The Return of WolvesThe Return of Wolves

"The gray wolf has made an astonishing comeback in Washington. After near complete eradication in the 1990s, conservationists and environmentalists have cheered this native species' robust return to the state over the last two decades. Washington ranchers are not so joyous. Each year, wolves kill some amount of livestock and ranchers view their livelihood as under attack. As the state seeks to manage its wolf population, a central conflict emerges-conservationists vs. commercial ranchers. One man, Daniel Curry, has jumped directly into the fray. Patrolling the rural landscape on horseback, Curry engages directly with farmers, seeking to protect livestock from wolves while also protecting and proliferating wolf populations. In The Return of Wolves, journalist Eli Francovich will introduce us to Curry, a singular character who has dedicated his life to the animal world and relearned the language of nature. Through Curry, we meet an eclectic cast of players-local ranchers, politicians, environmentalists, and everyday folks caught in the middle-who typify the scientific, political, and cultural repercussions of the return of wolves to Washington. While this is a story about wolves and conservation, Curry believes the Washington wolf wars are a symptom of the larger political and cultural divide throughout the country. Striking a balance in wolf land, he believes, would go a long way toward kneading the "dough of society" back together. And through his own unique approach, Curry's methods might just offer a model of reconciliation and successful wildlife/livestock management that could be repeated throughout the West, and the country at large"--