The Rise of Wolf 8: Witnessing the Triumph of Yellowstone's Underdog by Rick McIntyre

Yellowstone National Park was once home to an abundance of wild wolves-but park rangers killed the last of their kind in the 1920s. Decades later, the rangers brought them back, with the first wolves arriving from Canada in 1995.

This is the incredible true story of one of those wolves.

Wolf 8 struggles at first-he is smaller than the other pups, and often bullied-but soon he bonds with an alpha female whose mate was shot. An unusually young alpha male, barely a teenager in human years, Wolf 8 rises to the occasion, hunting skillfully, and even defending his family from the wolf who killed his father. But soon he faces a new opponent: his adopted son, who mates with a violent alpha female. Can Wolf 8 protect his valley without harming his protégé?

Authored by a renowned wolf researcher and gifted storyteller, The Rise of Wolf 8 marks the beginning of an original and bold new trilogy, which will transform our view of wolves forever.

At first, I wasn’t crazy about the use of numbers to “name” the wolves, but over time I came to accept, and agree with that decision. Because names bring them closer, and, even with just numbers, the wolves’ characters come through: the courage of 8, the strength and compassion of 21.

The lives of these animals go by swiftly, too swiftly, but McIntyre’s easy to read book bring them back to life.

I wish more people could read this book, and come to realize just how important wolves are to the ecosystem. Not just in Yellowstone, but all over our country. I’ve never understood people’s fear and loathing of this magnificent animal. Hopefully, they’ll outlive us.




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2020 MONTHLY MOTIF - JUNE - "NAME OR NUMBER"

A name or a number in the title. Bonus if there are both.