Read about wolves

"Wolf Island," by L. David Mech, covers the earliest attempts to track wolves by plane over Lake Superior's wild Isle Royale.

"Wolfer" and "Wolf Land" are two memoirs by trapper and biologist Carter Niemeyer following his journey from a boy helping rid his small Iowa town of nuisance prairie dogs to becoming a key part of the reintroduction of wolves to the Northern Rocky Mountains.

"Wolf Nation" by Brenda Peterson details the species' history of loss and recovery on the American landscape.

"The Wolf's Trail: An Ojibwe Story, Told by Wolves," a novel by Thomas D. Peacock, delves into the parallels of the Ojibwe and wolves, from the point of view of an elder wolf in northern Minnesota.

"Decade of the Wolf: Returning the Wild to Yellowstone" by Douglas Smith and Gary Ferguson recounts what happened in and to Yellowstone National Park during the first 10 years after 31 wolves were released.

On social media

The Voyageurs Wolf Project (voyageurswolfproject.org) researchers post real-time social media updates on the movements and behaviors of their packs and what they are seeing on their trail cameras. You can follow them at:

Facebook: facebook.com/VoyageursWolfProject

Twitter: @VoyaWolfProject

Instagram: @VoyageursWolfProject

Where to see wolves in Minnesota

International Wolf Center, 1396 Hwy. 169, Ely

The center has five wolves, including two arctic brothers, Axel and Grayson, and two recently added young pups, Blackstone and Caz.

Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Oct. 23, 2022, before switching to weekend hours through the winter. For more information, go to wolf.org.

Wildlife Science Center, 22830 Sunrise Rd. NE., Stacy

The education and research center has nearly 120 wolves, many of which were rescued from across the continent.

Open to the public from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. For tickets and more information, go to wildlifesciencecenter.org.

Minnesota Zoo, 13000 Zoo Blvd., Apple Valley

The zoo has four wolves, all siblings saved out of their den by Alaskan firefighters as a wildfire was about to overcome them.

Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily; for more information, go to mnzoo.org.

About this project

State of Wolves explores the significance of Minnesota's thriving wolf population and the scientific research underway here that could provide lessons for the rest of the United States.

Star Tribune journalists spent more than a year photographing and reporting on wolves across the state, from the Minnesota Zoo to the North Woods, speaking with leading researchers and people whose lives are affected by the mysterious predators.

Greg Stanley is an environmental reporter for the Star Tribune. He has previously covered water issues, development and politics in Florida’s Everglades and in northern Illinois.

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