Czternaście wilków. O strażnikach ekosystemu

When a wolf howls in fairy tales, villagers lock their doors. They watch with fear for the glint of yellow eyes in the darkness. Yet some say that the voice of a hunting pack carries a wild, untamed magic.

For hundreds of years, wolves ruled Yellowstone. They patrolled their territory, tirelessly pursuing elk. But over time, humans arrived and began killing. Wolf tracks vanished without a trace. The wailing of pups learning to swim in the rivers and streams faded.

When wolves disappeared from the national park, exterminated by poachers, hunters, and farmers, the elk population overpopulated and threatened numerous plant species. Some birds fled in search of new habitats. Even bears were starving. Fortunately, thanks to the determination and persistence of ecologists, a reintroduction system was established, and in the winter of 1995, a dozen Canadian wolves arrived in Yellowstone. Catherine Barr, who chronicles their fate, offers a fascinating account of the interdependencies of the natural world. She demonstrates that predators are essential to the ecosystem and shows how humans (out of ignorance, selfishness, or fear) disrupt the planet's fragile balance.