At its peak, the Druid Peak pack contained 37 wolves. That total was recorded in Yellowstone National Park in 2001, making it the largest wolf pack recorded in the park and possibly the largest ever documented as a single pack.
The Druid Peak pack lived mainly on Yellowstone’s northern range, especially around Lamar Valley. Its story began after wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone in the 1990s; the pack formed from reintroduced wolves and their descendants and became one of the park’s best-known social groups. Large packs could defend extensive territories and cooperate when hunting elk and other prey.
The number 42 is a common source of confusion. Forty-two wolves were seen together in Wood Buffalo National Park in 1974, but observers could not establish that they belonged to one pack. Pack size also changes constantly as pups mature, wolves disperse, and others die, so “peak” refers to the largest recorded count rather than a permanent population size.