Defenders of Wildlife and Grizzly Discovery Center Join Forces to Build Understanding of, and Support for, Grizzlies and Wolves

Defenders of Wildlife and the Grizzly Discovery Center of West Yellowstone, Montana, have joined together to further the Center's educational efforts and attract new support for wildlife conservation.

The theme of this new relationship is "Discover grizzlies and wolves - Defend their place in the wild." The nonprofit Center owns and operates a 14-acre educational facility adjacent to Yellowstone National Park that houses eight grizzly bears and a wolf pack. Located two blocks from the park's west entrance in West Yellowstone's Grizzly Park, the Center attracts about125,000 visitors annually.

Defenders of Wildlife, a national environmental organization with more than 400,000 members and supporters, played a key role in restoring wolves to Yellowstone and now is working to restore grizzlies to the Selway-Bitteroot ecosystem in Idaho and Montana.

As part of the relationship, Defenders of Wildlife is providing significant financial support to help underwrite the Center's activities. Defenders also will encourage its members to visit the Center so they can see wolves and grizzlies up close and learn more about these species.

The two groups are exploring joint programs to promote wildlife conservation. Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife, said, "We want to help visitors make their Yellowstone experience more meaningful by giving them information on how to help endangered species and how to properly view animals in the wild. Given the significant number of people who visit the Center, Defenders of Wildlife has the opportunity to link up with many people who have a strong interest in predator conservation and want to get involved in our programs."

He added, "We hope the Center becomes a 'must stop' not only for Yellowstone vacationers but also for anyone interested in conservation of wolves and grizzlies."

"Defenders of Wildlife has a strong national reputation for conservation of the grizzly bear and, of course, its signature species, the wolf," said Center President Gale Ford, DVM. "Working with Defenders of Wildlife will help us expand the reach of our educational message and build our conservation programs."

Previously a for-profit exhibit, the Center was purchased last November and is now operated by an employee-formed nonprofit educational organization.

The Center's resident grizzlies were moved there individually after being deemed "problem bears" in other parts of the country. By helping people understand these animals' natural behavior, the Center seeks to prevent problems such as bears becoming habituated to human garbage sites and, as a result, keep bears in their natural habitat.

Educational efforts related to the Center's wolves, which were obtained from another facility, help visitors gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the role of this predator in the wild.

Among its predator conservation efforts, Defenders of Wildlife operates a program to compensate ranchers on those occasions when wolves or grizzlies prey on livestock; such predation remains a small portion of total livestock loss.

The Grizzly Discovery Center is open 365 days a year, from 8:30 am until dusk.

More information about the Center can be found at Grizzly Discovery Center.

Defenders of Wildlife is a leading nonprofit conservation organization recognized as one of the nation’s most progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat. With more than 400,000 members and supporters, Defenders of Wildlife is an effective leader on endangered species issues.

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