0 Smith, Douglas W. Emily Almberg 2007 Yellowstone Science Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone Association for Natural Science, History, and Education 15 17-19 canine distemper virus, canine parvovirus, wildlife health, rabies, Brucella canis, wolves Forty-one wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park (YNP) between 1995 and 1996. The population has since thrived, reaching a high of 174 wolves in 2003. In 2004, wolf numbers were similar (169), but in 2005 the population declined by 30%, to 118 wolves. This sudden population drop led park biologists to suspect disease as the cause, because population declines resulting from other causes are generally more gradual. Wolf numbers also declined in 1999, a year preceded and succeeded by years of rapid population growth fueled by abundant prey. Were these population declines caused by disease? Which diseases affect wolves in the park, and how do wolves contract them? How will diseases affect the wolf population in the future? Wolf Project staff hope to address these questions through wolf studies in the park, and they are the subject of Emily Almberg’s PhD dissertation at the University of Minnesota. Found online, pdf on computerNatureBib ID: 652374 http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/upload/YS15(2)partII.pdf