REVIEW OF ‘THE WOLF TALK’ BY SHAUN ELLIS
A Tool for Research on 'Wulfsuna'
A Tool for Research on 'Wulfsuna'
For me,
this book began as a casual dip into research on wolf behaviour, intended to
supplement a character profile. I anticipated a light read that would provide
me with insights into the ways wolves move and communicate, thus enabling me to
transpose those elements into the character. I wanted to know how these animals
hunted, ate, slept, fought, played and spoke to one another. I wanted to
understand pack hierarchy. The book did not disappoint.
‘The Wolf
Talk’ is indeed a wonderfully light read. You can breeze through the pages and
come and go as you please. Shaun’s prose is relaxed and familiar. You could be
sat with him in the trees, watching the wolves as he relays all he knows. The
subject matter is, however, by no means light. Shaun is informing, without
being condescending; he is knowledgeable whilst humble. As per the spiritual connotation
for the wolf, Shaun calls them his teachers. His book is not about training
wolves, it is about learning from them. Having spent a lifetime engaging with Canids
in the wild and in captivity, he has a unique insight. Shaun has lived among
these secretive and intelligent creatures, sleeping with them, playing with them
and challenging them to retain the status of a Beta wolf within the pack. In
one amazing entry he recalls how an alpha male brought him a piece of meat from
a kill because, although he had defended his Beta position at the meal itself,
he had consumed no flesh. Alpha and Beta wolves feed on the more sumptuous
areas of rump and shoulder, consuming the higher protein meat, thereby
increasing their intake of nutrients and giving them a mental and physical
advantage over lower ranking wolves.
