Predators in Yellowstone

Their names are lifeless numbers: 10, 42, 21. But their stories are full of the drama of survival in the wild. Authors Douglas Smith and Gary Ferguson capture that spirit in this book detailing the 10-year effort to reintroduce the fierce canines to Yellowstone National Park after a 70-year absence. Smith, the park’s Wolf Project leader, and nature writer Ferguson recount the highs and lows of the controversial program, which began in 1995 with the release of 31 Canadian gray wolves.

Along with the historical account is a close look at individual wolves that excelled in bravery, boldness or cunning. It was their adaptability, along with help from conservationists, that made the program a success: Nearly 200 wolves now roam the park and its environs.

Smith and Ferguson recount the duties that make a wolf biologist’s job extraordinary -- looking into the eyes of a wolf just darted with a tranquilizer gun, soaring over the park in a spotter plane, dodging the slings and arrows of the anti-wolf segment of the population, many of whom are hunters and ranchers who long opposed the project.

There also is a 32-page inset of color photographs, many published for the first time.

The subtitle of the book, “Returning the Wild to Yellowstone,” underscores the authors’ contention that the project has been beneficial to the park. With a top predator restored, the ecosystem has become healthier and more resilient, he says.

“In this protected space the wolf will prove himself a survivor extraordinaire, one that will hopefully remain a part of this wonderful web of life for centuries to come.”

-- Rosemary McClure