Never Cry Wolf

Mowat, Farley. Never Cry Wolf: Amazing True Story About Life Among Arctic Wolves. New York: Atlantic-Little Brown 1963. Print 

First Sentences:

It is a long way in time and space from the bathroom of my Grandmother Mowat's house in Oakville, Ontario, to the bottom of a wolf den in the Barren Lands in central Keewatin, and I have no intention of retracing the entire road which lies between. Nevertheless, there must be a beginning to any tale, and the story of my sojourn amongst the wolves begins properly in Granny's bathroom.

Description: 

Can a book deal with a serious topic (depletion of caribou herds by arctic wolves in Canada) in a completely off-beat manner? In the hands of a quirky biologist like Farley Mowat, of course. 

In Never Cry Wolf, he engagingly recollects his adventures as a newly-hired naturalist for the Canadian Wildlife Service and assigned his first task: find out why the arctic timber wolves are decimating the caribou population in the Baffins of Canada, gather information, and then "curb the carnage."

So off he flies to the frozen wilds armed with his plane load of government issue wolf traps, tear gas grenades, smoke generators, seven axes, 4 gross of mousetraps, and a communication radio with 6 hours' worth of batteries. Also smuggled aboard were 10 gallons of 100% grain alcohol (for preservation of specimens) and 15 cases of Moose Brand Beer, contraband which could be mixed together into a "positively ambrosial" concoction. 

Once left in the frozen nothingness, even armed with this elixir, the first howls of a wolf pack send him scurrying for protection under the canoe, "wishing I were a pregnant Eskimo." Don't ask.

Having no experience with wolves, Mowat relies on his wits to locate and study these creatures up close and personal. He gamely tries personal experiments to test the validity of each hypotheses based on what he sees, including living solely on a diet of field mice (to see whether wolves could possible exist on rodents alone) and moving his body in circles in bed to prove this wolf technique helps one drop off to sleep better (an activity he laments later proved to be unpopular with lady friends).

Throughout the book he leads readers on adventure after misadventure, experiencing with him first-hand this environment, its people, and its wildlife. Interactions with native Inuit, visiting hunters, and, of course, the Canadian home office provide numerous instances of bewilderment, humor, scientific observation, bureaucracy, and well-intentioned pursuits.  

His observations change all preconceived notions of wolf behavior, diet, family structure, hunting range, and their relationship with caribou.   

Never Cry Wolf is a book I have recommended for years to adults, children, teens, seniors - anyone looking for a well-written, humorous read on a serious topic set in an exotic local. Mowat is a prodigious writer on a huge variety of topics that can be scientific, humorous, historic, heart-breaking or sometimes all of the above  But by far the best place to start is with Never Cry Wolf.

Happy reading. 


Fred 
www.firstsentencereader.blogspot.com

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If this book interests you, there are many others available by Farley Mowat, both humorous and serious. Be sure to check out:

Mowat, Farley. The Snow Walker.  

Tales of the Inuit people Mowat lived with in the Canadian wilderness over many years, as told in their voices to relate stories of the individuals and actions, as well as legends that make up their culture. Highly recommended for great writing, powerful stories, and memorable people.

Mowat, Farley. The Dog Who Wouldn't Be. 

Recollections and humorous tales of the author's early boyhood with a dog who rode in cars with goggles and could climb ladders. Great for reading to children as well.