MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyo. — Yellowstone National Park (YNP) announced Thursday that the Yellowstone Wolf Project has a new leader.
Dan Stahler will head up the project, succeeding Doug Smith, who retired in 2022. Smith had been with the project since its inception.
“I look forward to continuing the excellence of our 28-year program since wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone,” Stahler said in a press release. “Our legacy of long-term research and monitoring has contributed to many new scientific discoveries about wolves, their impact on other species and the role they play in ecosystems. Not only is this knowledge important to our mission, but it also benefits those who seek to protect, conserve or coexist with controversial species like wolves.”
As manager of the wolf project, Stahler will oversee the monitoring, scientific research and management of the park’s wolf population, which includes studying the wolves’ interactions with the park’s flora and fauna.
Stahler has been with project since 1997, when he started as a volunteer technician and graduate student researcher. He was officially hired onto the project by the National Park Service in 2002 as a lead biologist. Stahler will continue to lead the Yellowstone Cougar Project and the Elk Research and Monitoring Program. He also serves as the park’s threatened and endangered species coordinator.
“Dan is a proven leader with the scientific experience, credibility and vision needed to manage these critical wildlife programs into the future,” YNP Superintendent Cam Sholly said in the press release.
