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"Man and wolf are the two most social of all terrestrial mammals. In wolves, family ties are valued above all." So says author, W. Wood. Wolves were greatly respected by Native American hunters as were eagles and bears. They wanted to capture the strength and endurance of the wolves' hunting skills. People have been fascinated by the mystery of the eyes of the wolf and their behaviour. The sound of their howling demands our attention!

Living in a village in the midst of "The Abruzzi National Forest" in Italy, the sound of the howling of the wolves was common at dawn. At times one could even see silowettes of packs of wolves as they howled. During the forties and early fifties, we children were both afraid and fascinated since we wondered what the wolves looked like up close. We were taught to never go close if we ever saw one and run for help. We also kept hearing how the wolves sometimes killed cattle, sheep, and other domestic animals in the village. It wasn't until I went to a zoo that I actually saw wolves and pups. I could not stop looking at them and I have continued to be drawn to them and be fascinated by their behaviour.

The irony that there are ads in newspapers selling wolf cubs is very sad, not only because they are very dangerous but to lock up a wolf in a home or cage is so very cruel since is is totally against their nature. The law should be protecting both the people and the wolves.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is dedicated to protecting wildlife and endangered wildlife around the world. Since it was created in 1961 it has helped to protect hundreds of plant and animal species and preserve millions of acres of habitat on five continents.

Wolves require large areas of undeveloped land in order to survive. Protecting the few remaining areas is crucial to the population of wolves and to people to be enriched by them. "With Wolves" (1995) is a children's book showing actual photographs of various wolves and their cubs in their natural habitat. Many of the photos are of the gray and red wolf. We also see the black, brown, white wolf, and some with mixture in their fur.

Next to a large photo of a huge wolf is a quote by Chief Seattle, l885, "If all the beasts were gone, men would die from great loneliness of spirit, since whatever happens to the beasts also happens to man. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth."

One time while a group of us were hiking in the mountains in Italy in Abruzzi National Park we were

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