BEYOND WORDS

Following on the heels of Beyond Words: What Elephants and Whales Think and Feel (2019), this second adaptation of Safina’s adult bestseller Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel (2015) provides strong evidence for the author’s assertion that “A wolf is not an ‘it.’ A wolf is a ‘who.’ ”

The conversational text begins with a short prologue about the author’s decision to research wolves in the wild to better understand his own dogs, Jude and Chula. Off he goes to the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park, where scientists have been collaring and tracking wolves since their reintroduction in 1995. The last of the indigenous wolves had been killed by a dutiful park ranger in 1926—before most people understood that without wolves, that particular ecosystem was doomed. Indeed, only a few years after reintroduction, the system had rebalanced. In 2012, gray wolves were removed from the federal endangered species list, and Wyoming ended its moratorium on wolf-killing. Used to moving beyond the confines of the national park during winter, wolves who had never feared humans were easy prey for hunters. Safina makes it heartbreakingly clear that each dead wolf represents a huge disturbance to each discrete wolf pack. Readers learn the personal histories, behaviors, and personalities of several specific wolves. There is some humor to soften the overall alarming wake-up call, and vivid descriptions allow readers to join treks across wintry landscapes. Later in the book, attention turns to the author’s dogs, domestication, and even theory of mind, all conveyed clearly and succinctly.

A fascinating and foreboding call to action.