SIGNIFIGANCE OF WILD WOLVES SIGHTING

O readers, as promised, the story of the three sightings of two wild grey wolves on Wilderness Gate Road in Santa Fe. On first sighting, I was traveling in my Explorer and they ambled across the dirt road. It was almost dark, and I wasn't sure about wolves in this part of the country. What I did know was they were dying out in many countries.

I mentioned it to a friend. He said, "No way did you see a wolf. Are you out of your mind!" So, I put it out of my mind. Three weeks later, I was coming back up the mountain on the same road from my two mile run. It was dusk. A car stopped going downhill and it was someone I knew, so we were chatting when all of a sudden she pointed and said, "Look at the two coyotes crossing the road!" They were two dark shapes going across, and I didn't have on my glasses, so I took her word for it. On my way home, it was quite dark and I was a little nervous. Look, I am pretty fearless. One year, while camping alone in a little, little tent up on Ft. Davis in Texas a mountain lion stuck his nose through my tent and made all kinds of gnashing teeth noises! All I can say is I didn't want my neck ripped out running at night.

The last time I saw them was less than two weeks ago. I was packing, getting ready to leave Wilderness Gate Road, and decided to take a run. On the way back it was getting quite dark, but was lighter than the last time I decided to take an evening run. I was halfway back when RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME two beautiful - though bony - wild grey wolves crossed the road, stopping to look at me. It was stunning. I had my cell phone and phoned said friend again. He had spent 11 years in Alaska, and I wanted his advice. "I am alone. It's dark, and there is no one around." He said not to run (so they don't think you are prey) just walk as if I had purpose. Down the road, there was a dirt lane and they were there watching me walk past. It was thrilling, quite an honor to see these wild animals, but still a little frightening.

Others will scoff at me, and say I was never in any danger, etc. However, here and there there has been attacks made on humans that proved to be fatal. You are in their territory. A week before this happened a couple were attacked and pretty much eaten in Georgia by a pack of wild domestic dogs. So, it can happen.

There are few cases where people see wolves in the wild. They don't like to come out, unless they have had contact with humans in the past. From my research, wolves in Mexico have been released that used to be in parks, etc. Sometimes it works, but sometimes it doesn't.

So, the signifigance? A psychologist friend of mine said seeing wolves three times should make me take note of my surroundings and what I do with my life: to witness life instinctively. What do you think?

Lia