Shao Hong: Why Yellowstone National Park’s Wildlife Draws Travelers From Around the World
Shao Hong, a Sydney-based financial executive who most recently served as Assurance Partner and Head of China Assurance Practice at PwC Australia, brings more than two decades of cross-border experience to her work advising businesses on governance, compliance, and capital markets. She built her career after being born and educated in mainland China, later becoming the first audit partner at PwC Australia with a mainland Chinese background, and she previously served as National Treasurer of the Australia China Business Council. Earlier, she spent more than a decade with EY Australia, contributed to the IPO of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, and was seconded to EY US in Cleveland. Outside the boardroom, she is a travel enthusiast who draws inspiration from destinations such as the vast wilderness of Yellowstone National Park and adventurous experiences like the EdgeWalk at the CN Tower in Toronto, reflecting the same curiosity that defines her leadership approach.
Yellowstone became the United States’ first national park on March 1, 1872. More than 150 years later, it ranks among the nation’s most popular outdoor attractions, drawing nearly five million visitors each year, according to the National Park Service. Yellowstone provides visitors with ample opportunities to engage with the wonders of the natural world, including a diversity of wildlife. The park is home to almost 300 species of birds and nearly 70 species of mammals, including several iconic animals.
Birds in Yellowstone span from common to niche, including songbirds and predatory raptors. About 150 species nest in the park regularly, and the Yellowstone National Park bird program closely monitors a segment of the breeding bird species to provide the scientific community with information about reproduction and habitat use. The program has yielded vital data over more than four decades. International organizations such as the Canadian Wildlife Service Research Center and the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity in Mexico contribute to the success of the program.
Several species of eagle, including bald eagles and golden eagles, are among the most easily recognizable birds in Yellowstone. Other predators include the peregrine falcon and the osprey. Northern saw-whet owls, trumpeter swans, pelicans, and woodpeckers are just a few additional bird species that nest in the park.
Many Yellowstone visitors are interested in seeing the park’s mammals. Yellowstone sustains the largest concentration of mammals in the lower 48 states. They range considerably in size, from the golden-mantled ground squirrel to the bison.
Male bison can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and sometimes live as many as 20 years. Visitors can see bison year-round, usually in the Hayden and Lamar valleys. The park’s bison population varies from about 3,500 to almost 6,000, spread across the northern and central breeding herds.
The wolf is the mammal with the most interesting history in Yellowstone National Park. Wolves were eradicated from the region decades ago, but their absence put an immediate strain on local environments, resulting in the explosion of ungulate populations, including elks, goats, and deer. In 1995, park officials began an initiative to restore the gray wolf population at Yellowstone. Now, more than 100 wolves spend the majority of their lives within the park’s borders, according to data from January 2025.
Wolves share space with other predators, including wolverines and lynx. They also interact with the park’s two species of bear: grizzly bears and black bears. The black bear is the most commonly distributed bear species in North America and usually occupies the park’s Tower and Mammoth areas, while grizzlies, which can weigh up to 700 pounds, roam the Hayden and Lamar valleys, Mount Washburn, and from Fishing Bridge to the East Entrance.
Other mammals of note include the bighorn sheep, the river otter, and the pronghorn. Yellowstone is also home to numerous fish species, including the Yellowstone cutthroat trout, the Arctic grayling, and the mountain whitefish. Amphibians and reptiles in the park, meanwhile, range from the Western tiger salamander to the prairie rattlesnake.
About Shao Hong
Shao Hong is a Sydney-based financial executive who served as Assurance Partner and Head of China Assurance Practice at PwC Australia from 2018 to 2025. With more than 20 years of experience, she has advised clients on cross-border capital markets, IPO readiness, and complex financial reporting across Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and China. She holds dual qualifications with Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and the Chinese Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and previously served as National Treasurer of the Australia China Business Council.
