Wolf Mountains

Peter Harmathy teaches fine arts in Victoria.

Wolf Mountains follows the story of wolf and human interactions along
the crest of the Rocky Mountains from the 19th century to the present.
The focus is on Yellowstone, Glacier, Banff, and Jasper parks, where the
most accurate recorded history of wolves is available. This is the first
book of its kind encompassing cross-border data on wolves, pulling
together 130 years’s worth of information gathered since the inception
of Yellowstone Park in 1872.

The book recounts the sad history of wildlife management, following the
cycle of persecution, tolerance, and finally reverence for the wolf. We
see the shifting paradigm of the human psyche, at first misguided by
myth and prejudice, then redirected by the need to preserve and balance
nature. Once feared and dreaded, the wolf howl is now a welcome sound in
our wilderness.

Intended as a doctoral thesis (as attested by its 100 pages of
addenda), the book has been written for the layperson, and it is a
fascinating account. The wolf not only represents a vital element in the
maintenance of a healthy environment, it is also a symbol of what makes
wilderness truly “wild.” Whether we have an active or a passing
interest in the state of our environment, this book will reinforce our
concern and responsibility to restore wilderness before it gets
completely consumed by human control.