Wolves

"Wolves", featuring 97 outstanding full-colour photographs by some of North America's most renowned wildlife photographers, reveals the animals as we rarely see them. The extraordinary gallery of images includes close-ups and dramatic shots of wolves hunting muskoxen and deer, interacting within the hierarchy of the pack and rearing their young. The cameras capture the wildness and grace of these magnificent creatures. Together, the dramatic photographs, maps and sensitive text create a celebration of wolves and serve as a reminder that the reality of nature is infinitely more fascinating than myth. The wolf, once the most widely distributed land mammal in the wood, has vanished over much of its natural range in the northern hemisphere. Nobody knows how many wolves are left. From Scandinavia to Portugal, Italy to Israel and Iran to Nepal, the story is the same - only small, scattered populations of wolves can be found. Significant numbers remain only in Greece, Spain Northern Eurasia and the wilderness area of northern North America. In the southern half of North America, the species has all but disappeared. For centuries, the wolf was depicted in folklore and mythology as a shadowy, half-demonic beast and cunning predator. As a result, it was mercilessly hunted in an attempt to wipe out the species. Fortunately, public attitudes have changed dramatically over the years. Wolves, which for centuries were burdened with all that was bestial and dangerous in nature and ourselves, suddenly have become the symbols of vitality and wilderness.