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North America
Program Highlights
Wyoming Pronghorn Study Posts Results of Third Year
 WCS has recently released its third report on pronghorn and natural gas drilling in Wyoming’s Upper Green River Basin. The report revealed that while some pronghorn appear to be unaffected by gas drilling in the study areas, others are losing ground to areas of highest development.
Rudolf’s kin more than just Santa’s ride
 Better known as reindeer during the holiday season, caribou are also central to the health and vitality of the Far North. Revered by many cultures, the caribou could soon become endangered by threats such as oil exploration and climate change, according to a new book by authors from the Wildlife Conservation Society and the World Wildlife Fund.
New Book Examines Role of Fear in Wild Animals
 How does fear shape the behavior and conservation of deer, moose and antelope, not to mention carnivores such as wolves, bears, and even tigers? What is the natural state of wildlife, and how do animals know or learn which species to ignore or fear? Should we reintroduce predators to former habitats, even though the prey animals may be unprepared for their return?
On-Going Wolverine Study Focuses on Connectivity
 Fierce and fearless, this is the common image of wolverines. But this is only part of the story. To help save these remarkable animals, Wildlife Conservation Society wildlife biologists are conducting the most intensive study of the wolverines of the Northern U.S. Rocky Mountains to date. Even with the elusive nature, extreme movements and low densities of wolverine populations, the WCS research team has managed to collect a lot of valuable conservation data on an animal that is very challenging to study in the wild.
Poster Child of Climate Change
 The federal Endangered Species Act now lists the polar bear as Threatened. A WCS study that showed Alaska’s bears are vulnerable to climate change helped inform this decision.
Beavers Dam Good for Birds
 A WCS study finds that the busy beaver’s signature dams provide critical habitat for a variety of migratory songbirds, particularly in the semi-arid interior of the West.
Coexisting with Black Bears
 To effectively conserve black bears and minimize bear-human conflict, it is necessary for conservationists and managers to understand a suite of issues, including: bears’ behavior, biology, and population dynamics; human attitudes and reactions; and the efficacy of management strategies. This working paper presents case studies spanning these topics drawn from WCS' experiences researching bears and bear management across the United States.
Adirondack Alarm Call
The common loon’s mournful yodel has new significance, according to researchers who traced the impacts of environmental pollution on this denizen of northern wilderness. The 18-year study—conducted by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the BioDiversity Research Institute, and other organizations—confirms that human-generated mercury emissions degrade the health and reproductive success of loons in the Northeast.
Unafraid of the Big, Bad Wolf
The big, bad wolf could use a few friends. If western states remove the gray wolf from protection under the Endangered Species Act—a decision currently under debate—consequences could be grave. Wyoming and Idaho announced they would reduce their populations of approximately 300 and 700 wolves, respectively, by 50 percent and 80 percent.
Journey to Teshekpuk - an arctic nursery
Arctic Alaska contains one of the world’s last great wildlife spectacles. On its coastal plain, a region dotted by thousands of lakes and fertile wet tundra, millions of migratory birds come from all over the world to rear their young. The aggregations of breeding birds are most numerous in western arctic Alaska, particularly near Teshekpuk Lake.
History of WCS in North America
 Since its creation as the New York Zoological Society in 1895, the Wildlife Conservation Society has played a central role in North American conservation. In 1897, WCS carried out the first survey of Alaskan wildlife, which led to the passage of laws to control overhunting. In 1905, WCS General Director William Hornaday initiated the campaign to save bison from extinction through captive breeding and successful reintroduction in reserves across the American West. In 1912, Hornaday helped draft the first legislation protecting migratory birds and their habitats.
Throughout this past century, WCS has supported pioneering field studies of key species such as bighorn sheep, black-footed ferrets, grizzly bears, mountain lions and bald eagles, and helped create more than 30 U.S. parks and reserves, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and the Olympic and Wind Cave National Parks.
WCS in North America Today
 As it enters its second century, WCS continues to build on this North American tradition by informing and inspiring people to care about native wildlife and ecosystems. WCS renewed its North America program in 1994 with the idea that its cooperative, information-based approach could improve conservation on this continent. In the US, Canada and Mexico, WCS provides technical assistance and biological expertise to local groups and agencies that lack the resources to tackle conservation dilemmas. WCS supports comprehensive field studies to gather information on wildlife needs and resolve key conservation problems. Our success is bolstered by working with a broad array of stakeholders, including local community members, conservation groups, regulatory agencies and commercial interests.
For more information
For a complete list of WCS North America projects and conservation issues click here
For information regarding WCS North America staff and contacts click here
For more information on supporting the North America Program click here
Telephone: (406) 522-9333 x101
Thank you for your support!
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