Paula Wild | Paula Wild

September 22, 2018September 22, 2018

Wolf howls at Wolf Haven

Wolves vocalize in a variety of ways including snarls, growls, whimpers, whines and occasionally barks. But it’s the howl that fascinates humans the most. To us it often sounds sad and lonely but, to a wolf, a howl can mean anything from “Where are you?” to “Keep out of my territory!”

When I visited Wolf Haven International, about an hour’s drive south of Seattle, I was treated to a 55-canid howl fest that I’ll never forget. At the time I didn’t know that each wolf has a howl as distinct as a human fingerprint or that wolves in different regions howl in their own dialects.

Wolf Haven is a globally accredited sanctuary that provides a forever home for captive-born and displaced wolves. The facility also participates in captive breeding programs for endangered Mexican grey wolves and red wolves, as well as caring for some high-content wolf-dogs and coyotes.

The reservation-only tour featured eight animals, a mix of grey and Mexican grey wolves, wolf-dogs and coyotes that were more at ease with limited human contact. The rest of the animals are secluded for their own comfort.

But Wolf Haven videos provide behind-the-scenes glimpses of wolf life most people will never see. This clip shows four Mexican grey wolf pups being startled by a group howl similar to what I heard. They weren’t sure what to think, even when their dad showed them how it’s done.

Wolf pups have an innate urge to howl but, just like human babies learning to speak, it takes a while to get it right. In this clip, a litter of red wolves listen to a Wolf Haven howl session then decide to give it a try.

But, in addition to wolf-to-wolf communication, howls have the potential to be so much more. A study in Yellowstone National Park is investigating if recordings of territorial howls can keep wolves away from livestock, while another study in northern India is attempting to estimate the population of the region’s elusive, endangered wolves by counting individual howls.

September 8, 2018September 9, 2018

Wolves and dogs in Tofino

Wolves and dogs have complex relationships. At times, they ignore each other, play together or even mate. But, more often than not, wolves attack dogs, injuring and even killing them.

That’s what happened on middle Chesterman Beach over Labour Day weekend. Located a scant six kilometres from Tofino and adjacent to Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (PRNPR), the beach is rimmed with stately homes, vacation rentals and anchored at the northern end by Wikaninnish Inn. It’s a popular spot for locals and tourists visiting Vancouver Island’s rugged west coast.

Wolves can move through the landscape soundlessly and often only reveal their presence to humans when they want to be seen. Photo courtesy US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The tracks in the sand and marks on the medium-size dog indicate it was probably attacked by two wolves not far from home. While researching Return of the Wolf, I talked at length with Bob Hansen, currently with WildSafe BC and Todd Windle, human-wildlife coexistence specialist at PRNPR. They told me that conflicts with wolves were negligible prior to the late 1990s. But now wolves in the region attack about a dozen pets – dogs and cats – per year.

In the last three years numerous dogs have been attacked and two killed. In 2016, a man walking two approximately 36 kilogram (80 pound) dogs near the Kwisitis Visitor Centre was forced to seek sanctuary on the closed centre’s deck and call 911 due to one or more wolves stalking his leashed dogs.

Two particularly bold wolves were killed in 2017. Although there were still wolves in the area — they were often seen on trail cameras – attacks on pets ceased.

Many people believe that wolves attack dogs to protect their territory. This is true, but wolves also see dogs and other domestic animals as prey and kill them for food. Hunting wild prey requires a great expenditure of energy and, in the case of hooved and horned or antlered animals, is fraught with danger. Even so, a single wolf can take down an elk or moose. In comparison, domestic animals are the equivalent of a person picking up a take-out dinner.

So, why would anyone let their dog lose in wolf country? In PRNPR and adjacent areas, one reason is sand. Vast expanses of it are dog heaven when it comes to running and who doesn’t want to see their dog get a ton of exercise and have fun?

Bailey had the time of his life running off leash in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve in 2012. I had no idea at the time how dangerous that was. Photo courtesy Doug Tracey.

I know, because I’ve let my dog run free on those beaches in the past. Granted, I had pepper spray and an air horn. But the reality is, most of the time, Bailey would have been too far away for me to intervene if a wolf went after him. Wolves can reach speeds of up to 60 kilometres (37 miles) an hour when taking down prey. And no domestic dog, be it 100-pound Rottweiler or tenacious pit bull, has a chance against a wild animal that kills its food to survive.

Another reason dogs roam free is convenience. When we stayed in a beachside cabin near Tofino and Bailey needed out in the middle of the night, I simply opened the door and whistled him in a little while later. I would never do that now. My heart goes out to the family who lost their dog last weekend. I know how devastated I would have been if something had happened to Bailey.

The safest place for a dog outdoors in wolf country is on the end of a leash close to the person holding it. Although not always the case, there’s a good chance that thin piece of leather or fabric and proximity to a human will cause a wolf to reassess the situation. And if it doesn’t, a person armed with bear spray or another deterrent has a chance to prevent an attack.

If you love your dog, leash it in wolf country. That skinny strip of leather may save the life of a wolf, as well as your canine companion.

September 17, 2017September 1, 2018

Rides That Way by Susan Ketchen

Sylvia is galloping through life as only a fourteen year old can do. At school there are friends, bullies and worse. Dinner with her parents is like sidling through a field of land mines. And all of a sudden she’s Keeper of the Secrets: her own, her grandpa’s and her riding coach’s.

Then there’s the whole hormone thing. Those mysterious entities that surge through a teen’s body making them emotional and affecting their bodies in very noticeable ways. Only Sylvia isn’t having that problem. She has Turner Syndrome, which means she’ll always be short and have to wear kids’ clothes the rest of her life because her body will never develop. Unless she wears estrogen patches and she’s not sure about that.

In fact, the only thing Sylvia’s sure about is that she loves hanging out in the barn, lucid dreaming and doing the forbidden — galloping her horse, Brooklyn. Well, Logan Losino, the cute guy at school, is pretty distracting too.

Rides That Way is funny, warm and perceptive. An unpredictable plot keeps the reader turning pages as Sylvia struggles to come to terms with being a teen and having Turner Syndrome. No matter what, she’s determined to be her true self and find acceptance on her own terms.

Rides That Way is the fourth book in Susan Ketchen’s Born That Way series. Each book delves into the life of Sylvia as she navigates the challenges that relationships with people and animals present. And, although the books are stand-alone reads, once you’ve sampled one, you’ll be eager to explore more of Sylvia’s world.

Although typically classed as young adult novels, Ketchen’s characters generate fan mail from readers age 12 to 82 creating their own niche as family fiction. Gently poking fun at the quirky thoughts and actions of people at every age is one of the things Ketchen does best.

Ketchen, a former marriage and family counsellor, lives in Courtenay, BC on a riverside farm along with her husband, two cats, a multi-trick pony and a flock of geriatric chickens.

For more information visit www.susanketchen.ca.

Ketchen will be signing books at Laughing Oyster Bookshop in downtown Courtenay on Saturday, September 30 from 1:00 – 3:00 pm.

Ketchen and her horse, Lolli, who knows more tricks than most dogs.

March 13, 2016September 1, 2018

Writers, words and time

Words and time are something every writer wrestles with. Two truths sum up the dilemma:

There is never enough time to write.
When you do write, you never produce as many words as you’d like.

Professional writers and those who are serious about writing, even if they have other obligations, such as day jobs and or young families, learn to set aside time every day – or at least every week – to practise their craft. And it’s called practise because, just like playing the piano, the more you do it, the better you get.

But what constitutes a reasonable writing practise? Many professionals set themselves a minimum word count each day. According to “The Daily Word Counts of 39 Famous Authors,” Ernest Hemingway aimed for 500 words a day while Sophie Kinsella manages 1,000 and Stephen King averages 2,000.

Once, I conducted a 30 minute phone interview and completed a 1,000 word article within two hours. But most nonfiction projects – especially a book – rarely move that quickly. What seems like a simple sentence can lead to hours of fact-checking or tracking down elusive sources.

So, instead of setting daily word counts, I don’t consider my work day over until I’ve put in a minimum of five intensely focused hours on my book. That can include interviews and research, as well as writing. In fact, research can make up as much as 75% of the time I spend on a nonfiction book.

At the end of five hours, I may have written five pages, five paragraphs or five sentences. I put in the time but the words — and research — set their own pace. In an interview by Alan Twigg posted on BC Booklook, the late Al Purdy, poet extraordinaire, noted that he wrote the title poem to Caribou Horses in 30 minutes while another poem, “Postscript,” took seven years.

When you write can make a difference too. In “Famous Authors Routines: Rise Early, Work Early, and Count The Words,” David Paul Kirkpatrick observes that many famous authors get up early – even before first light — to write.

I must confess, the solitary silence of early morning is my favourite – and most productive – time to write. The house and neighbourhood are quiet, it’s highly unlikely the phone will ring and my brain is unsullied by the chatter and occurrences of the day. That’s when it’s easiest to lose myself in my work.

A computer generated collage by artist Bev Byerley. www.bevbyerley.com

Occasionally, I even flip the angst of insomnia into creative energy by getting up to write. Tiptoeing to the computer with mug of tea in hand feels slightly naughty and I know I’ll surrender to sleep at some point in the day. But in the meantime, I’m distracted from whatever was keeping me awake…and, strangely, the words seem to fill the page faster than usual.

I never take my work (or self) too seriously at 2 am so that may explain the tsunami of sentences. But part of the magic, I’m sure, comes from being somewhere between consciousness and sleep, that dreamy, half-awake state that shuts off the inner censor and allows the muse to creep in.