I have studied the ecology of wolves and their prey in Riding Mountain National Park Since 2016. My PhD research uncovered the novel observation that wolves had switched from their longterm historical prey, elk, to a more dangerous alternative, moose.
If you are interested in learning more check out the links below:
- For pictures and stories from the project check out the wolvesofrmnp instagram account. I have been out of the field for some time but I regularly post updates on recent papers or events.
- I answered some FAQ about research on the wolves of Riding Mountain National Park for Parks Canada.
- Connecting to Data following in the steps of Romeo and Julian by Michelle Wilson, Contributors: W09 (Romeo), W11 (Julian), Christina Prokopenko, Debbie Mastin
Publications
Prokopenko, C., Zabihi-Seissan, S., Dupont, D., Kingdon, K., Turner, J.W., and Vander Wal, E. Hunger drives switching and searching response in a social predator. Preprint.
Turner, J., Prokopenko, C.M., Kingdon, K.A., Dupont, D.L.J., Zabihi-Seissan, S., and Vander Wal, E. 2023. Death comes for us all: relating movement-integrated habitat selection and social behavior to human-associated and disease-related mortality among gray wolves. Oecologia.
Zabihi-Seissan, S., Prokopenko, C., and Vander Wal, E. 2022. Wolf spatial behavior promotes encounters and kills of abundant prey. Oecologia – Highlighted Student Research
Christina Prokopenko, PhD 