Everything Buttoned Down But Ourselves

As one of the last wolves makes a desperate pilgrimage across the Pacific coastal states of America, perhaps to find a lost haven of its kindred, we hear the usual grunts and groans that betray the superficiality of our civilized society. The cattlemen make noises like this lonely creature is a veritable monster who will all by itself slaughter whole droves of their fattening cows. Others want to remove it "safely" from its marginal wilderness freedom and stick it in a zoo. What a convulsive uproar. Every neighborhood cringing at the Big Bad Wolf passing by their pretentiously-named gated communities and electrified-fence beef-factories. AGH! The common consensus between both sympathizers and antipaths is that this creature simply doesn't fit within the scheme of the urban-suburban-rurban three-ringed circus they call civilization. And they exclaim, "oh, it's so BIG!" Well, no bigger (and often no doubt smaller) than many of those breeds of dog many people raise for American Kennel Club shows, or to show off how tough these people think they are by walking down the sunny boulevards of lookism with a gargantuan hound on a leash. This poor wolf has no mate, no family, and coming from one of the most social species on the planet, it can't be too happy about this. People act like it is some sort of menace wandered out of a medieval bestiary, or as if it were a mammalian anachronism that simply doesn't go along with the decor of township planning! Actually, this creature can breed with the woof-woof in your living room, but lives on a regular staple of various rodents instead of doggie chow. All our dog breeds are descended of wolves. Such breeds as Malamutes, Huskies, Collies and German Shepherds have only a hair's breadth of separation from their wolfly origins. The shared, attentive, patient and playful nurturing they collectively give their young, the affectionate and durable bonds between mates and in same-gender friendships are obvious marks of their high intelligence. Adjustments of pecking order are always quickly resolved in their packs, because the species places a premium on cooperative communality and mutual nurturing, making peaceful relations the norm among adults. Remember when Ishi, "the Last Wild Indian" stepped out of the woodland shadows of California into the crowded confusion of the early 20th century? What will be the fate of the last wild wolf? Will we send it to obedience training school? I hope Mother Nature will not have to send us to obedience school!