30 wolves counted in survey data gathered before the 2024 evacuation. A decade ago, around 2016, the island's wolf population had dwindled to two animals.

The trajectory of the wolf population reflects a sharp reversal over roughly a decade. From a low of two animals approximately ten years before the 2026 survey, the population rose to 30 in data collected before a 2024 evacuation event, and then climbed further to 37 by the time of the January–March 2026 count. The 2026 total stands as the highest wolf population estimate for the island since the late 1970s.

The moose population has followed the opposite trend. The 2019 peak count stood at 2,000 animals. By the time of the 2026 survey, that figure had fallen to 524, a reduction of 75%. Scientists estimated wolves killed almost a quarter of the moose herd in the single year preceding the 2026 count. The absence of any observed moose calves during the 2026 winter survey marked the first such occurrence in nearly 70 years.