Yellowstone Biologists Struggle to Maintain Wolf Research

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) — Yellowstone National Park scientists say wolf hunts are proving harmful to their decades-long research after they lost a record number of the predators to this year's hunting season.

Yellowstone wolf biologist Doug Smith tells The Bozeman Daily Chronicle 12 percent of the park's wolf population was killed by hunters after the predators were stripped of their federal protections in both Wyoming and Montana.

Hunters killed several wolves that had been collared, including five key members of the park's packs. Three were wearing expensive GPS collars.

The deaths of just a few choice wolves have resulted in the likely loss or collapse of two packs and aborted the history and trend data biologists have built.