Pensive Gray Wolf
©Joan Lansberry, June 2006

June 30, 2006
For some reason, my MSN browser window came up, though I hadn't consciously chosen it. I thought, well, I'll have a look see, maybe there is something I'd like to see there. Not so much in the email, but I did find a lovely slideshow of critters. The show is quite extensive, I did not see it all before I had to pick up Julia. I hope to sketch some of those endearing animals soon. Meanwhile, today was Julia's 'hair day', so I took a sketchbook and a wildlife calender with me to sketch while at the beauty salon. The pensive grey wolf featured for the month of October appealed to me, and in the time it took the beautician to do Julia's hair, I got this sketch done.

After we got home, I followed a link given on the calender page, to the National Wildlife Federation. "The wolf is making a successful comeback in some of its former habitat." In Yellowstone park, they are having good success. But the wolves are still very endangered. In Idaho, many are wanting to kill wolves in an area where federal law now protects them, as many as 75% of the wolves in the Lolo District of the Clearwater National Forest -- and repeating the slaughter every year for the next five years. This is waiting on a decision from the federal government. So these majestic creatures are still very vulnerable.