The Man Who Lives with Wolves

October 19, 2009
Ellis, the self-trained wolf behaviorist featured on TV's Living with the Wolfman, has spent years living, literally, with wolves in the U.S. and England: eating what they do (raw meat), fitting into their pack, meeting challenges from other pack-members, and more. Ellis describes in detail (some repetitive) the astonishing rigors of living with wolves; readers might ask why one would stick with the pack after sustaining bites, knockout blows, and other injuries, but Ellis maintains that fulfilling his "overwhelming need to find out the truth and do whatever I could to help and stand up for these creatures" is reward enough. Ellis's prose is informal and conversational, and his experiences are highly illuminating regarding animals classically met with fear and hatred (an ancient reaction, Ellis notes, rooted in humankind's shift from a hunter-gatherer society to a farming society). Ellis also shares his goals, how they've evolved over years of study, and the challenges of scientists who disapprove of his methods; among well-earned observations of the natural world, Ellis also includes stories from his own life and family, as well useful information for dog owners.