Wolf Park Director a Sagamore
By Bob Scott, Journal and Courier
For 30 years, Erich Klinghammer has been devoted to the study of wolves.
As founder and director of Wolf Park in Battle Ground, Klinghammer has
established a unique national research center.
For his efforts, he has received a Sagamore of the Wabash award. The award
expresses appreciation from the governor and the state for “commitment to
making Indiana a better place to live and raise a family.”
“I like this honor because it will help more people know about Wolf Park,”
he said.
“I meet local people myself who say, ‘Wolf Park? I’ve never been there.’
But there is a core group that brings out-of-town relatives.”
The 75-acre Wolf Park complex is the home to wolves, bison, foxes and a
long coyote.
Paula Woods, who has lived most of her life in Tippecanoe County, said she
is a big fan of Wolf Park. She works with the Greater Lafayette Convention
and Tourism Bureau.
“We get a lot of calls about Wolf Park. It is internationally known,” she
said. “Erich is very cooperative. I’ve been out there when he has given
tours.
“They have worked at improving the facilities and making it more
comfortable for people to visit.”
Klinghammer is an ethologist who studies behavior from an evolutionary
point of view.
“How does the animal adapt to its environment. What does it mean to the
wolf, the coyote?” he said. “How do wolves look at us coming into their
world?
“You try to understand how each animal tries to maximize its chances for
survival.”
He said he considers wolves to be an indicator of the ecosystem in which
they live.
Klinghammer said that Wolf Park is the only research center that has
wolf-bison demonstrations. Wolves test the healthy bison herd, which has
little to fear.
“Wolf Park is another option that will enhance the quality of life in this
community,” he said.
“Here we are in Indiana and we have this unique wolf research center.”
The center offers a howl night, along with tours and lectures.
“We have a junior volunteer program for kids and their parents,”
Klinghammer said.
A Purdue University professor emeritus, Klinghammer holds wolf behavior
seminars three times a year. He also travels nationwide and to Europe to
lecture on wolf and dog behavior.
Klinghammer holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. In 1986, the
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals named the wolf
as animal of the year and honored Klinghammer for his research.
“Basically we are happy with what we are doing at Wolf Park, but we want
to keep improving the quality,” he said.
“We decided consciously to stay relatively small and steadily improve the
programs.”
Find out more
For more information about Wolf Park in Battle Ground, call 567-2265 or
visit the Web site at www.wolfpark.org.