KETCHUM, Idaho - The alpha male leader of a central Idaho wolfpack has been found dead in a ditch.

A cyclist near Ketchum found the graying wolf along State Highway 75, the apparent victim of a collision with a car.

The wolf was a leader of the Phantom Hill pack, which has established a den and given birth to pups in the Wood River Valley.

The pack, whose members are relatively easy to identify because they have black fur, includes at least 10 members.

With the demise of this big wolf, Idaho Fish and Game officials say it's likely that one of the younger males in the Phantom Hill pack will emerge as the new leader.