One of the outstanding attributes of Grand Teton National Park is its wildlife. While the beauty of the park is breathtaking, its wildlife is world-class.

Viewing the park’s natural inhabitants with the Tetons’ grand backdrop creates lifetime memories for millions of visitors each year. The park lies at the heart of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, one of the largest intact, temperate ecosystems on Earth. Here, a remarkable array of species including bighorn sheep, black and grizzly bears, elk, wolves, moose, cougars, bald eagles, pronghorn antelope, peregrine falcons, and trumpeter swans are free to interact with their each other and their environment. However, increasing human pressures, both inside and outside the park, threaten the long-term well being of several wildlife populations, requiring a robust and carefully targeting wildlife research and conservation program in the park.

The Foundation currently supports wildlife key research and management projects in Grand Teton that help protect animal populations. Foundation funding also facilitates the development and implementation of public education programs directed at wildlife conservation awareness.

Multi-carnivore Research with Wolves, Bears and Cougars
A multi-carnivore research collaboration with scientists from other ecosystem agencies to engage in a predator study that examines wolf, grizzly and black bear, and cougar interactions in the park and surrounding areas of Jackson Hole. Immigration and reintroduction of species have suddenly put North America’s premier predators in the same habitats here for the first time in decades. Predatory competition can affect a variety of other wildlife and land management issues. Competition determines when predators hunt, what they kill, how often they eat, where they live and whether their young survive. Data gathering over five years will help Grand Teton and other land and wildlife managers better understand the complicated relationship that exist among large carnivores, their prey, and a variety of human interests.

Wolf Research and Monitoring
In 1999, the Teton wolf pack produced Jackson’s first wolf litter in over 70 years. Favorable conditions have fostered continued growth in numbers to four packs denning within or immediately adjacent to the park’s boundaries. In early 2008, wolves in the Rocky Mountains were removed from the official Federal Endangered Species list. Monitoring park wolves during the transition from protected status to de-listed management is critically important, so that effects of new state management policies on park wolves can be determined, and protective measures implemented to assure their protection. Foundation funding provides for VHF and GPS radio collars, telemetry equipment, aerial radio-relocation flights, and laboratory expenses.

Greater Sage Grouse Monitoring and Recovery The population of greater sage grouse throughout the West has declined significantly over the last decade. Sage grouse numbers in Wyoming, including those that breed, nest, and winter in Grand Teton National Park and the National Elk Refuge, are well below desired levels. It is uncertain why grouse numbers are low but it may be related to an increase in predators and loss of quality wintering habitat. The research hopes to evaluate why grouse numbers are declining by tracking grouse movements, identifying critical habitat components, and assessing causes of mortality. Information gained from the project will be applied towards the conservation of grouse throughout the Jackson area.

Conservation of Teton Range Big Horn Sheep
Teton Range bighorn sheep make up Wyoming’s smallest, most isolated native herd—a remnant population derived from a much larger herd that historically lived in northwest Wyoming. Conflicts with domestic sheep, poaching, fire suppression, and human activities, particularly at low elevations, has contributed to decreasing numbers and smaller ranges. This study addresses seasonal habitat and movement corridors, lamb survival, genetic fitness, and effects of recreation on the herd’s limited range. The ultimate goal of this project is to improve the long-term conservation prospects for the herd by identifying specific threats and creating an adaptive, long-term management plan based on the study’s results.

Wildlife Brigade Volunteer Program
With increased visitation to the park and healthy populations of elk, moose, wolves and bears, wildlife and human interactions are becoming increasingly complex. To assist with this human-wildlife interface challenge, Grand Teton National Park manages a successful Volunteers-in-the Park (VIP) program that assists with protecting guests and animals by promoting ethical wildlife viewing and food storage practices. While one of the main purposes of the volunteers is to manage crowds during wildlife jams along the roadside, they also assist in educating visitors about food storage and the prevention of food conditioning of bears. Volunteers are uniformed, use marked NPS vehicles and carry park radios, all of which are funded by Foundation donations.

Pika Habitat and Climate Change
The American pika, a small rabbit-like mammal, could be one of the first animals to experience habitat erosion due to climate change. Pikas can be found in rock-strewn talus slopes at higher elevations and are sensitive to high temperatures, a characteristic that makes them an indicator species for climate change and global warming in the western US. Park biologists hoping to develop a long-term pika monitoring program designed to measure the effects of climate change on pika distribution throughout the park. The research will occur in collaboration with a larger-scale glacial change study also being conducted in the park. Results of the work will assist in understanding local effects of global warming and educating visitors and Jackson Hole residents about these issues.