The Wanderer: An Alaska Wolf's Final Journey, by Tom Walker, Tom Beyer (narrator)

 

Audiobook, 6hr 47m  Narrator Tom Beyer

Fascinating. Not just the story of wolf #258, dubbed Wanderer by the author, but the story behind the story, so to speak. Also, as an Alaskan, kudos to narrator Tom Beyer. Some of the native terms and names are tongue twisters but he makes them sound easy. 

As usual for me, I listened to much of the book while driving, hence no extensive notes. I recall chuckling and looking down at my dog hair coated black pants -- Black? What was I thinking? -- when it was mentioned that wolves, just like dogs, shed. Researchers have been able to learn much more important things about wolves, however, via collaring. I could be wrong, not the first time, but "back in the day" when collaring of wildlife first began, it seemed like once the collar was in place, the only time new info was found was when the wildlife had another human encounter and they could compare location and basic physical information from earlier.  Insight, yes, but not detailed. 

Nowadays, to be simplistic the collars bounce info off satellites almost constantly, giving researchers insight into the animals daily life and activities. This information provided author Tom Walker with a wealth of information. It ranged from location and movement, obviously a vital element of this story, to educated guesses based on said movement or lack of movement as to when the animals fed or rested. Wolves, in particular, are creatures of habit, so behavior out of the ordinary definitely got researchers attention. Thus was the case with wolf 258's long, long journey, one that earned him the nickname of the Wanderer.

I won't detail the story here, it's far better read (or, in my case, listened to). I'll simply say that there is a wealth of information here on not just Wanderer's journey but the history of wolf research and some of the human players involved. I loved how certain locations Wanderer passed through lead to some sharing of human history, too, from those who hunted wolves to those who'd steal wolf cubs and sell them to mushers, claiming it'd improve their dog teams. There's also a discussion of how wolf numbers may or may not have an impact on the numbers of other species and how human attempts to control nature, ie wildlife numbers, may result in exactly the opposite of the desired outcome. There's definitely a scientific/research oriented feel to the full story, so kudos to Walker for weaving it together in such an intriguing story. Definitely worth the read and, heck, you'll even learn some Alaskan history in the process. 

Thanks #NetGalley and #TantorAudio for sharing this intriguing look at one of the most fascinating animals in Alaska (and we have many). I highly recommend this to those with an interest in wildlife, animal research, or just want to know more about some of the critters that still roam about Alaska, wild and free.