OTHER FOOTSTEPS

Imagine going for a summer hike down your secret hidden trail to your favorite spot by the stream that you know is yours. Without a care in the world, you are feeling good and safe and one with nature. Suddenly, you encounter the most dangerous predator of all myth and legend . . . only a few yards away. Cunning, secretive and unpredictable, he can outrun and outfight you and you are certainly no match for his powerful teeth and jaws. But this encounter has a twist. The teeth are the teeth of a chain saw, the jaws are a steel trap and the dreaded predator is a human. The looks on the faces of these three cubs reveal their surprise at a cabin going up in their remote little Eden. The harsh buzz of a chain saw and the sound of human voices signal a sad change in their world. Man and wolf share much in common. Both are complex and intelligent; they share social bonds; both have family instincts. Yet as far back as mythology takes us, we have sung and written about our fascination with and fear of wolves. Now, unfortunately, it is the wolf that must fear man as we humans push this misunderstood animal back to the farthest corners of the wilderness.