Migration

Wildlife migrations that still miraculously occur in the GYE are considered natural wonders of the world.

All animals move around to find food, survive, and raise their young. Some species, such as elk, pronghorn, and deer, migrate hundreds of miles each year. In the GYE, biologists are just beginning to understand the full value and necessity of migratory routes for the health of the ecosystem and individual species. With that knowledge has come a recognition of the massive impact of the expanding human footprint on Yellowstone area wildlife, fragmenting the corridors they use to move. 

From the growth in towns such as Bozeman, which impedes and erases migratory routes, to increased regional tourism that creates what some see as an industrial-scale impact, the safety and protection of this habitat are at risk of destruction.

How we choose to protect or “use” these historical wild lands and watersheds has a lasting effect on the survival of the animals who live in — and migrate through — the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.