Wolves, when you get down to it, are a lot like us. They are powerful, aggressive, territorial, and predatory. They are smart, curious, cooperative, loyal, and adaptable. They exert a profound influence on the ecosystems they inhabit. Nevertheless, we have problems with wolves, no doubt about it. Maybe we can't wrap our minds around both the big bad wolf and the close relative with the adoring gaze that follows us around the house. Or maybe it's because gray wolves are the planet's most widespread large land mammals after humans and their livestock and—in the Northern Hemisphere—have long been our most direct competitors for meat/Douglas Chadwick, National Geographic. (Cover photo: Jess Lee). See full story in March issue of National Geographic here.
