Lone Wolf_ A Novel - Jodi Picoult by Jodi Picoult

Author:Jodi Picoult
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Literary, Feb 2012, Medical, Fiction, Psychological, General
ISBN: 9781439149690
Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Published: 2014-11-28T08:00:00+00:00

LUKE

In captivity, a wolf might live for eleven or twelve years, although I’ve heard of some living even longer than that. In the wild, though, a wolf would be lucky to make it to age six. The level of experience and knowledge in a wolf is irreplaceable, which is why the alpha will stay in the den near the young most of the time, sending other pack members out to do patrols, to hunt, to safeguard. This is also why, when an alpha gets taken down, so many packs fall apart. It is as if the central nervous system has suddenly lost its brain.

So what happens when an alpha is killed?

You might think that there is promoting from within—that maybe the beta, the number two man, will fill his former boss’s shoes. But in the wolf world, that’s not how it happens. In the wild, recruiting would start. A call would go out to lone wolves, letting them know there is a vacancy in the pack. The candidates would be challenged to make sure that the one chosen is the smartest, surest, and most capable of protecting the family.

In captivity, of course, recruiting like that can’t happen. Instead, a mid- or low-ranking animal that is by nature suspicious and shy finds itself in the decision-making role. Which is a disaster.

From time to time you’ll see documentaries about low-ranked wolves who somehow rise to the top of the pack—an omega that earns a position as an alpha. Frankly, I don’t buy it. I think that, in actuality, those documentary makers have misidentified the wolf in the first place. For example, an alpha personality, to the man on the street, is usually considered bold and take-charge and forceful. In the wolf world, though, that describes the beta rank. Likewise, an omega wolf—a bottom-ranking, timid, nervous animal—can often be confused with a wolf who hangs behind the others, wary, protecting himself, trying to figure out the Big Picture.

Or in other words: There are no fairy tales in the wild, no Cinderella stories. The lowly wolf that seems to rise to the top of the pack was really an alpha all along.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.