. The latest wildlife mystery in Nevada has been solved. Scientists who set out on a trail through the snow near the Idaho line to gather evidence like detectives in search of a suspect relied on the scat and fur samples they collected to determine a trio of animals spotted during a helicopter survey in March were not wolves after all, but rather a group of wily coyotes. DNA testing confirmed the results with 99.9% certainty, the Nevada Department of Wildlife announced this week.
After the helicopter contractors looking for moose as part of a collaring project in Nevada spotted the three animals resembling wolves on March 17, state biologists followed up with their own helicopter search and then with ground surveys in the area via snowmobiles. They followed tracks with dimensions consistent with a wolf, installed trail cameras and eventually were able to collect several hair, fecal and urine samples for the DNA analysis.