From the Enchanted Garden of Elspethe
to
Deeper into the Forest of Wolves

"What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, men would die from a great lonliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are connected".
Chief Seattle

Wolves are carnivores, and cannot survive without killing other animals for their food. This is not a bloodthirsty act of violence (a judgment only humans can make), but simply an act of survival. A wolf could no more choose to survive on fruits and vegetable matter than a deer could decide to survive on meat.

The Dog and the Wolf

"There was once a forlorn wolf who had little to eat for many days. He had grown very thin and very tired. His coat was sparce, and winter was approaching. One evening the sad and weary wolf had a very unusual encounter with a fine and obviously well-fed dog wandering near the edge of the village by the woods. Surprised and impressed, the wolf remarked at how shiny the dog's coat appeared, and how much energy he had. "You, too, can look so fine and eat so well," encouraged the dog.
Eager to eat, the wolf asked how. "Life in the woods is far too hard", said the dog. "Leave the woods behind and come with me and you shall never have to hunt and fight for your food again." The wolf was sceptical, but his curiousity was piqued, and he asked just what the dog did in return for such splendor and comfort. "Very little," replied the dog. "I protect my master's house from thieves, although there never have been any, and I curl up at his feet when I'm allowed. For this, I have sumptuous scraps from the table--bits of chicken and lamb, beef and bread, kind words, and a place to rest my head."
The tired wolf, his stomach growling, was filled with visions of an easy life and a full stomach, and nearly sprang to his feet to follow the dog when something caught his eye. "What is this strange marking around your neck?" asked the wolf, noticing a band of skin where the dog's fur had been worn away. "That's nothing," answered the dog. "Nothing?" questioned the wolf. "You see simply the mark from my collar and chain. I hardly notice it myself anymore. It means little."
"Little!" the wolf cried. "Are you not free to roam at will when and where you please?" "Only when I slip away, but not very often," said the dog. "At night, they chain me to a tree, but my kennel is close at hand in case it rains. I've no complaints."
The wolf could not believe his ears. "A chain! A kennel! I'd have complaints!" he cried. "I may be cold and wet some nights and I may know hunger well, but my freedom is one thing, good friend, that I will never sell!"
The wolf turned away, still hungry but no more forlorn or weary. A sadder and wiser dog watched him trot away."

Freedom is the most valuable thing to a wolf.

Family Traits

There are some important similiarities and differences between wolves and domestic dogs:

• Even German Shepherds and Huskies, though quite similiar to wolves, do not have legs as long, chests as narrow, or feet as big proportionally as their wild ancestor.
• As they walk, wolves swing their hind legs in the same line as their front legs. Domestic dogs, on the other hand, swing their hind legs between the tracks of their forelegs.
• The wolves muzzle is longer than those of most domestic breeds (the Collie's comes closest in size to the wolf's.)
• The wolf's incredibly powerful jaws are capable of exerting about fifteen hundres pounds (681kg) of pressure per square inch--about twice the pressure a strong domestic dog is capable of producing.
• Wolves generally carry their tails hanging down, while many domestic dogs curl their tails over their backs.
• Many domestic dogs, like wolves, will gorge their food, a habit that has become known as "wolfing".
• Communication patterns such as tucking their tails between their lags when frightened, bristling their fur to look larger and more intimidating when challenged, and snarling with lips curled up to display their impressive canines when angry are traits shared by wolves and domestic dogs.
• Wolves and domestic dogs share some of the same enemies in the form of parasites and diseases. In fact, the spread of canine diseases from contact with domestic dogs is one of the major threats to surviving and recovering populations of wolves and other wild canids.
• Wolves and dogs can mate with each other and produce fertile offspring, though this rarely occurs in natural situations.

"Silent Passage"
..On it's journey to extinction a wolf pauses and looks back on those who are helping with that journey.
There is no malice in the wolf's eyes, rather there is a hint of tragic understanding,
an instinctive intelligence that knows that all species including mankind
will disappear from its enviornment when that enviroment is
altered by a stronger force. The world will be a poorer
place if the wolf passes in history.