Mysterious nature of wolves explored during Sac Audubon program
The Sacajawea Audubon Society is pleased to present a special holiday program on Monday, December 9th at Downtown Bozeman’s Ellen Theatre. Beginning at 7pm, “The Wild Wolves of Yellowstone and the High Arctic” will feature National Geographic photographer Ronan Donovan presenting on his experiences in both regions. The event is free to the public, however a suggested donation of $5 is greatly appreciated to help cover the cost of the program.
photo by Ronan Donovan
A biologist turned photographer, Donovan has documented the intimate social structures of wild mammals such as chimpanzees, mountain gorillas and wolves. He lived for a year in Yellowstone trying to capture the lives of wolves and the research that surrounds them. While Yellowstone may be the best place to see wolves, they are still elusive – hunted and trapped outside of the park – which makes many of their behaviors hidden from the human eye. This inspired Donovan to try and find a place where those behaviors weren’t hidden from view so a complete portrayal of wolves would be possible. That place ended up being Ellesmere Island in the Canadian High Arctic. It is here where wolves have no reason to fear humans.
“As a student and involved community member who has no experience beyond basic biology, this lecture will still be fascinating and engaging due to the story format that Ronan Donovan has perfected,” says Ashley Meyer, a Business and Psychology student at MSU. “Wolves are so mysterious due to their untouchable nature, so to be able to dive beyond the mystery of these lovely creatures will make for a fantastic night of learning.”
Donvan’s work with wolves resulted in a National Geographic story that was published in September alongside a three-part TV series called Kingdom of the White Wolf. He has had great success prior to this assignment, including having shot and filmed for NatGeo, The New York Times,
The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Foundation, and numerous other wildlife conservation organizations. When not travelling, Donovan makes his home in Bozeman.
The event is free and open to the public. Seating is on a first come, first served basis. Doors open at 6:30pm and Donovan’s story will begin at 7pm. There will be a Q&A session following the lecture. •
