Informed by unparalleled access to a research project that studied wolves in Alaska’s Yukon–Charley Rivers National Preserve for more than two decades, award-winning author, photographer, and naturalist Tom Walker shares the story of Wolf 258, nicknamed “the Wanderer.” A GPS collar recorded the animal’s coordinates once a day as it moved through the wilderness, and to the amazement of all, the Wanderer traveled more than 2700 miles in less than six months. The first book to chart a wolf’s movements for such an extended period of time, The Wanderer offers remarkable insights into this beloved, feared, and mysterious creature.
Through the lens of 258’s epic journey, Walker highlights connections to terrain, history, and looming threats in addition to the biology of wolves and key interrelated species. The Wanderer recounts one particular wolf ’s compelling final months, while examining the broader complexity of the species and its struggle for survival. Walker explores the natural history of wolves, and the relationship of people to this predator, shedding light on the tangled politics of wolf management, and the inability of artificial borders to contain this iconic species.
