Three Among the Wolves: A Couple and their Dog Live a Year with Wolves in the Wild
Helen Thayer
Language: English
Pages: 256
ISBN: 1570614792
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Helen and Bill Thayer, accompanied by their part-wolf, mostly Husky dog, Charlie, set out to live among wild wolf packs — first in the Canadian Yukon and then in the Arctic. When they set up camp within 100 feet of a wolf den, they were greeted with apprehension. But they establish trust over time because the wolves accept Charlie as the alpha male of the newly arrived "pack." Readers travel with the Thayers as they learn about wolf family structure, view the intricacies of the hunt, the wolves’ finely honed survival skills, and playfulness.
behind him in waddling unison and, as if on cue, both nipped his tail at once. With a loud yelp Charlie jumped up, ready to kill, but the clever birds flew to the ridge where they strutted and cawed, elated at their success. Charlie’s indignant bark brought all the wolves to watch and, we supposed, to sympathize as he railed against his tormentors. One evening when Charlie was engrossed in eating his dinner, three ravens acting as a team swooped down from the cliff. A particularly bold
wrestled too close to her or if they had the brashness to step forward and attempt to eat before she did. The teens soon learned to behave in her presence when her mood turned dark. Cleanliness was important to Mother. A fastidious groomer, she spent more time cleaning her paws in the stream after a meal than any other wolf. She even dunked her head into the water to remove any trace of blood from her jaws and face. Dominant Alpha demanded respect from everyone except Mother, for whom his
crept up on Beta, cautiously placing each front paw in front of the other. In unison, they leaped at his throat and shoulder, attacking as never before, growling and tugging. Although superb hunting practice, it was more than Beta could tolerate. He heaved himself to his feet, shedding his tormentors. After a vigorous shake, he resumed the sky-watching lesson. This time his patience had its reward: The pups caught on and glanced up with him. The next day Beta again took both students to the
to be greeted by the same old fog. I prayed that by daylight it would be gone. And indeed, at 8 A.M. a gentle breeze tugged at the tent walls. The fog had thinned rapidly. We ate breakfast and packed, delighted. Our late start rewarded us with an expanded world of blue skies and visibility that stretched to the horizon. But as we took in the view, our suspicions were confirmed. Ahead along our route, only a half mile away, was a vast area of open water. A shadow spreading across the pale sky
immediately stared across the void to where trees concealed our tents. He sent out a long howl in apparent recognition of Charlie and fanned his tail. Although we kept Charlie tethered at the side of the tent, out of sight of the wolves, he fanned his tail as Mackenzie voiced his recognition. John, who was with us that day, observed the interaction and said quietly, “They’ll be friends always.” In the years following the publication of Polar Dream, the story of my solo trek to the magnetic