Yellowstone Wolf Research,

Yellowstone National Park 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.
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   Information from: Bozeman Daily Chronicle
   AP-WF-02-10-13 0141GMT