Following eight major wolf personalities, Thinking Like a Wolf draws on decades of field notes gathered during almost non-stop wolf-watching to uncover the challenges and triumphs of Yellowstone's wolf packs, from the "chief historian of the most famous wolf population in the world" (Washington Post).
In his latest book, award-winning author and renowned wolf researcher, Rick McIntyre, explores the intricate world of wolf behaviour in Yellowstone National Park and highlights the individual character traits that allow wolf packs to thrive.
Unveiling power struggles, pack politics, the roles of family protection, inter-pack conflicts, and more, Rick skillfully follows the intricacy of packs and the unique attributes each wolf has. In these true stories, he celebrates the many lessons we can learn from wolf packs and the dynamic personalities that enable them to expand across new territories amidst adversity.
Weaving an impressive web of politics and power, family cooperation and commitment, rivalry and resilience, Thinking Like a Wolf provides readers with a unique window into the fascinating inner workings of wolf packs.
Map of Northeast Yellowstone National Park
Map of Select Yellowstone Wolf Pack Territories
Map of the Journeys of Dispersers 755 and 890 In and Around Yellowstone National Park
Principal Wolves
Foreword by Frans de Waal
Introduction: Thinking Like a Wolf
1. Dreaming of Wolves
2. True Grit: 755's Story
3. Living in the Moment: 926's Story
4. Rivals: 970's Story
5. Into Enemy Territory: 890's Story
6. Won't Back Down: 911's Story
7. The Rivalry Continues: 907 and 969's Story
8. The Nanny: 1109's Story
9. Coup d'Etat: Black Female's Story
10. Team Player: 1048's Story
11. Building an Alliance: 907's Big Gamble
12. Leader of the Pack: 907 Prevails
13. Humans and Wolves
14. Homecoming
Acknowledgments
References
Index
Rick McIntyre is a wolf behaviourist who has spent more than forty years watching wild wolves in America's national parks, twenty-eight of those years in Yellowstone, where he has accumulated over 100,000 wolf sightings and educated the public about the park's wolves. He is retired from the National Park Service and is currently a faculty affiliate at the University of Montana.
Frans de Waal was a primatologist and ethologist. He was the Charles Howard Candler Professor of Primate Behavior at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, director of the Living Links Center at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory, and author of numerous books including Mama's Last Hug and Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist.
"Highly entertaining, gripping and fascinating – enter the wild world of wolves with today's best animal story teller. A man who has spent more time than anyone watching and learning about America's wolves. An incredible read for anyone who loves wild places and the beings that live there."
– Brian Hare, PhD, professor of evolutionary anthropology, Duke University; co-author with Vanessa Woods, of the New York Times bestseller The Genius of Dogs
"Rick's writing transports me to Yellowstone, watching over his shoulder as these history-making wolf packs experience the natural highs and tragic lows that come with their territory. I challenge anyone to read this and not feel a primordial connection to these remarkable, complex animals."
– Tiffany Francis-Baker, author of The Bridleway and Dark Skies
"This book is as riveting as any novel, and I was so entranced by the lives of these wolves that after just one chapter I canceled all my appointments so I could continue reading uninterrupted. Mcintyre's deep observation, unfolding over decades, allows a rare look into the intertwined stories that bring the Yellowstone wolves to life-vivid tales of family, loyalty, friendship, joy, loss, and – above all – resilience. By the end of this book I was not just "thinking like a wolf", as the title promises, but also felt that I was walking with wolves all around me. My love for them and commitment to their protection deepened with every page."
– Lyanda Lynn Haupt, author of Rooted: Life at the Crossroads of Science, Nature, and Spirit