Wildlife, Wonders & Wilderness

Yellowstone Wolf Project

Wolf ProjectIn 1995 and 1996, a total of 31 wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park. This monumental undertaking marked the first deliberate attempt to return a top-level carnivore to a large ecosystem. Although the Yellowstone Wolf Project is young, its impact has been significant. Most notably, wolves have affected the dynamics of the entire Yellowstone ecosystem. Understanding and monitoring their impact is one of the Foundation's highest priorities. But while the federal government provides funding for the basic monitoring of wolves in Yellowstone, it does not fund the project's equipment needs, long-term research on the wolf's impacts on the ecosystem, sufficient aerial monitoring, or the staff necessary to run the project effectively on a day-to-day basis.

The Yellowstone Park Foundation works to raise a minimum of $200,000 every year to help make up for the wolf project's funding shortfall. We are currently seeking support for Winter 2012-2013 wolf collars.