Biology Professor Interviewed by ABC News Bill Hamilton discusses wildlife migration in Yellowstone National Park.

By Emily Innes Stanley
July 24, 2025

Bill Hamilton, the John T. Perry Jr. Professor of Biology and Research Science, was quoted in a recent article produced by ABC News about wildlife migration at Yellowstone National Park.

The article aims to clarify misconceptions about whether wildlife is migrating away from Yellowstone National Park, explaining that the National Park Service believes videos circulating on social media that show animals leaving the national park in large quantities are likely generated by artificial intelligence (AI). Hamilton’s research pertains to ecosystem dynamics with a focus on animal-plant-soil interactions in Yellowstone National Park and he routinely conducts research at Yellowstone, giving him unique expertise on the topic of wildlife migration in the park.

According to Hamilton, wildlife rarely migrates during the summer months unless forced by an extreme event, such as a wildfire. In addition, Yellowstone is the only national park in North America without fences to contain the wildlife, allowing them to roam freely. The animals in the park typically leave in the winter to find food; as the animals that eat plants and grasses move, the predators follow.

Hamilton is particularly concerned with how videos made with AI and shared without context amplify misinformation about the park and its wildlife. One of the misconceptions the article addresses is that the supposed migrations are due to a pending volcanic eruption, explaining that the U.S. Geological Survey has not identified an abnormal level of volcanic activity for the area.

“The idea of animals leaving the park because the Yellowstone Volcano is going to erupt has been swirling around as long as I have been working in the park,” Hamilton said. “Social media and AI are making it easier to get it back into the mainstream because of clickbait drawing attention to the fake story.”

The article goes on to correct additional stories about Yellowstone wildlife migration, and Hamilton warns against the creation and sharing of these false stories because they threaten our overall perception and understanding of how nature works.

Hamilton has been a member of the W&L faculty since 2001. He currently serves as department head for the Department of Biology and interim head for the Environmental Studies Program. Hamilton earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Syracuse University, a master’s degree in chemical ecology from State University of New York at Buffalo and a doctorate in ecology from Syracuse.

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