Wolves in Ameircan Literature
THe following is a study of wolves in lituratre, from fables such as THe THree Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig, to Farley Mowats adventurous Never Cry Wolf.
In 1948-49, the Canadian WIldlife Service assigned a young biologist the difficult task of researching the decline in Caribou populations which was begining to greatly effect the local economy. In particular, Mowatt was to determine if the downward spiral in population was a result of overhunting or, as many believed casused by the ever growing poulation of wolves in the area. What began as an assignement for one man soon became a movement with the gola of saving the habitat and in fact the very existence of north American Wolves.
Farley spent several months alone on the tundra of northern Alberta, in this time he found that wolves, instead o the ferocious killing machines of their reptation, were in fact gentle and social. In fact as he stayed near one wolf family Mowatt discovered that he was accepted, however tenoulsy into their community.
Mowatt's adventures in the Canadian wilderness had far reaching effects, in fact in the early 1960's MGM purchased and later produced a movie based upon the book and Mowatt's personal journal.
Never Cry Wolf was not a huge commercial success but immediatly gained a respectable cult following and remains a staple film for naturalists.
ONe of the more interesting events depicted in te movie came about as Mowatt decided to prove that large carnivorous anumal could exist solely off the norther tundra mouse. Disposing of his supplies, for the next six weeks Mowatt caught d consumed a huge number of mice. The result of the experiment proved that the mouse contributed greatly to the wolves diet ad couldsustain in great number a large carnivor.