Gordon Haber - Among Wolves: Gordon Habers Insights into Alaskas Most Misunderstood Animal

This book, compiling Gordon Haber's lifetime dedication to studying and protecting wolves, is an immensely important addition to the literature. He knew each one as an individual, observed the disruption of social bonds every time a pack member was killed. Gordon was a hero, and I am sure the wolves howled when his plane crashedanimals know.

Jane Goodall, PhD, DBE; founder of the Jane Goodall Institute; UN Messenger of Peace

Among Wolves is a bargain price for a ticket on an incredible-boots-on-the-ground and camera-in-the-cockpit science journey over thousands of miles with the late Dr. Gordon Haber. From his daily diary and remarkable pictures of years of hard-nosed research in and around Denali National Park, you will learn about and see into the lives'and deathsof America's most iconic and misunderstood wildlife: the wolf and its family. Your heart will reach out to the stories of bonding between mates and families as they raise pups and travel in groups to hunt and survive in a brutal landscape and environment. You will laugh at the teasing ravens after your heart goes up in your throat reading about and seeing the encounters of competing for food with brown bears. And your heart will be saddened by the human encounters where, tragically, too often those entrusted by the public with ethical and scientific management have failed. Author Marybeth Holleman, an Alaskan who knows the country, will take you on a white knuckle trip that will thrill you, sometimes make you angry and would have made Gordon Haber proud. This book is a powerful, moving, and fascinating read. An education and wildlife adventure all in one. Enjoy the ride.

Tony Knowles, governor of Alaska 19942002

Among Wolves is an important contribution to wolf literature and a fitting tribute to Gordon Haber. Artfully framed by Marybeth Holleman, Among Wolves captures the passion, brilliance, and clarity that was Haber. But most important of all, this compelling, accessible volume showcases Gordon Haber's life's work among the wolves of Denali National Park.

Nick Jans, author of The Glacier Wolf and A Wolf Called Romeo

This fascinating compilation of iconoclastic wolf biologist Gordon Haber's science, field notes, and photographs is deeply enriched by Marybeth Holleman's insights into the man, his wisdom, and the sociopolitical context for his work. This courageous book eloquently reminds us of the critical importance of understanding wolf culture.

Cristina Eisenberg, author of The Wolf's Tooth and The Carnivore Way

I first met Gordon in Denali in 1976 and had a great relationship with him through my fifteen summers in Denali. I always admired his dedication to field work and his fierce advocacy for wolves. Now the findings of his ground-breaking, long-term field research on wild wolves are available to everyone in a very readable form. Marybeth Holleman has done a great and valuable service in preserving Gordon's legacy for other wolf researchers, wolf advocates and everyone that cares about wolves and wildlife. I highly recommend this book for any one who really wants to understand wolves.

Rick McIntyre, naturalist, wolf researcher, and author of A Society of Wolves and War Against the Wolf

Our relationships with other animals are challenging, complex, frustrating, and paradoxical, and far too often our selfish and uninformed interests trump theirs. Predators such as wolves often receive the most negative attention by people who conveniently blame them for all the wrongs in the world and who also ignore scientific research about these magnificent animals and their essential role for maintaining the integrity of diverse ecosystems. Dr. Gordon Haber focused most of his life on learning about wolves and trying to protect them from being wantonly and horrifically killed. He called attention to how their ruthless slaughter destroyed not only individual lives and the way in which pack members lived and thrived but also the health of the ecosystems in which they evolved. He recognized wolves as individuals and as members of family groups and unrelentingly worked on their behalf. His passion was contagious, and whether you agree or disagree with his unbounded advocacy, this book is essential reading for learning about these most remarkable animals.

Marc Bekoff, author and editor of The Ten Trusts (with Jane Goodall), The Emotional Lives of Animals, and Animals Matter

AMONG WOLVES

Gordon Haber's Insights into Alaska's Most Misunderstood Animal

Dr. Gordon Haber and Marybeth Holleman

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA PRESS
FAIRBANKS, ALASKA

SNOWY OWL BOOKS
an imprint of the University of Alaska Press

2013 University of Alaska Press
All rights reserved

University of Alaska Press
P.O. Box 756240
Fairbanks, AK 99775-6240

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Haber, Gordon C.
Among wolves : Gordon Haber's insights into Alaska's most misunderstood animal / by Dr. Gordon Haber and Marybeth Holleman.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-60223-218-1 (pbk. : alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-1-60223-219-8 (electronic book)
1. Haber, Gordon C. 2. Wolves--Alaska. 3. Naturalists--Alaska--Biography. I. Holleman, Marybeth. II. Title. III. Title: Gordon Haber's insights into Alaska's most misunderstood animal.
QL737.C22H315 2013
599.77309798--dc23
2012049307

Text design by Dixon J. Jones, Rasmuson Library Graphics
Layout by Natalie Taylor

Printed in the United States

for the wolves

INTRODUCTION
Scientist and Advocate for Alaska's Wolves

CHAPTER 1
My Good Fortune: Working among Alaska's Wolves

CHAPTER 2
The Heart of Wolf Society: Wolf Family Bonds

CHAPTER 3
A New Biological Year: Attending Young Pups

CHAPTER 4
It Takes a Family: Raising Pups Cooperatively

CHAPTER 5
Going with the Flow: The Daily Lives of Wolves

CHAPTER 6
Why Wolves Howl: The Many Social Values

CHAPTER 7
Hunting Traditions: Wolves, Their Prey, and Scavenging

CHAPTER 8
Toklat's Switch to Hares: Survivors Seize an Opportunity

CHAPTER 9
Companions and Competitors: Ravens, Bears, and Other Wildlife

CHAPTER 10
Natural Fearlessness: Wolves and People in Denali National Park

CHAPTER 11
Park Wolves in Danger: The Denali Buffer Solution

CHAPTER 12
Science Gone Awry: Alaska's Wolf-Killing Programs

CHAPTER 13
Endangered Species: The Problem with Delisting Northern Rockies Wolves

CHAPTER 14
Toklat's High Value: The Case for Unexploited Wolf Groups

EPILOGUE
From Bad to Worse: An Update on Haber's Wolves

Wilderness without wildlife is just scenery.

LOIS CRISLER