The Big Bad Truth

An Avery Madden Crazy Critters Exclusive

After hearing all those fairytales my mom read to me as a kid, I thought I had the scoop on wolves: BIG and BAD. I mean, just ask the three little pigs if you need the proof! But that bad reputation isn’t entirely true, says William T. Wolf, a long-time resident of Montana who also just so happens to be a member of this noble species. Since these furry gray guys usually get such a bad rap, I decided to give him a shot at setting the record straight—as long as there’s no howling involved!

Avery Madden: So which are you, Will, big or bad?

William T. Wolf: Well, if you put it that way, I guess I’ll go with big. Around my parts—that’s western Montana, mostly—we’re members of the species canis lupus, although you can just call me a gray wolf. And since you’re so stuck on this size issue, I’ll have you know that I’m about five and a half feet long, from the tip of my nose to the end of my tail.

AM: Whoa, you’re bigger than me!

WW: But what I’m tryin’ to tell ya, Avery, is that we might be big, but we’re not all bad. In fact, from our point of view, you humans seem pretty scary!

AM: Really?  Puny little us?

WW: Well sure. Back around sixty-five years ago, you guys pretty much drove my family out of its home. Thanks to human hunting, by 1940 there were no gray wolves in Montana anymore.

AM: Wow, I never thought of it that way. I guess who’s “bad” all depends on how you look at it. So one last question: if you’re not really bad, then what are all those forty-two gleaming white teeth for?

WW: The better to talk with you, my dear.