Return of the Wolf

Rating:
Summary: The first comprehensive book on wolf restoration
Review: Over the last 20 years there has been growing sentiment favoring the restoration of the wolf to many places in the United States where the often feared carnivore was extirpated. Sentiment has been turned onto active restoration, and Steve Grooms is the first to write a book for the general public on the subject. There have been books about the Yellowstone wolf reintroduction and the Mexican wolf reintroduction. However, Grooms looks at them all -- the two just mentioned, but also the restoration of the red wolf and the successful conservation of the gray wolf in the upper Great Lakes.

The book has a number of fine photos of wolves. It is factual and moderate in tone.

Those is a very useful, readable overview for those interested in the comeback of the wolf

Rating:
Summary: Finally: A fair and balanced account of wolves in America!
Review: The wolf has long both entranced and terrified humans. It wasn't long ago that most of America harbored an intense wolf-hatred, and it was routine to kill as many of them as possible, as quickly as possible. Ranchers saw the wolf as the ultimate danger to their livestock, and offered bounties to wolf-hunters. Such policies quickly led to the depletion or eradication of entire wolf populations in many parts of the continent. Folk tales like "Peter and the Wolf" and "Little Red Riding Hood" are evidence of an even more long-standing fear and hatred of the wolf. Wolves are a predator at the top of the food pyramid, just like humans, so they can seem quite threatening, as our "niches" tend to overlap.

More recently, public opinion has seen a dramatic swing in the opposite direction. With the advent of environmentalist groups, the wolf is now seen by many as a symbol of the wild. It is often idolized and viewed as the epitome of nobility. Yet the author of this book asserts that neither this idealized depiction of the wolf, nor the previous view of wolves as bloodthirsty, ruthless killers that should be eradicated at all costs, are accurate perceptions. He states: "People used to view wolves imperfectly through filters of greed and fear; they now view them imperfectly through filters of guilt and romance" (pg. 31). For instance, wolf advocates have often said that wolves will never attack humans, but this is not entirely accurate. While such incidents are rare, "never" is not the correct word to use here.

Steve Grooms works to dispell the myths that have evolved around the wolf. He begins by describing its history, the stereotypes attached to the wolf, and the long-standing tradition of persecution. It's not a pretty picture. The book offers several very graphic examples of human brutality toward wolves (some are quite disturbing). Grooms goes on to describe the wolf itself and how it lives. He explains the pack system, a wolf's physical traits, what a wolf eats, where they live, etc. The main portion of the book is devoted to the various issues and controversies surrounding wolves today. Unlike other publications, he does not focus on any one particular breed of wolf, or any one particular issue concerning them. Rather, he goes through and describes each of the breeds on the continent - the Red Wolf, the Gray Wolf of the Great Lakes region, the wolves of the Rocky Mountains, the Mexican Wolf, and finally the large Gray Wolf of Alaska. Grooms explains the controversies surrounding wolves in each area, and the various reintroduction programs (some successful and others not) that have made attempts to reestablish the wolf where its numbers have been severely depleted or entirely wiped out. The most notable of these programs are the restoration of the Red Wolf in the southeast, the Mexican Wolf in the southwest, and Gray Wolves in the Great Lakes Region and in Yellowstone.

I found Grooms' presentation to be very fair and balanced. He acknowledges the concerns of all human parties, be they ranchers, hunters, or environmentalists. He does not ignore arguments on either side, and validates many on both sides, making corrections when necessary: "Because some wolf groups have deified and romanticized the wolf, today it is sometimes as necessary to correct the myths of wolf advocates as the distortions of wolf haters" (pg. 183). He obviously admires and respects wolves, but he takes a realistic look at the consequences of sustaining wolf populations in close proximity to humans. When he speaks of environmentalists, he makes two subdivisions - idealists and pragmatists. Idealists tend to see all management (the term being used to mean killing troublesome wolves) of wolf populations as bad. Pragmatists concede there are circumstances where such management may be necessary. He even shows how these two pro-wolf groups have conflicted and sometimes hurt their own cause.

As a former Alaska resident, I found Grooms' treatment on wolves in the state to be particularly pleasing. I can say with certainty that he accurately captured the essence of the issue here. Alaska is the only place in the United States where the wolf has not been considered endangered. An estimated 7,000-10,000 wild Gray Wolves make the state their home. Such large numbers have led to a concern opposite that found for wolves in the Lower 48. How can the wolf population in Alaska be effectively kept within an environmentally sustainable limit? Many more radical wolf supporters have expressed outrage at any sort of management program, and even to hunting game animals such as moose. They accuse Alaskans of having "sold out" to the income generated by leading tourists on guided hunting trips. Having lived there, I know for a fact that most Alaskans have a deep respect for the wolf and most other animals. I was very glad to see that Grooms has accurately represented this outlook: "Alaskans typically have a strong attachment to the natural world, but are less sentimental and more utilitarian in their wildlife values than citizens of the Lower 48. . . . [Alaskans] tend to see hunting as a natural, time-honored way of putting meat on the table" (pg. 164). Having grown up on wild moose-meat and fish, I can testify that this is true of most Alaskan hunters.

At the end, Grooms provides a nice summary, including an overview of well-reputed wolf advocacy groups. He gives a short description of each, as well as providing website addresses for further reference. This is particularly nice since the book, published in 1999, does not have the latest information on the various wolf programs and related disputes that are still ongoing. Furthermore, the book contains an abundance of beautiful photography. There are full-color pictures on almost every page, some of them full-page images. And finally, Grooms' writing style is simple and fluid, making the book accessible to the layman. The book holds a wealth of good information, and I recommend it most highly.