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| We were intrigued by the story of the Perch Lake Pack. And it was a comfort to know more about Wolf 6530. We had developed a deep feeling for him from just one short but intense experience. His story gave us more of him to know. Mech was able to say something about the great mystery of why the wolf came to the house. Incredible as it seems, he said, it is not at all unknown for starving wild animals to come to human habitation: wolves, raccoons, bobcats, and bears have all approached people near the end. Perhaps these animals sensed warmth or food. Yet these explanations don't adequately fit this case. The house is too far from the clearing for warmth to be felt. As for food, there was still plenty of meat left on the deer carcass. We'll never know what motivated him to come our way. I can only say that I'm grateful to Wolf 6530 for sharing his last, desperate moments of life. His act gave us a sense of connection with his world that we would never have had, and our commitment to live in harmony with that world has been strengthened. We will always carry with us the vivid image of the wolf at the window. Dave's Comment Some of you don't know me at all, but I wanted so share something with everyone that just read this incredible story. I cried while putting together this story for this page, tears of sadness, tears of beauty and joy. What a gift Ellen and Gary had, along with their neighbor Tom, to be a part of that wolf's journey in life. What an incredibly beautiful gift. We all have certain things placed into our paths as we journey down this road called life - I feel most, if not all of these "things" are put there for a purpose. It is our job to figure out what those purposes are, and what they mean to ourselves. In Gentle Spirit Dave |
| Ellen Hawkins' father, the noted biologist and student of Aldo Leopold, Art Hawkins, died in 2006 at the age of 92. He worked for the State of Minnesota and his studies on bird migration helped Minnesota and other states preserve threatened and endangered waterfowl. |
| A Sad Note... |
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