For conservationists and lovers of animals, nature, and especially dogs,
this National Geographic book shares the surprising understanding of
wild wolves gained over six years the authors spent living intimately
with them. Delve into Jim and Jamie Dutcher's amazing wolf photography
documenting a pack of wolves at the edge of Idaho's Sawtooth Wilderness,
illuminating their complex social hierarchy. Here is the alpha pair,
leaders of the pack, often the only couple that mate. Here are the pups,
born with eyes shut in the spring, tousled by their mother through the
first six weeks of life. Here is the omega wolf, lowest ranking wolf in
the pack, whose subservience, often playful, alleviates pack tension.
Here are moments of cooperation and moments of snarling dominance,
moments of communication and affection. Here, too, are heartwarming
moments of connection between the Dutchers and the wolves, caught in
pictures that remind us how close the links are between wolves in the
wild and the beloved family dog.
Short chapters introduce the wolves as individuals, describe the
Dutchers' years of coming to know them, and address the complex
conservation issues surrounding the near-extinction and now
replenishment of the species in the wild. Sidebars explore myths about
wolves, including Native American spirit stories, European fairy tales,
and modern ranching hearsay.
