Saving the Animals

by Jean Henry Mead

When I began writing my Logan & Cafferty mystery/suspense series, I decided to focus on various social problems, including serial killings in A Village Shattered, drug gangs in Diary of Murder and homegrown terrorism in Murder on the Interstate.

For my latest novel, Gray Wolf Mountain, which was released last week, I researched the unwarranted mass killings of wolves, both in this country and Canada. What I learned was shocking. In the northern Rocky Mountain states, where wolves have been removed from the endangered species list, gray wolf pups are gassed in their dens and buried alive, while adult wolves are killed by shooting them from aircraft.

In both the U.S. and Canada, where government mandated numbers of wolves must not go below one hundred, female wolves are captured and sterilized. Also in Canada, where the Keystone Pipeline is under construction, caribou have been dying off because their natural habitats have been destroyed. But wolves have been blamed for the caribou deaths and nearly a thousand have already been reportedly killed from the air.

In the Yukon Territory where biologists track wolf numbers and their locations with radio collars, the Game and Fish Department is killing great numbers of wolves from the air so that the caribou numbers will increase to 100,000 while wolf numbers dwindle to a hundred in the entire territory. Why? To attract big game hunters.

Why should anyone be concerned about the demise of the wolf as well as the grizzly bear, which is also under consideration here in Wyoming to be de-listed. Because they're both keystone predators who influence their habitat’s entire ecosystem and keep the animals that eat plants in check. That in turn increases plant growth and the survival of birds and animals which depend on the plants. It also prevents a build-up of large game animals who will starve to death due to lack of food. In other words, killing off the predators unbalances nature.

To prevent my books from becoming boring nonfiction tomes, I added my two amateur women sleuths, who are always stumbling over bodies and getting themselves caught in the crosshairs of illegal hunters, terrorists, drug gangs and wolf killers, to name a few. By adding humor and a little romance in the form of a lovesick sheriff, as well as a few quirky characters, I can inform and hopefully entertain my readers. 

(Gray Wolf Mountain is available on Kindle and print from Amazon.com.)

Farewell Vancouver

By Mark W. Danielson

Like many people, I spent the last two weeks glued to the Olympic television broadcasts. Every athlete competed to the best of their ability, and with few exceptions, they graciously accepted their results. For North America, this was a spectacular showing with Canada earning a record-setting 14 gold medals, and the United States setting a new record with 37 total medals. Even more impressive, the US earned medals where no one expected them to win. Sixty-two years had passed since Team USA’s four-man bobsled team won gold, and never before had we won so many medals in Nordic and Alpine events. But what impressed me most about this Olympics was the athletes’ sportsmanship. Through falls, disappointments, injuries, and personal challenges, all of these athletes shined. This is the image I’ll remember most.
Of course, the Olympics’ finale was the ultimate hockey match-up between Canada and the USA. Both teams played an amazing game, and Canada won in overtime. Sacre Bleu! How did this happen? It’s simple—their NHL players out-played our Canadian NHL players. Think about it—even Team Canada’s coach is with the NHL. So why the disappointment in Team USA’s faces after the game? Even while receiving their silver medals, their faces remained sour. Didn’t they realize how hard they worked to get into this game? Didn’t they realize they were representing their nation and that millions of people would be watching them? Even Apollo Ono remarked that these men should have stood tall and celebrated their medals with gracious smiles. Oh well, at least there were a few smiles during the closing ceremony.

Yes, the 2010 Olympics leaves us with many memories, and not all are related to competition. Canada did a superb job with their opening ceremony, and left everyone smiling in the closing. Our athletes looked sharp for the closing ceremony, but during their competitive events—not so much. They looked great in their silver jackets and knit caps while standing on the medal platforms, but who came up with these denim-looking pants and star-spangled tops? With the exception of our red Nordic team uniforms, too many of our outfits looked like pajamas. And whoever came up with baby blue-on- black for our speed skaters? And why were our bobsleds so boring? Okay, I’m complaining, but didn’t anyone notice the eagle on Russia’s sled? Now that looked cool. So, although we set a record for medals, fashion-wise, we didn’t even place. No doubt we can do better next time. (I’d be happy to provide suggestions to anyone who is interested.)

When you get down to the brass tacks, a country’s uniforms don’t really matter. The international athletes provided us with over two weeks of solid entertainment, and Vancouver and Canada sparkled throughout the event. Thanks for all the beautiful images and memories, and congratulations to every Olympian. You are truly the world’s greatest.