First things first, happy 2021 all! Wishing you great new adventures, good health and a lot of laughter and kindness.
Now that the holidays are gradually (and sadly) out of sight and first term exams are keeping Sara and me busy, here's our first (much belated) book post of the new year!
I've been fascinated by wolves since I was a teenager so one day I would inevitably stumble across this book in the library. 'The Wisdom of Wolves' by Elli H. Radinger is like a natural history study on wolves but from a personal perspective and much more joyful. Reading this book has truly been a joyride from start to finish!
Wolves are my symbol of 'true wilderness', just like I assume they are for many people. In my last year of high school I wanted to do my senior thesislike project on the return of wolves in Belgium. Some sources had cautiously expressed their optimism on the return of wolves but nothing was yet reported. Until 2018! The first wolf on Belgian soil, named Naya, eventually arrived in January. It became a huge topic here, with supporters and opponents. As for myself, I remember feeling cheerful as this event was brilliant news. Despite this excitement I do hope that future wolves can roam freely in the limited nature patches Belgium has to offer. But this without ever crossing any human. For their own safety. Because I strongly believe that misconceptions lead to unjustified prejudices.
The book gives insight into how the author Elli escaped her stressful job as lawyer to work with wolves. Driven by her passion for the four-legged creatures, she got to work at the wolf research area 'Wolf Park' in the United States. Several years later she would become a volunteer at Yellowstone Nature Park to help reintroduce Canadian timber wolves. In her book, she shares some remarkable collisions with the wolves of Yellowstone's Lamar Valley. There are multiple wolf packs in this nature reserve and some individuals have rather pronounced characters. While reading you get to meet Casanova, who managed to get the attraction of a she-wolf upon entering foreign territory and not being killed for it. And leader wolf number 21, legendary for his savage hunting skills and exemplary leadership abilities.
Not only the wolves are introduced but also the bigger picture on how they got reintroduced in the area, as Yellowstone didn't have wolves for a long time. The comeback of the species also contributed an increase in biodiversity. Wolves were and are again an important link in Yellowstone's ecosystem. Radinger sketches this very well.
An important lesson the book teaches you is that we often have a distorted image of wolves. The image of the big bad wolf in Little Red Riding Hood is far from the truth. A wolf has no interest in a human snack. In fact, they are very much like us. Wolves are incredibly intelligent; they form complex family bonds and each wolf has its own unique howl. Not to mention that wolves have different dialects and types of howls that they use.
"Wolf wisdoms: Love your family Look after those entrusted to you Never give up And never stop playing." - Elli H. Radinger
According to Radinger, we can also learn something from wolves. For example: wolves treat their older family members like kings and queens. The elders are the hidden power of the pack. Their wisdom is essential for their survival. In our human society, we often tend to forget the wisdom elder's hold. Another lesson that wolves teach us: there is nothing wrong with lifelong learning. A young wolf learns the basics of hunting and not everything runs smoothly in the beginning. Throughout his or hers life, the wolf is always learning and that's just okay! Just as we shouldn't expect that when we leave the school desks, we know everything. Life never stops teaching. And with this wolf wisdom, I end this post :)
Comments