Persecuted by humans for centuries, these members of the dog family Canidae are among nature's most maligned and least understood creatures. Yet they are intelligent, highly evolved, sociable animals that play a valuable role in maintaining the balance of nature.

Fairy tales such as "Little Red Riding Hood" and "The Three Little Pigs" notwithstanding, healthy, unprovoked wolves do not attack humans. Rather, they avoid them whenever possible. Wolves do prey on rabbits, rodents, and especially on hoofed animals like deer, elk, moose, and caribou. By seeking out the slowest and weakest animals, those that are easiest to catch and kill, wolves tend to cull out the sick and the lame, very old and young, and the unwary, less intelligent, biologically inferior members of the herd. In this way, wolves help ensure the "survival of the fittest" and prevent overpopulation, starvation, and the spread of diseases in the prey...