THE ELLESMERE WOLVES

The pack, up close.

Ellesmere Island, the second-closest landmass to the North Pole, is home to some of the world’s most intriguing species. The wild, snow-white Arctic wolves residing there have captivated renowned wolf researcher L. David Mech for 25 years, and they sustain the reader’s attention as well. Generally speaking, wolves are difficult for researchers to study up close, largely due to their well-deserved fear of humans who have hunted them for centuries. Mech himself had mostly observed wolves from helicopters prior to his time on Ellesmere, stating, “I increasingly realized how truly unique this opportunity was for learning about wolves in a way that my previous decades of study had never come close to….I was now gaining the kind of personal knowledge of these wild creatures that one absorbs about their pets by simply living with them.” What makes the wolves on Ellesmere so special is their unfamiliarity with and lack of fear of humans, which allows for intimate, up-close interactions. Mech’s account follows his decades of study, as he observes the wolves through summer after summer, witnessing changes in their environment and behavior. His groundbreaking work paved the way for other researchers and documentarians, as he became a steward to these wolves and their trusting nature. The book is sprinkled with delightful photos of pups, yearlings, and adult wolves, along with anecdotes and heartwarming moments that make it a joy to read. Deeply moving and richly described, the book makes it clear that one does not need to be a scientist to find these wolves fascinating.

A mesmerizing account of wolves and the researcher who devoted his life to understanding their world.