Like most other wolves, human activity (hunting, trapping, etc.) is by far the greatest threat. However, protection given to the Mackenzie Valley wolf has allowed its population to increase dramatically. The wolf population in Alaska was estimated between 7,000 and 10,000 in 2006. Wolf population in the northern Rocky Mountains (Greater Yellowstone Area, NW Montana, and Idaho) was estimated to be about 1200 and increasing. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services has decided to remove the gray wolf from the federal endangered list in the Northern Rockies and the western Great Lakes. Courts have overturned attempts in the past to remove them from the list. Legal battles are expected.