The Ellesmere Wolves

The isolated, white-furred wolves of Ellesmere Island, Canada, are distinctive among their species in that they have not been conditioned over generations to fear humans. On the second closest land mass to the North Pole, they let researcher L. David Mech observe their dens and hunts uninhibited for the better part of 24 summers. In The Ellesmere Wolves: Behavior and Ecology in the High Arctic, which Mech coauthored with Morgan Anderson and H. Dean Cluff, he states, “The Ellesmere wolves—way off there near the end of the Earth—should long be able to continue their lives as natural as can be, wild and free of human wrath.”

Before beginning his research on the island in 1986, Mech had observed wolves from helicopters or small airplanes, tracking them on foot through snow and forests and with the aid of radio collars. But on Ellesmere, he could calmly watch over their dens from 50 feet away. He could tag along with the pups and their mothers or venture out with the adults on hunts. The wolves did not even fear his all-terrain vehicle—provided he was on it. Mech could casually observe scent-marking and food caching, while pups playfully untied his shoelaces and adult wolves snatched and frolicked with errant items dropped from his ATV. Living with them in such close quarters, Mech gained insights into their daily lives. He watched the adults visit natal dens—once every five hours, on average, and often packing extra food to share with nursing mothers.

Mech eventually retired from his summers with the Ellesmere wolves. This book brings together decades of his observations and those of his colleagues, who have continued following the wolves’ movements with radio collars. Compelling and informative, the unique story of the Ellesmere wolves and their observers has changed the way we understand who wolves are and how they live when free from human intervention.

Author: L. David Mech, Morgan Anderson, and H. Dean Cluff

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

No. Pages: 288

Program Terms: Terrestrial Wildlife

AWI Quarterly Terms: Review