Parasite Invasion Following Host Reintroduction: A Case Study of Yellowstone’s Wolves

Ajith D

Introduction Methods Yellowstone wolves, Canine

Wildlife reintroductions select or treat Study area: Yellow stone
National Park, protected Population monitoring and distemper and mange: Spatio-
individuals for good health with the land in northwestern disease status.

expectation that these individuals will fare better than

Wyoming and adjacent
parts of western United
temporal patterns of Invasion:
States.
infected animals.
The reintroduction of the grey wolf (Canis lupus) into
Yellowstone National Park as a case study, the paper
statistical analyses were
Demographic dynamics and
undertaken in program R
address the question of how parasites invade a Spatial progression of
Mange (the disease
disease impacts

reintroduced population and considers the impact of these vector).

invasions on population performance.

Results Discussion
Demographic dynamics and disease impacts:
Since reintroduction, the wolf population within Yellowstone The enemy release hypothesis states that invading
has shown phases of rapid growth (1995– 2003), species, particularly non-native species, may
stabilization (2003–2007) and slight decline (2007–2010). experience a release from their former specialist and

generalist parasites once transported to their novel
range. A map depicting the spatial spread of mange across wolf
pack territories over time

Acknowledgment
Graph: Minimum wolf population counts within Yellowstone National Park from 1995 Almberg, Emily S., et al. "Parasite invasion following host reintroduction: a case study of Yellowstone's wolves."
to 2010 with outbreaks of canine distemper and the first detection of mange noted.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 367.1604 (2012): 2840-2851.