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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

‘The Return of Wolves’: New book by S-R’s Eli Francovich delves into politics of wolves in the American West

Ever since the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reintroduced them to the American West nearly 30 years ago, wolves have inspired bitter and emotional debate.

Some people, often biologists and conservationists, welcome the return of an apex predator to western ecosystems. Others, including many ranchers and hunters, see them as a threat to their way of life.

“Wolves incite the kind of passions usually reserved for war and infidelity – passions that highlight deep political and social divides,” Spokesman-Review Outdoors Editor Eli Francovich writes in his new book, “The Return of Wolves: An Iconic Predator’s Struggle to Survive in the American West.”

Francovich will discuss the book on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Bing Crosby Theater in Spokane.

Rather than focusing on ecology, “The Return of Wolves” primarily explores “how wolves highlight the political, social and economic divides that are present in our country right now,” Francovich said.

Francovich, 33, said he wanted to write the book in part due to his frustrations covering wolves as a newspaper reporter. He’d find himself summing up the well-worn mantras of people on both sides of the wolf-politics aisle, again and again. The stories seemed to be missing something.

Then, in 2019, he met Daniel Curry. Curry was a range rider who spent his days in Eastern Washington forests on horseback, trying to prevent wolves from eating cattle.

“I felt right away that he had an interesting story,” said Francovich, who went on to spend about three weeks in the field with Curry. “He caught my interest because he’s actually out doing this really hard work of coexistence.”

Curry is the constant that ties “The Return of Wolves” together, but Francovich also dedicates much of the book to wolf politics, which he often refers to as the “Wolf Wars.”

He said he hopes the book will have value to anyone who cares about wolves, regardless of where they stand.

Wolf lovers have to acknowledge that wolves are wild animals and their existence can cause real conflicts, Francovich said.

Wolf opponents need to understand the animals aren’t villainous intruders.

“People that live with wolves have to recognize they provide a huge ecological benefit and they’re native,” Francovich said. “They’re not some evil, marauding creature.”

The debate over wolves doesn’t always have to be bitter, he said.

“There’s an emphasis being put on being right and not always listening to someone that disagrees with you,” Francovich said. “I think we just need to listen more. It doesn’t mean you have to give up your values.”