Packs (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780982971239)

How closely can anyone come to comprehending what another creature thinks? And how do we reconcile the need for acceptance with the equally pressing need for individuality within ourselves, especially since we so often have difficulty understanding our own motivations and those of whom we love? Such are the topics considered by four friends who leave the urban pressures of Anchorage and venture towards Denali National Park in the fall, unaware of how their lives will be altered by their serendipitous encounters with animals that have become symbols of the wilderness: wolves. The animals themselves are found struggling to survive on their own terms, some of whom have recently witnessed the destruction of most of their packmates by human predation.

Wildlife educator and specialist D. T. Kizis presents a glimpse into the wilds of contemporary Alaska, with a dramatic consideration of the historical ingredients which have influenced our relationships with a species we simultaneously regard as both ally and enemy. There are no anthropomorphic descriptions of wolves here; rather, their behaviors and motivations are treated accurately, yielding a story that will appeal to anyone who loves adventure, travel, wildlife, and ethics.

The tension remains between our two species, not only in Alaska but throughout many portions of the Northern Hemisphere, in which wolves have in fact influenced human behavior, and through that, human history, for many millennia.