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Anonymous Donor Pledges $1.4 Million for Yellowstone Wolf Conservation

January 23, 2006

Yellowstone Park Foundation and University of Minnesota will share donation

As wildlife conservationists commemorate ten years since the return of the wolf to Yellowstone National Park, a Colorado philanthropist has pledged $1.4 million to help ensure the conservation of Yellowstone wolves in the next decade.

The donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, recently pledged $140,000 per year for the next ten years to fund research about wolves in Yellowstone. Of this annual total, $100,000 will go to the nonprofit, Bozeman, Montana-based Yellowstone Park Foundation and $40,000 will go to the University of Minnesota's College of Natural Resources.

"I have always been interested in ecological balance and the conservation of wildlife, especially predators," said the donor. "Last fall, I attended a wolf symposium sponsored by the International Wolf Center. Dr. Doug Smith of the Yellowstone Wolf Project presented his captivating research from the first 10 years following the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone. I learned that the quality of science that the Wolf Project has established will require a significant amount of private funding in the future.

"Being aware of the vital importance of the long-term research, I wanted the excellent work in Yellowstone to continue into the next decade. Additionally, as an avid supporter of student involvement, I also wanted to ensure graduate level participation in this great project," said the donor.

The return of the wolf to Yellowstone National Park has been one of the most successful wildlife recovery programs in the history of endangered species conservation. Today, a decade after reintroduction, there are more than 118 wolves, in 12 packs, in Yellowstone National Park. While this is a sign of success, it will also bring new challenges as land managers and wildlife biologists work to determine the best ways to manage and conserve wolves in the decades to come.

The Yellowstone Wolf Project has historically benefited from strong monetary support from the public. Donations to the Yellowstone Park Foundation cover, on average, 40% - 50% of the Wolf Project's annual expenses including important ongoing research on Yellowstone's wolves, the impacts they are having on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and their interactions with elk and bison.

"Research and monitoring of the wolves in Yellowstone is needed now more than ever, as good science informs good management" said Michael Cary, executive director of the Yellowstone Park Foundation. "Yellowstone's ecosystem is vibrant and ever-changing. The effects of wolf restoration, along with other factors both natural and human-influenced, continue to shape the story of Yellowstone," said Cary.

Even with the help of dedicated volunteers and interns, research and monitoring can be expensive. The cost of radio-tracking equipment, volunteer management, data analysis, and the aircraft needed for tracking wolves quickly adds up for Yellowstone National Park. This new donation will be used to defray these costs as well as to fund cutting-edge research on wolf interactions with scavengers and other predators, and baseline genetic profiles to determine the pattern of wolf reproduction and movement into and out of the national park.

Dr. L. David Mech, the founder and Vice-Chair of the International Wolf Center in Ely and Minneapolis, Minnesota, was instrumental in promoting the Yellowstone National Park and University of Minnesota research programs, which helped inspire the donation to the two recipient organizations. In addition to his role with the Center, Dr. Mech is a senior research scientist for the U.S. Geological Survey, an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota, and author of several seminal books on wolves. The $400,000 for the University of Minnesota will fund research on Yellowstone wolves by Mech's graduate students.

"The great value of these research programs is in their long-term continuity, proclaimed Mech. It is a tribute both to the programs and to the donor that these critical contributions were made. We are most appreciative."

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