One of the Yellowstone National Park's best-known wolves had to be put down after being found injured.
P.J. White of the National Park Service says the female wolf was found Tuesday by hikers on the north side of the park.
White says the wolf was in shock and dying, prompting the decision to euthanize it. The nature of the initial injuries could not immediately be determined, but Yellowstone spokeswoman Linda Veress says an investigation has begun.
“This wolf was special because she was the white female of the canyon, only one of three known white wolves in the park," Veress says.
The wolf was 12 years old, twice the age of an average wolf in the park. She was one of the most recognizable and sought after wolves by park visitors to view and photograph.
