What would life even be without the wild? The beautifully real wild. Animals are a big part of my life as they are for many of you out there. These creatures are something for us to marvel at and to learn from. They teach us how to be humble, how to care deeply, and how to coexist. Every time I see an animal, I think…wow. How amazing is it for us all to live together in one place? Pretty damn amazing.
Last month blogger buddy Chris Stocking delivered a deeply enthusiastic message. Often what makes us excited is not a priority in the world, but the vitality of our happiness is rooted in our personal enthusiasm. In my series, The Life Enthusiast Chronicles, fine humans from across the map unveil what makes them passionate about life.
Today I’m overjoyed to show off the always lovely, Kate Johnston of 4am Writer. I hardly know where to begin when it comes to gushing about this gal. We’ve been writer friends for some time, always there for each other through thick and thin. What astounds me about Kate’s writing is her quiet grace. Her intellect, humor, and heart are finely woven throughout her work. I never miss one of her posts, because they are guaranteed to make me feel inspired in some way. She’s quite the Life Enthusiast.
Connect with Kate on Twitter and Facebook.
Without further ado, here is the lovely Kate…
The first stories that captured my imagination were fairy tales. I loved the idea of a world where good trumped evil, magic ruled, and mythical creatures lurked.
But one thing I didn’t like about fairy tales was that wolves were always portrayed as evil characters. It really bothered me, an avid animal lover, that they always got a bad rap in books.
This is when I first started writing. I saw something I wanted to change, and I had the power to do so with story.
I made the wolf the good guy in my own fairy tales. A heroic wolf felt like such the natural order of things that I’m sure I’d have been shocked to know that, in reality, human beings had been pushing the wolf population toward extinction for the past century and more.
In 1926, the last wolf pack had been killed in Yellowstone (though there were ongoing reports of lone wolves). In 1974, the grey wolf had been listed as an endangered species, and in 1975 recovery was mandated under the Endangered Species Act.
Wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995—20 years after they were first listed as endangered. They have had a hell of a roller coaster ride overcoming the odds.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every single person on this planet fought for something wild? Imagine how much we would save.
I don’t care if it’s a wolf, a river, a flower, or a mollusk. If we all chose one wild thing that mattered to us and fought for it, this world would be a healthier, happier place.
There are some amazing people who have given their lives to wildlife. I would love to meet them all, tell them thank you.
One such woman, Brenda, runs a wolf rescue and education center, Runs with Wolves Sanctuary.
The pure wolves that come to her are usually born in captivity, kept as “pets,” mismanaged and abused, or abandoned. She also takes care of wolf-dogs (half-wolf, half-dog), who were generally kept as pets but ultimately abandoned or mistreated.
Brenda, and others like her, give wolves and wolf-dogs a second chance at life. Maybe these animals can’t exactly live on the wild side like they are meant, but their survival is a clear indication of how much one human being can do to help.
I’m far from being able to run a sanctuary like Runs with Wolves, but I know I can help in other ways. I write about them. I talk about them. I share their stories through stories of my own.
Giving wolves a voice is the least I can do, when they were the ones who first gave me mine.
*A version of this essay is published in Wolf Warriors, The National Wolfwatcher Coalition Charity Anthology.
**For more information on Runs with Wolves sanctuary, please visit rwws.org.
Britt Skrabanek 
What gorgeous animals. So wonderful that you champion for them, Kate. Love the photos of you with them!
That was a fun day. Some of the wolves are too traumatized and so visitors can’t be in the pens with them, as they are unpredictable. They are one of the most misunderstood animals around, but their way of life is nothing so unusual that we have to fear them. They look and can behave so much like domestic dogs that it’s hard to believe people can shoot them without thought. I don’t get it.
Wow! I didn’t realise about your passion for animals, Kate… What a beautiful animal the wolf is. I saw a Youtube video about the Yellowstone revival It blew me away to think the impact these great, enigmatic creatures have on the whole ecosystem. So lovely to read about (and see) your wild side 😉
They are gorgeous. Gray wolves come in all kinds of colors, so ‘gray’ can be misleading. I think I know the video to which you are referring. I posted one on my blog a few weeks ago about how wolves change rivers. Clearly, the entire ecosystem is intricately linked, and when we mess with part of it the entire systems is affected.
Thanks for swinging by!
It was you! I was trying to remember where I saw the video 🙂 I wish we had ‘grey’ wolves in Oz (I don’t know why we spell it differently here…)
Actually, I prefer the way you all spell it. 😉
Loving your post – thanks so much for sharing – OMG on the Wolf Captures – love dogs, coyotes, foxes, wolves, etc. 🙂
They are amazing creatures. Coyotes are getting a bad rap, too. Being targeted for trespassing on people’s property, when we’re the ones who infringed on their territory first. We have to find a better way to co-exist. Thanks for your comment.
Your devotion to the cause shines through Kate. Whilst I don’t have your enthusiasm for animals surely each species is entitled to at least be allowed to exist without being harried and hunted down without good cause. And where that’s not possible then the least we can do is provide a little respite such as Brenda does for her wolves, or the Durell Conservation Trust here in Jersey, C.I. Excellent post and great choice by Britt.
Thanks, Roy. You don’t have to be an animal lover to see the right and wrong in these situations. Wolves are unfairly hunted, just like the big cats in Africa. When anyone says that a predatory animal is mean, my hackles go up. They aren’t mean, no more than a human is mean for defending his territory and doing what he was built to do.
Thanks for swinging by and commenting.
[…] The fun-loving, energetic, and talented Britt Skrabanek is an indie author who has recently made a move to Portland, Oregon. While Britt is unpacking her bags, I am making myself at home on her blog. […]
Nice Kate, what a lovely pet you got there, I envy you ^^.
Awesome, BBK. Thank you.
Beautiful animals. You ain’t too bad either! Lovely pictures of you and your four-footed friends. I visited the Portland zoo (they have a large wolf compound) and they all started howling. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Eerie, yet stirring. Keep up your good work to protect these treasures.
Thanks, my dear. I love hearing the howl of a wolf, but you’re right, it can be very eerie. I will go to bat for any endangered wildlife, but wolves are my special favorite. It’s hard to imagine people are willing to go to such lengths to rid the earth of an entire species.
Would love to see wild wolves returned to the UK (along with bear, lynx, etc). There appears to be no ecological reason a reintroduction similar to Yellowstone couldn’t be implemented in Scotland – the problems lie in a lack of will and stigma against these beautiful animals.
I hope that those who are fighting to get the wolves reintroduced to Scotland keep up the good work. The wolves need that kind of help, as they obviously can’t do it themselves! But, it is a super tough battle. Seems like every week I read about setbacks to the recovery for wolves. Heck, not just wolves. All kinds of endangered wildlife. There are too many people who simply don’t care.
They need to get out of our way. 🙂
I remember the stunning video of the wolves and rivers you posted on your blog a while back, Kate. It moved me so much. I love these photos of you – they are so beautiful and you can see the tenderness in each photo. I’ve never seen a wolf but have loved reading about them ever since I read ‘Never Cry Wolf’ as a child. Funnily enough, I’m in the middle of ‘3 Among the Wolves’ by Helen Thayer right now!
Thank you so much, Letizia. That video is amazing, and we must never forget what one link can do to the rest of the chain. We’re all here on this earth for a reason. We all need each other.
I haven’t read Thayer’s book, but it is on my TBR list. I hope you’re enjoying it!
I just read a chapter on the interdependence between the ravens and the wolves which speaks directly to your point. So fascinating!
Awesome. I just moved it up my list a few notches. 😉
Oh Kate!! What a treat your mom gave you 🙂
How exciting to be amongst those gorgeous animals…I envy you!
PS: I told my hubby all about your wolf video you posted a while back. I play reruns every so often in my mind!
Yeah, Mom’s pretty darn cool. 🙂 There are lots of preserves around the country, and not just for wolves but for all kinds of endangered animals. Some are private obviously, but there are a lot that allow visitors. Really, what is important is that while we save what we can, we educate people (especially children) about the importance of every single species. We have no hope for survival if we can’t be bothered to help others.
That’s a great video to get your hope stirring again. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Wow! Love your pictures. My 3rd daughter has always loved wolves and we have every stuffed toy animal of them you can find. She loves to paint them too–they’re so beautiful. But they scare the beejeesus out of me and I never want to see one when I’m out camping (because they’re never alone and they’re super smart hunters and I know I wouldn’t stand a chance against them). Living in Idaho, I hear lots of scary stories about them and don’t want to mess with them.
Haha. Well, unless you have 4 hooves there is little chance that a wolf wants anything to do with you. They prefer ungulates (moose, deer, elk, etc.). This is because when they hunt in packs, they need a lot to go around. You wouldn’t satisfy a pack of wolves much, Char. 😉 And it’s really true that they are more scared of you than you are of them, all because you get to learn neat facts about them and they don’t know how to read. Yet. 😉
Thanks for putting my mind to ease (a little more). My husband’s friend has seen wolf tracks not too far out of town…and that’s a little eerie. I think of them as far away in the woods that I would have to drive miles to get to. But they are gorgeous creatures…and I love that Yellowstone video of how much they have changed the ecosystem since their return. That’s pretty cool.
I would hate for you to cancel camping plans all because of a little ol’ wolf. 😉 Of course, they need to be respected, and even though attacks on humans are rare (like, never), that’s not to say they won’t attack if they feel threatened or if a human ventures too close to their den of nursing pups. But, that’s the case with all wild animals. For instance, Canadian geese get a lot of heat for having ‘bad tempers’ and being mean. So silly. How is a wild animal ‘mean’?