Decade of the Wolf: Returning The Wild To Yellowstone - Hardcover

Smith, Douglas; Ferguson, Gary

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 159228700X ISBN 13: 9781592287000

Publisher: Lyons Press, 2005

Synopsis

BOOK SENSE NOTABLE BOOK

"By piquing our imaginations, by sparking in us a sense of wonder, Yellowstone's wolves have done much to invigorate our sense of place, even our sense of generosity, rekindling relationships that allow us to again feel at home in the world."
-- Douglas Smith, Wolf Project Leader

For millions of people around the world, the image of wolves running free through Yellowstone National Park has become the ultimate symbol of the American wilderness. The release of thirty-one Canadian gray wolves in 1995 and 1996-arguably the most controversial feat of conservation in our nation's history-sparked a new-found passion for these remarkable animals and the unbound lands that sustain them.

Few were prepared for the outpouring of emotion sparked by the reintroduction of these wolves, and for the changes that came, both in the land and in the minds of men, with that experiment. For the first time, Douglas Smith and Gary Ferguson recount the first ten years of this historic endeavor. The journey of the wolves themselves and the people who faithfully followed them through the wilds of Yellowstone make for unforgettable reading.

Here are intimate details about the lives of these animals, including wonderful stories about survival and family dynamics. Smith and award-winning nature writer Gary Ferguson weave together never-before-published scientific discoveries with spell-binding tales of the wolves' behaviors. The wolves have not only survived, but completely changed the ecosystem, spilling a fresh measure of wild across the world's first national park. . DECADE OF THE WOLF serves to mark the end of the opening act of this inspired, often tumultuous tale of preservation.


DOUGLAS SMITH, PHD, Wolf Project leader, has studied wolves for twenty-four years and has worked on the reintroduction in Yellowstone since its inception. He lives in Gardiner, Montana.

GARY FERGUSON is an award-winning nature writer whose books include The Great 0 Divide: The Rocky Mountains in the American Mind, Hawks Rest: A Season in the Remote Heart of Yellowstone, and The Yellowstone Wolves. He has written for numerous publications including Vanity Fair, Outside, the Los Angeles Times, and Men's Journal. He lives in Red Lodge, Montana.

About this title

About the Author

DOUGLAS SMITH, PHD, Wolf Project leader, has studied wolves for twenty-four years and has worked on the reintroduction in Yellowstone since its inception. He lives in Gardiner, Montana.

GARY FERGUSON is an award-winning nature writer whose books include The Great Divide: The Rocky Mountains in the American Mind, Hawks Rest: A Season in the Remote Heart of Yellowstone, and The Yellowstone Wolves. He has written for numerous publications including Vanity Fair, Outside, and Men’s Journal. He lives in Red Lodge, Montana.

From the Back Cover

Ten years ago, wolves were set free again in Yellowstone. Now, for the first time, the project's leader and an award-winning nature writer recount the intimate details of this historic endeavor.
For millions of people around the world, the image of wolves running free through Yellowstone National Park has become the ultimate symbol of the American wilderness. The release of thirty-one Canadian gray wolves in 1995 and 1996 - arguably the most controversial feat of conservation in our nation's history - sparked a new-found passion for these remarkable animals and the unbound lands that sustain them.
Few were prepared for the outpouring of emotion inspired by the reintroduction of these wolves, or for the changes that came, both in the land and in the minds of men, with that experiment. In Decade of the Wolf, Douglas W. Smith and Gary Ferguson describe the journey of the wolves themselves and the people who faithfully followed them through the wilds of Yellowstone.
Here are intimate details about the lives of these animals, including wonderful stories about survival and family dynamics. The book weaves together never-before-published scientific discoveries with spellbinding tales of the wolves' behaviors. The wolves have not only survived, but completely changed the ecosystem, spilling a fresh measure of wildness across the world's first national park.
Decade of the Wolf serves to mark the end of the opening act of this inspired, often tumultuous tale of preservation.

Reviews

Wolf biologist Smith and nature writer Ferguson (Hawks Rest) deliver a compelling inside look at the Yellowstone Wolf Recovery Project, covering the 10 years that have passed since the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made the controversial decision to reintroduce wolves into the national park. Their book is a detailed look at how the return of the wolves—once among the most numerous of North American predators—has provided scientists with a chance to witness "the dynamic forces of nature that drove this region before the coming of the Europeans" as well as to puzzle out what wolves mean to the area's ecosystem. Smith worked on the project, and the two authors offer hard facts (e.g., the number of elk killed by wolves each year is 9% of the elk population; the average life span of a wolf in Yellowstone is 3.4 years) as well as impressionistic "Portraits" of individual wolves that reveal their "epic lives, full of struggle and conquest." It's a perfect balance to Hank Fischer's Wolf Wars and will please fans of that well-received overview of the controversy. (Apr.)
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*Starred Review* In 1995, after an absence of 70 years, wolves were returned to Yellowstone National Park. Trappers captured 14 wolves from three packs in Canada and transported them to acclimation pens in the remote north of the park, from which they were released 10 weeks later. Seventeen more from four packs followed the next year, and it is from this 31-animal nucleus that the current 170 wolves in the park descend. Smith has worked with the Yellowstone Wolf Project since its inception and has studied wolves for more than 25 years. With the help of nature writer Ferguson, he has produced a marvelously intimate look at the ups and downs of wolf reintroduction. From problems with their release (the wolves initially would not leave the acclimation pens) to the only wolf that escaped before the official release (he hung by his teeth until he could scramble over the chain-link wall), Smith was in the thick of it all. Well illustrated with black-and-white and color photographs, this intimate history of the return of the top predator to Yellowstone will find an eager audience. Nancy Bent
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Lyons Press
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 159228700X
• ISBN 13: 9781592287000
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256