Wolves

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Barbara J. Feldman

Fairy tales and folklore have given the wolf a bad rap. But their modern-day tale has a happy ending. After years of extinction in the continental United States, wolves were successfully reintroduced into Yellowstone Park and central Idaho in 1995 and 1996. Learn more about the wolf at these sites.

Carl Cook Photography: Wolves

4 stars

Carl Cook served on the Board of Directors at Wolf Haven, a nonprofit wildlife sanctuary near Tenino, Washington, for three years. As a photojournalist and naturalist, he studied the wolves and documented their behavior. "Over time, many of the wolves came to know me, and in a few cases, relationships of mutual trust developed. The photographs presented here are samples from my study, The Wolves At Your Door, an exhibit last shown at Seattle's Pacific Science Center in 1988."

International Wolf Center: Just for Kids

4 stars

The International Wolf Center advocates for wolf survival "by teaching about wolves, their relationship to wild lands and the human role in their future." The kids pages contain wolf factoids, a few articles, and a handful of games and coloring pages. Additional educational resources can be found in the grown-up site by mousing over to Learn. Don't miss Wolf Basics (especially the Wolf Quiz) or Educators (highlight is the Gray Wolves, Gray Matter interactive curriculum.)

National Geographic Wolves

4 stars

"A wolf's community its pack, its prey, and its competitors is dynamic and delicate. The survival of these controversial predators hinges on both natural and human forces. Explore these forces and see how they touch wolves, elk, cattle, and coyotes." The story is told through the use of amazing photographs and powerful words. It includes a K-12 activity guide for both families and classrooms.

PBS: Wild Wolves

5 stars

"What's in a wolf's howl -- a calling card, a warning, or an invitation? Hear the call of the wild, find out how wolves are making a comeback, and discover the ancient connection between dogs and wolves at this Web site." Although wolves make other vocalizations besides the howl, such as barking, whimpering and yelping, it is the wolf's howl that captures our imagination. Listen to and see (through the use of sound spectrographs) a lonesome howl, a puppy howl, a confrontational howl and a chorus howl.

WERC: Wolf Wisdom

5 stars

Wolf Wisdom (from the Wolf Education and Research Center) is a great place to start your school report. Visit to learn about wolf behavior, history, pack interactions, vocalizations, habitat and more. Best clicks are Body Language (learn the difference between a tail held high or one parallel to the ground) and the FAQ and Fact & Fiction pages. "For many in North America, the negative perceptions of wolves will continue as is evidenced by some phrases in our language: 'cry wolf', 'wolf at the door', 'wolf in sheep's clothing', and 'throw it to the wolves.'"