SHARING THE STORY OF THE SAWTOOTH WOLF PACK
Wolves have been driven to near extinction in the past, and now exist in a mere sliver of their former habitat. Since the mid-1990’s, when wolves were re-introduced to Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho, they have made significant strides towards reclaiming their rightful place on our nation's wild land, as a key predator and as intelligent and caring members of the ecosystem they were meant to inhabit. Today, as arguments rage about how much protection to offer to wolves, and for how long, this critically important species is once again being poisoned, shot and trapped as history sadly repeats itself.
Their survival is contingent upon healthy, open, and connected wild ecosystems, a concept that has been as endangered as the wolves themselves. In fact, wolves play an essential role in reshaping and restoring habitat.
Demon or benefactor, monster of nightmare or caring family member of a pack? Who will speak for the wolf? Jim and Jamie Dutcher are uniquely positioned and eager to reach out, to show the true nature of wolves. The Dutchers spent six years in a tented camp in the wilderness of Idaho, living with a pack of wolves, listening to them, earning their trust. Now, their films and books, their intimate story of wolves, have touched the world at a time when wolves are once again being trapped and shot.
The Dutchers’ experiences in taking the story of the Sawtooth Pack -- the wolves they lived with -- to the public have been overwhelmingly successful. It is impossible to learn the story of the Sawtooth Pack and not come away realizing that current policy towards these misunderstood animals is, at best, dangerously unbalanced.
The goal of Living with Wolves is to build on the work of the Dutchers and the understanding of their supporters to create broad-based public awareness of wolves:
- Their intelligence
- Their remarkable and complex social life and family structure, and
- How important they are to a natural and viable wild ecosystem.
Jim and Jamie Dutcher
