Character Spotlight - Wolves

Come on, You can’t have a forest without wolves, now, can you?  I love wolves.  On one of my backpacking trips in behind Banff, we got to listen to the wolves howl as they moved through the valley.  That was an experience of a lifetime.

My favourite part of the Zoo is the North American animals.  These are the animals I grew up seeing.  The wolves were always one of my favourites, because I never actually saw them in the wild, only heard them.  I also adore watching the river otters and can watch them all day, but that’s just an aside.  In fact, today’s Instagram picture is from a Zoo trip many years ago.  I love wildlife photography, and the Zoo is a great place to practice.

Aili also loves wolves, and so do all Scouts.  In the first book, you meet the wolves on the non-magical side of the border.  In the sequel, coming soon, you meet the wolves that inhabit the forest Aili grew up playing in.  They play a much bigger part of the story, even letting you see one of the main characters in a new way as they interact.

Wolves have a complex and fascinating social structure.  Demonized through story throughout history, many people fear or hate wolves.  That’s a shame, really.  They keep an ecosystem healthy and prevent overpopulation among the grazers.  That’s why all healthy forests should have wolves.