The Wolves of Yellowstone

To wildlife biologists of the National Park Service, 1995 was the "Year of the Wolf," at least in Yellowstone Park. The release of 14 gray wolves, translocated from the Canadian wilderness, marked the culmination of a quarter century of effort to devise a strategy for restoration. Project leaders Phillips and Smith give an engrossing, detailed account of the events capture, translocation, acclimation, release and the subsequent fate of the animals in their new home. Their narrative is interrupted at various points by 16 brief essays by others involved in the release, including Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt. Phillips relates the poignant story of wolf #10, shot from the highway, his mate, #9, and their eight pups. Another wolf, #3, had to be destroyed because of predation. Wolf restoration is one of the most important conservation initiatives in our history, according to the authors; they plead for continued congressional and public support. Stunning photographs make their own eloquent plea for the wolves.