Raptor biologist John David Bittner died January 9, 2020 while rappelling down a cliff in San Diego County, California to change the batteries on a camera installed on the cliff to monitor a Golden Eagle nest.
He received a B.S. in Zoology and Wildlife Management from The Ohio State University (1968) where he also conducted graduate studies in Avian Reproduction and Natural Resources (1975-1977). He worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Ohio Dept of Natural Resources, and taught at three different Universities. He co-founded the Wildlife Research Institute in 1993.
Source: San Diego Union Tribune, January 10, 2020. Ramona Sentinel, January 16, 2020. Wildlife Research Institute.