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Lessons From 40 Years Among Wolves

30 0
06.09.2024

"This is a book about a courageous woman. Often alone in wild country, she endures hardships and faces danger in many forms... It is a book I highly recommend: informative, fascinating, and beautifully written." —Dr. Jane Goodall

My research interests for decades have focused on the behavior and social ecology of wild carnivores with a focus on coyotes. I also have been, and remain deeply interested in, the social behavior and behavioral ecology of wild wolves.1 So, when I learned about Dr. Diane Boyd's new book called A Woman Among Wolves: My Journey Through Forty Years of Wolf Recovery, I couldn't wait to get my eyes on it. I've known of Diane's long-term research for many years, and I remain fascinated by what she was able to do, often against all odds, Often called "the Jane Goodall of wolves," a well-deserved monicker, I couldn't agree more with the accolades her book has received—it truly is a story of passion, resilience, and determination in a career dominated by men. Here's what she has to say about her landmark and deeply inspirational book.

Marc Bekoff: Why did you write A Woman Among Wolves?

Diane Boyd: I wrote A Woman Among Wolves for many reasons: 1) because it is a story that has not been told before, despite the numerous wolf books out there; 2) many of my old coworkers have passed away and can no longer share their narrative; 3) it’s a story that needs telling, of connecting those early years of natural wolf recovery through dispersal without reintroduction, when wolves were truly rare and endangered; 4) it travels full circle from the early wolf recovery efforts monitored by dedicated field biologists in the 1970s and 80s, and updated through present times, including the cultural shifts over these five decades as the societal pendulum has swung from one extreme to the other; and 5) most importantly, I hope through good storytelling and balanced knowledge to open peoples’ minds about what wolves are and what they are not.

This is my personal story that weaves revealing........

© Psychology Today


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