Erich Klinghammer
| Erich Klinghammer | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
February 28, 1930 Kassel, Germany |
| Died | October 6, 2011 (aged 81) Battle Ground, Indiana, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of Chicago |
| Known for | Wolf behaviour research |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields |
Wolf biology, Animal Behaviour |
| Institutions |
Purdue University, Wolf Park |
Erich Klinghammer (February 28, 1930 – October 6, 2011) was a wolf biologist best known for his contributions to the fields of ethology and behavioural ecology, particularly that of canids. He was the founder of Wolf Park in Indiana and a professor of animal behaviour at Purdue University.
Erich Klinghammer was born in Kassel, Germany, where he received high school education. He immigrated to United States in 1951 and served in the United States Army from 1953 to 1955, earning United States citizenship through military service, and returned to higher education at the University of Chicago with support from the G. I. Bill. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1958 and continued graduate education under animal behaviorist Eckard H. Hess, studying imprinting in birds. After discovering he was allergic to birds, he switched the focal species of his research on animal behaviour to grey wolves donated by the Brookfield Zoo and housed in an enclosure on his property near Battle Ground, Indiana. He received his PhD in 1962 but would continue study on the captive wolves, expanding as more animals arrived.
Erich Klinghammer was appointed assistant professor at the University of Chicago in 1965, lecturing on ethology and animal psychology. In 1968, he transferred to the Department of Psychological Sciences at Purdue University to hold the position of associate professor, continuing his pioneering study on wolf pack dynamics and social behaviour, including early analyses of wolf howls and developing the techniques of socialization for wildlife in captivity. His property developed into a wolf research and education facility eventually named Wolf Park, officially founded in 1972 with him as director. The resident study animal population would expand to include other species of canids such as coyotes and red foxes.
...
Wikipedia