Independance

Namaste' dear souls!

Every winter I juggle around what wolf will go where, I have a few separation pens to separate the wolves during breeding season, it's but for a couple months and they can be placed then back with their mate for the rest of the year, as wolves unlike dogs, mate only once a year in the winter. But I see no sense in breeding wolves every year only for pups to be placed in zoos continuously, with no goal other than to see wolves in captivity. Plus how many zoos can possibly be out there. Unless there is something specific like for example with my arctics and they needed pups for an endangered species program etc. It is best to just separate.

But let me tell you, even though necessary to do in captivity, (I talk about those reasons in another blog) once you see pups pulled from mom, it rips your heart right out, and I don't care what any zoo keeper or other caretaker of pures says, that they *get* over it...I don't think they do. Do such people speak wolf? I hardly think so. The difference between *dog* moms, and *wolf* moms is this. In the wild the *pack/ family units bonds and ties are STRONG* they are primal in their instincts, their ways have not been altered the ways dogs have been, dogs have been *bred* specifically for pups to then be dispersed as soon as they are weaned, and the dog mothers are only too happy to see them go!

This has over time created dogs, whom can take or leave a pack unit. Dogs that are content to be an only, in a household of humans and at such humans beck and call, they have lost their *independance* and rely heavily on US humans for everything.

Wolf mothers are FIERCE in their protective instincts, and this post reminds me of Stacey and her husband Mike (hawks ) blog for mothers day about mothers. Though yes I have seen this initial instinct in many dog mothers when pups are FIRST born , and for the first few weeks, but have also noticed they start to lose it once pups are weaned. Not so for wolf mothers, that bond has only strengthened in nature between pups and mom, and other family members. You see puppies are very highly valued within a wolf pack structure, it means a packs very survival and fine tuned operation.

I have watched a wolf mother literally dig for a number of MONTHS, all over the grounds a zillion dens and holes looking for her pups that were pulled from the den, and dispersed. This was one mother whom was NOT just forgetting in a few days about her puppies. So when I hear such generalization about such intelligent animals, I simply shake my head and think they have not YET then experienced what I have, or maybe they have and just don't *see* it that way. You have to TRICK many wolf mothers out of the way, in order to get their puppies in captive situations, cause she will NOT willingly give them up to you like a dog will. And if you are lucky to be *trusted* enough to interact with those puppies, whilst they are still so young, that wolf mother *entrusts* YOU enough as a human, to not take them from her too.

I can completely understand pulling and bottle-feeding wild animals for a time if in a captive situation, and then the family unit placed back together once the pups are completely socialized to humans, (Wolf Park comes to mind for this) and thus more safely handled for life then, by human caretakers. BUT the majority of places that breed pure wolves, pups are dispersed and the pack unit is not reunited a few months down the road. (I mean no disrespect, nor am I saying that places that do this are outright *wrong*, some of my pups came to me that way.) But I am complex in my feelings on this topic too, so I mean no insult to other professional colleagues. The longer I have been involved, the more my feelings/ thoughts have evolved about this. They can't not. When you view ALL life as sacred and free thinking, and you have wild animals in captivity, well for ME at least this has been a part of the struggle along the way in my journey.

Maybe some would call this anthromorphizing but if you ever get to see such a look as I witnessed with this one wolf, you would KNOW, and you would FEEL what I say, if you truly have a connection to the sacred circle of life and living. Over the years as I have gotten closer to these animals and their world, I have also gained a different respect than when I first started out, the lessons they have taught me have been invaluable, and it is best to never think you know it all, cause just when you even start to think you may know enough, they may knock you on your collective assets *grin*, to say "You NEVER graduate, so keep studying."

How can you not admire another creature for being what it is, and thinking for itself? Not allowing, no matter what, to be manipulated into something it is not.

But wolves can also get into familiar *habits* of comfortability like humans can. Almost ritualistic in behavior. Is there something you HAVE to do daily, no matter how small like maybe you check the doors twice every night that they are locked, or maybe it is a glass of apple juice right before bed , you get the picture. Do you feel that something may not be quite right if you are taken out of that *comfortable* zone you have forged, and that ritual you have created not played out? It could be as simple as a certain kind of blanket you HAVE to sleep with, heck even on camping trips THAT blanket has to be with you?

Well one wolf this winter had a serious issue with being placed into one particular separation pen, it would have been alright had I placed her in a couple of the others, but just not this ONE. She had never been placed into THAT one before in her life, so instantly she felt *uncomfortable* I thought to myself, she's such a calm animal, she'll do alright for a couple months. WELL, she had other ideas. ;0)

Another thing in *general* about wolves is this, they THINK before DOING they dont take temper tantrums like dogs do when they want something, they simply think and DO. My dogs would sit there taking tantrums like little kids destroying as much they can FIRST, to get what they want. Before then accidentally stumbling their way upon the solution. (Different thinking processes at work here)

I had gone inside to get changed to go in for shopping, and laid out on the bed for a couple seconds, I remember feeling for some reason that she was NOT going to settle into where she was, well then I heard this THUMP (the cabin has a metal roof so even when it rains, it's loud) I shot straight up and yelled "Holy He* she's on the roof!" this is where all that palmolive soap down my throat over the years as a kid, proved it's mad methods not to work, as I had a few cursive words to express ;0)

Ten foot tall, 9 gage, zoo strength chainlink, she climbed and got onto the freakin roof! It's a separation pen, and though fairly close to the cabin, within a number of feet. I have never had a single issue with it with any other wolves till she came along, *grin* and decided to teach me something.

I ran out praying to all the powers that be, that I was wrong. But nope miss smarty pants was up there and grinning at me. I was picturing firetrucks, and oh gawd, how the heck was I going to get her off the roof. I was able to coax her down by throwing weiners into her enclosure. Well I think I can say I have nearly seen it all now. And no, there were no worries or chance of her running away from home. ;0) not on this land, and she loves her home.

In fact I often tell people I could let them all run around my land freely at will, and without worry of them leaving, IF I lived in a world where the rancher down the ol country road wouldn't shoot them, at first notice. So I keep them safe, as they are in my world even though I also allow them to be in their own as much as is possible.

Of course, I took her immediately to another enclosure and she was as content as punch then. I should have *Listened* to her, but I didn't, sooooo being the ever independant thinker, she let me know what she wanted. Paradox thank you, you keep me in check to make sure I am listening. Which also makes me think of Robins post about communication and how it is vital for ANY relationship to have the Respect, Understanding, Tolerance, and most importantly being a GOOD listener. I guess you can say My dear Paradox of Providence was fearless ;0) in her communication.

Photo of my friend dustin with my grey beauty paradox, who comes out to visit the wolves every couple months

Unhindered

A Couple weeks ago, Judy Wood a photographer/artist came out with her grandson Mark, to visit. That visit taught me something, and without going into detail simply reinforced my belief yet again, on just how undog like wolves can be, and how different each individual wolf can act and be from person to person they meet. I am glad I started off with some very hard wolf temperaments in the beginning, to show me that as good as legend is, I have seen a lot of the opposite, and dealt with and seen truly wild acting sides to these wild, yet in captivity, tamed beasts. Had I started off with a legend, I could have been lulled into a false sense of just what a wolf is, and not seen early on their full capabilities and potential in the extreme. And the extremes make no mistake, I have dealt with in personalities with wolves. At any rate, Mark did get some special moments with legend and eco, and Judy got some great pictures, including surprising me with some she snapped of me and my dear friend Northern Lights Legend. Yes he likes to sit on my lap, or try to the big suck! If I lay down on the ground he will try and lay on top of me like a blanket, well I am only 5'1 just a little girl, needless to say I have to try and convince legend he is just not a blankie! But he doesn't yet believe me. ;0)

Sky and Legend
I think Mark has enough to do a pretty good report in class now on wolves, He has a wolf paw casting I gave him, as well as some shed fur from last years shed of legend, and he took some video footage while out here. I know his grandma got some great pics of him. The shed fur is interesting to show to people. I get asked a lot about the arctic wolves white fur. Their fur at the very root base stays grey (arctic wolves are born fairly dark/greyish and phase out to the final white they are famously known for) but when it sheds out you can still see the grey downy undercoat mixed in with some white hair shafts/guard hairs, that original grey coloration stays with them all their lives. Wolves hair shafts are hollow, this aids in better insulative properties, but an arctic wolf's fur, the hair shafts have even more air pockets than pigmented hair shafts do, this helps to keep them even warmer in those frigid arctic temps. And they need all the extra help they can, living such a hard life in the wild.

sky. mark eco and legend copyright Judy Wood

A Wild Connection

Namaste' to all fellow earth aliens! leaving off from the last post I wanted to post here a few pics taken during easter long of Mandy and the wolves. Enjoy

Arctic wolf puppy Eco Soul Journey kisses Mandy, Eco will be a year old may 1st. This is the first time Eco had met Mandy as she had not been out for a year prior to this 4 day stay. Mandy with Eco and Legend
If wolves can look GOOFY, this takes the cake, Legend was trying to scent roll on HER HAND! and as you can see in ecstacy. One thing wolves LOVE to do is (play/test/challenge) Some wolf experts (Klinghammer, Wolf Park) believe that wolves do not play, that what "looks like" play is really testing, that is preparing them for adulthood, and all the hardships that will entail. I tend to concur, I have not witnessed wolves PLAY the way dogs do. There is a lot more seriousness to what they do, and there's typically always a REASON as to WHY they are doing it too. Oh the stories I can tell as to what leads me to concur with that belief.

Eco is consistently testing/putting up challenges towards Legend, and this pic below is one of them. She TRIES to set me up to take the bait too, but I know what the sneaky devil is doing, and don't fall for it. She will seem like she is actually playing fetch with you but when she brings it back she wants you to try and take it from her, (I'll trade her for it only) or she will drop it, and almost dare you to go and get it. She can move FAST so if I know there is no way I can get to that stick, to throw it for her before she does. I don't bother, it's a set up to lose her test, as she will immediately run for it before I can get it. Only if she is far enough away, and she THINKS I have no interest in that stick, (that's the key) can I then grab it up and continue our game.

Tests continuously occur between wolves, and just because your a human, and they know your not one of them, does not mean they won't test you as well. It is important to stay a step ahead of wolves in captive environments, as any little tests not perceived as such when the pups are young, (considered merely PLAY to caretakers, when it may not be) could eventually turn into more serious challenges, when that pup grows up. It is good to meet everything they do including the tests, with careful and respectful consideration, head on.

Throwing in a picture of the owner of a photography studio that came out here in March with his daughter

Legend getting dozy above Mandy tired him out!

Sweet dreams legend, you can barely see his tongue but he fell asleep while licking the ice and it is still sticking out

Wolves Teach A Wild Lesson

Namaste' all , wow I always seem to be a zillion steps behind you all in blogging, and have once more a ton of blogs to catch up to in reading I see as well. You all must have wonder typing hands he he ;0) In the meantime, here is press release written by a friend of mine who came out here easter long when a teen came out to spend 4 days. It was so sweet of him.

http://www.pressreleasepad.com/2008/04/14/wolves-teach-a-wild-lesson/

Press release: Wolves Teach a Wild Lesson

April 14th, 2008

Prince Albert, Saskatchewan March 22nd, 2008 –The sun is just starting to rise within a pristine forest setting, at A Wolf Adventure; a wolf interpretive center, in Northern Saskatchewan Canada. A hauntingly primal song, suddenly pierces the silence. One is left with a spine tingling sensation that feels too sacred for words.

A young Métis girl is a modern day little red riding hood of the teenage kind, only hold the big bad wolf please. Mandy Lafond has walked, howled, kissed and experienced a long term friendship with some pure wolves, in a way many people her age can only dream of. For Mandy a 15 year old, grade 9 student, what started off as simply being wild about wolves as a 12 year old, has turned into a fascinating friendship that has spanned a few years now, and simply embraces the non typical variety of friends.

Legend kisses Teen

These friends have very big paws and very big teeth, but ask Mandy how she feels, and if she is scared she will be eaten like little red riding hood’s grandmother, and she will laugh and say “I don’t understand all the bad stuff said about wolves. People just don’t know them the way I do. Tibet is my favorite she is the sweetest wolf. Dharma is a beautiful wolf too, I love her eyes, and oh my god, Legend and Eco the Arctic wolves are so beautiful! I have all kinds of friends, so what is the big deal?” Mandy has spent quite a few days and nights over the years, frolicking on these wild grounds. Not your typical teen weekend away from home.

Walking on a wild side is nothing new for the director and founder of A Wolf Adventure, in Northern Saskatchewan Canada. Skylar Breton helps to unlock a natural wild wisdom within us all, while teaching the next generation about a highly misunderstood and often misaligned wild animal. Skylar was simply a girl herself of a tender 19, when a chance encounter would change her course of life forever.

When asked, Skylar gives a small smile, and quietly responds, “Even though in school I was voted most likely to become an artist, and work with wildlife. I guess I wound up combining doing all three, artistry, working with wild animals, and having youth from all different backgrounds come into my life.When I came upon a caged pet wolf at a roadside zoo as a young girl, unlicensed to take in such animals, I knew I had to do something. So, I followed proper protocol and got licensed in order to save this precious life." But working with wolves, has had it’s ups and downs according to Skylar. “I learned hard knocks 101, more than any book, or regular school could ever teach us about these animals.”

As Skylar or Mandy speak, the wolves respond, as if talking to them in kind. I sensed an unspoken communication that was going on here as well. Mandy takes queue, and blasts out a wicked howl. Skylar says, “The wolves treat Mandy as a part of the pack family, they know she is not a wolf but they accept her, and in a world where it is hard to be accepted just for who you are, who wouldn’t enjoy that kind of atmosphere?
Mandy has created a trust and bond with the animals here. They don’t care what she wears, or how she talks.”

Keep in mind; Mandy also knows how to act around them, as they still are wild animals regardless of being raised in captivity. There is still that edge, and Skylar quickly points it out to me. After a moments silence and pause Skylar suddenly states, “It’s a simple friendship, how can one argue with simple?”

But how do Mandy’s parents feel about her interacting with wolves? “I create a trust with parents I meet, I come to the table with who I am, no agenda other than the heart and soul, the desire to share my world. It’s very easy to just be, and others around you will feel that and get it. When you have a genuine desire to give without thought, and without expectation of getting anything in return, you return to an innocence of self. Mandy’s dad was super cool right off the bat.”

If you have stars in your eyes that you will make a lot of money using wild animals, skylar urges people to think again. “You may make certain decisions or make compromises, you might otherwise not make, if you get into this kind of work thinking it is a way to actually get rich, let alone make a living. This is work I do out of pure passion, and drive to educate. That is why there are so many horrible road side zoos that should be shut down through out Canada, and the world for that matter.”

For Mandy it all goes over her head at this age, all she knows is how she feels when she enters into this wild world that is situated on even wilder lands. ” I feel free.” she says.

A Wolf Adventure A Wild Insight is a Provincially licensed, wolf outreach and eco conservation center that fosters and promotes a healthy respect and appreciation of wildlife and surrounding habitat. A Wolf Adventure custom creates fun and educational programs for the K-12 school system off and on site.

Contact:

Skylar Breton (director /founder)

A Wolf Adventure;

A Wild Insight

306-922-4510

http://www.wolfechovalley.com/

###

Surviving With The Wolves

Namaste' all my friend Mike sent me a story link about a new Movie being released, thanks Mike! This movie is based on a book written back in 1990. Although I have a problem with some of the content of this story (seems just not even remotely plausible for the most part) I decided to do some more investigation which I found something titled (fact or fiction) below. I think in order for me to actually engage in such a film, I have to view it more as a little girls traumtic times /tales combined with some imagination and made into a wonderful movie. Than an actual event in it's entirty.

If you go to the main official site http://www.bacfilms.com/site/survivre/ it will take you to some amazingly touching scenes of a little girl (the actress playing misha) with an arctic wolf (well the European version of such) on set, this is the most touching side in the movie being made, as it shows the obvious connection within interaction this wolf had with the actors and directors. Click on (NOTES DE PRODUCTION,) even though this seems more fantasy than reality and I am a huge fan of anything dealing with those times, *WWll* having read many many books and having watched many documentaries from WAY before my time. I still want to see this movie it looks like a STUNNING film with the characters, and just the entire presentation from what I can tell. I would LOVE to see this movie!.

Surviving With The Wolves", a newly released French movie.

Supposedly a true story ~ An extraordinary account.
Misha was only 6 years old when her parents were taken away to Auschwitz. She was given a new name, a new home, forced into new religion. No one ever explained to her why her parents were no longer with her, only that they went East. So, one day, equipped with a compass, a few knives and some provisions, she went East in search of her parents. She crossed Belgium, Germany, Poland and Ukraine, on her own, through wild forests, on foot. She was adopted by a family of wolves. She ate and played with the wolf pups, she was protected by their mother. Thanks to the wolves, she survived the war, and eventually found her way home.
“Surviving with the Wolves” is Misha’s extraordinary story, a story of a child who had seen all atrocities of WWII, for whom wild nature and animals proved safer than humans. universal renown.
Film to be released in 20 countries in 2008.
check out the trailers and photo gallery.
http://tinyurl.com/youxbh



Fact Or Fiction

http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=43538

By David Mehegan,Globe StaffIT'S an amazing story. But then, it's often said, all Holocaust survivor stories are amazing.It starts in autumn 1941. A Belgian Jewish girl, age 7, runs away from the family that took her in when her parents were arrested by the Germans. Determined to find her parents, she sets out on foot toward the east.Over the next four years, she wanders through Germany, Poland, and Ukraine, turning south through Romania and the Balkans, hitching a boat to Italy, then walking back to Belgium via France.For most of this time, the girl sleeps in forests and is, for weeks at a stretch, fed and protected by packs of friendly wolves. She joins bands of partisans, sneaks into and out of the Warsaw ghetto, witnesses the execution of children, kills a German soldier with a pocket knife, and finally has a happy reunion at war's end with her Belgian foster grandfather.


That's the story of Misha Levy Defonseca, 67, who today lives in Milford with her husband, two dogs, and 23 cats. Her book, ''Misha: A Memoire of the Holocaust Years,'' was published in 1997 by tiny Mt. Ivy Press, owned by Jane Daniel of Gloucester.ADL Global SmearmongersThe book drew high-profile endorsements by Leonard P. Zakim, late director of the New England Anti-Defamation League (''a scary must-read for anyone interested in the Holocaust''); journalist/historian Padraig O'Malley; and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel (''very moving'').Though it sold poorly in the United States, ''Misha'' was a surprise bestseller in France and Italy, and aroused interest from Hollywood (Walt Disney) and TV's Oprah Winfrey. But about a year after it was published, everything froze when Defonseca and coauthor Vera Lee sued the publisher for breach of contract, claiming they never got their share of overseas royalties and that the book was never properly marketed in America.


There was a long and bitter battle. Last summer, a Middlesex Superior Court jury found against the publisher, awarding Defonseca and Lee a total of $10.8 million. The legal quarrel has been complex and very public. And it's not over -- a judge must still review the appropriateness of the jury award.Daniel, to this day, rejects all the allegations made by the authors.BUT what has gone almost unobserved is the disquieting subtext of the tale: Can Defonseca's story be believed?Two renowned Holocaust scholars told the Globe they do not believe her story.

They say it's impossible for one child to have been everywhere she says she was, to have witnessed all she did.Odder still, even her coauthor and publisher, while they consider her a remarkable woman with a compelling story, had their doubts. And they still do. Misha, however, remains adamant. ''This is fact, this is history,'' she says.The making of ''Misha'' is almost as curious as the tale it tells. In the mid-1990s, Jane Daniel, then living in Newton, was doing public relations for ''Play It Again Video'' of Needham, which makes keepsake tapes from family photos.The owner's most memorable customer was a woman who had ordered a two-hour video made about her late dog, Jimmy.

The woman was Misha Defonseca.When Daniel heard about Defonseca's childhood odyssey, she smelled a book for her fledgling publishing business. She met with Defonseca and her husband, Maurice, to pitch the idea. Daniel says Defonseca was reluctant at first, but eventually warmed to the idea: ''First she said it would be very painful,'' the publisher said in a telephone interview, ''and then she said she would like to do it for her son.''Defonseca's spoken English is clear (she and her husband came to the States in 1988), but she is no author -- someone would have to help turn a collection of memories into a book. Daniel recruited her neighbor and longtime friend, Vera Lee.A French specialist, Lee was a former professor of romance languages at Boston College and former director of Boston's French Library.

Like Defonseca, Lee says she was reluctant at first, but agreed after her friend ''said I was the only one she could trust.''Lee and Defonseca set to work in 1995. ''We did a lot of talking,'' Lee said during an interview at her home with her and Defonseca. Misha's experiences had happened''over 50 years ago and she had some very vivid recollections of certain episodes and scenes, but naturally there were certain loopholes. I was trying to piece it together in a way that was as true to life as possible. In other word, there had to be transitions: She went to a country, we had to know how did she get to the next one? How did she do her traveling?''So I would write and bring it back to Misha and very often it would jog her memory.

This was a child -- she was not going to have an exact memory of every single thing that happened, yet you had to make a book. And it had to be true to Misha.''Lee says she would write as many as three versions of a chapter, take them to Daniel, they would pore over them together, revise them further, then Lee would bring one back to Defonseca.''I speak French,'' Defonseca says. ''Vera has a tape and she [makes] notes and I tell her the story. And then she brings me the manuscript, I correct and send it back to her. And for me it was a very difficult thing. I had no understanding that she had not been through [experiences such as] this. And for her it was difficult.''Indeed, Lee says that listening to Defonseca's story was often wrenching. To grasp it, she would try to experience things directly. ''At one point, [Misha] ate mud,'' she says, ''and I went out and ate mud to see how it would taste.''To imagine what it must have been like to climb a wall out of the Warsaw Ghetto, which the book describes, ''I was trying to climb this brick wall in front of my neighbor's. I really wanted to understand what she was thinking.

She wanted me to taste raw meat, which I did after she assured me it was from Bread and Circus.''Differences of opinionDaniel began to take a more active writing role, showing the result to Lee. Their disagreements grew. Lee says Daniel wanted the book longer and wanted more sentimental and emotional content. She says she wanted Misha to be in love with somebody, for there to be a romantic twist to the tale.''Misha objected to this,'' Lee says, ''this wasn't the way it was at all, but the publisher wanted this love interest. On every page, I would say 'not Misha, not Misha,' but she would keep it in.''The friction came to a climax in 1996 when Daniel gave Lee a choice of being paid for what she had done thus far, or taking all of her work out of the book. Lee refused the choice and began to talk to a lawyer. Lee says Daniel tried to turn Defonseca against the coauthor, a complaint Daniel dismisses as petty.

What is not in dispute is that Daniel took over the writing and rewriting, and published the book with only Defonseca's name on the cover. Daniel furiously denies all the allegations made by Lee and DeFonseca. She says she intervened in the manuscript to save the project. She maintained in court motions that the manuscript Lee turned in ''contained numerous historical errors ... and the style of writing was too juvenile.''It also came in late, and was much shorter than promised, she alleged. As for the claim that Mt. Ivy shortchanged Lee and Defonseca on royalties, she insists, ''The weight of the evidence does not support the jury's findings.''She said the handling of the overseas royalties conformed to standard publishing practices. ''There was not a dime that was not accounted for,'' she said. That there was money to fence over at all is a tribute to the book's remarkable overseas success.

Though Defonseca got TV and newspaper feature attention, the book got few if any American reviews. But Boston literary agent Ike Williams (then head of Boston's Palmer & Dodge literary agency, since shifted to Hill & Barlow), representing Mt. Ivy, and Lee and Defonseca for foreign print and film rights, had good success overseas.The French version, by Editions Laffont, sold more then 30,000 copies, and the Italian edition, published by Longanesi, sold more than 37,000. There were also Dutch and Japanese editions, and rights were sold to the German publisher Verlag [sic], though apparently the book never made it into print there.Defonseca had a triumphant French tour, with readings and TV appearances.Hollywood callsPoor US sales notwithstanding -- about 5,000 copies were sold -- the outlook was bright for other media. Walt Disney studios paid for a six-month option on a movie, and there were feelers from other movie producers, including Universal Pictures and Henson Productions, as well as a French filmmaker, Marne Productions.

There was television: Defonseca was taped frolicking with wolves at Wolf Park, an Ipswich animal park, by a crew from Oprah Winfrey's program. There were also inquiries from ''20/20'' and ''60 Minutes.''When Defonseca and Lee filed suit in May 1998, this interest faded. The Winfrey segment never aired. The book, ''Misha: A Memoire of the Holocaust Years'' is as real as those who created it and quarreled over it. But lost in the conflict is the question of whether the events it purports to narrate are fact or fiction.

The book was not unknown to Holocaust scholars, in addition to Wiesel, even before it appeared.''It's preposterous,'' says Lawrence L. Langer of Newton, author of numerous books on the Holocaust and considered by many the preeminent authority on survivor narratives. Langer says a woman -- he can't remember who -- called him about ''Misha'' to get his view of it.''She sketched the story and I said, 'Don't do it,''' he recalls. ''She said, 'Why not?' I said, 'because it isn't true.' I said, 'Ask her how she crossed the Rhine, in the middle of the war, when the SS is guarding the bridges at both ends. Find the Elbe on a map and ask how a little girl goes across that river. She speaks no German, she's Jewish, poorly dressed, and no one says, 'Who are you, little girl?' I said it's a bad idea, don't do it, it will prove an embarrassment.''Daniel remembers sending the manuscript to Langer, but not the telephone call.

Langer says he also discussed the story with Vermont-based historian Raul Hilberg, author of ''The Destruction of the European Jews,'' and Hilberg (left) also thought it impossible. Consulted by phone for this story, Hilberg reiterated his disbelief.Boston University professor Wiesel, who blurbed the book (left), was in Israel as this story was written and efforts to reach him through his staff have been unsuccessful. During an interview with the Globe, Wiesel speaksDefonseca affirmed the truth of her story. Indeed, she said she had recorded it before.She repeated the story in her book about how, when she was taken in by two single women after the war, she wrote an account of her odyssey, but the women did not believe it and forced her to burn it. However, she added that she had written it all down again in a diary that she began to keep in her teens. After the French version of her book appeared, ''the French book was so much my real story, the way I am, that I don't need all these fragments and papers. I burned them in a ceremony because, for me, it was accomplished.''Listening to this, Lee appeared to be surprised. When asked if she had used these diaries in preparing the book, she said, ''I didn't know they existed.''In fact, Lee herself was uneasy from the start, especially about Defonseca's way of remembering -- later -- solutions to inconsistencies the interviewer would point out. ''There were doubts,'' she says, ''but so much seemed credible that I couldn't just throw doubt on the whole thing.''Fact or fiction?Still, she was worried enough to call an official (she can't remember his name) of Facing History and Ourselves, the national organization that teaches the Holocaust and its lessons in schools.

She recalls the official told her that if he were her, '''I would not write that, because it's impossible,' and I went back to the publisher and said, 'Do you see a problem?' And she said, 'Don't worry. These are the memoirs of a child.'''Daniel herself became nervous in 1999, when ''Fragments,'' a prize-winning Holocaust memoir by Swiss musician Binjamin Wilkomirski, was proved to be a fake. ''It sent a shudder through the industry,'' Daniel says. ''Up until then, publishers had never been called upon to vet their stories'' to ensure their accuracy.To be on the safe side, she put a defensive memo ''From the publisher'' on the Mt. Ivy Web site. It listed several reasons why Defonseca's story could be true, but then said,''Is Misha's story fact or invention? Without hard evidence one way or the other, questions will always remain.''Daniel now says, ''I have no idea whether it is true or not. My experience is that all Holocaust stories are far-fetched. All survivor stories are miracles.''Holocaust historians, of course, believe it matters a great deal whether a memoir is true.

''Truth matters where the Holocaust is concerned,'' Langer says. ''I have spent years interviewing Holocaust survivors. If people start making up stories, it may make [real witnesses] doubt their memories. It feeds ammunition to the skeptical: that everyone exaggerates. But that's not true.''Misha Defonseca makes a compelling impression, and does not sound like an untruthful person. Asked why she thinks people are skeptical of her story, she says, ''Because it is with animals. People are afraid of animals.''She says she hopes that now that the court has returned all rights to the book to her and to Lee that she will win for it a new and larger American audience. She also still hopes for a movie deal, thinking that somehow her story will reconnect her with the family she lost so long ago.''If there is a movie,'' she says, ''maybe someone can see it and say, 'I know her parents.''' Meanwhile, the other principals to this saga have moved on. Lee is working on a new book about American popular music. Daniel says she has lost faith in the legal system, and has no plans for new book projects. ''I am burned on publishing right now,'' she says. ''I think I'm out of the book business.''© Copyright 2001 Globe Newspaper Company.http://www.fpp.co.uk/Auschwitz/stories/Defonseca1.htmlElie Wieselhttp://www.fpp.co.uk/Auschwitz/Wiesel/index.html

White Wolf /White Falcon Movie Online

Namaste' all this is good enough to announce on the blog THANK YOU MIKE you ROCK!!!! this in from Mike a major wolf news guy ;0) So if anyone does not get the station to watch this movie. *like moi!* (which was frustrating considering I live in Canada, like the wolves in this film hahaha) Now there is a way.

Sky, it was your faith in me that allowed me to find it :)And now you won't have to pay!Download it at torrentz.com, you will need the BitTorrent program listed at the link, or this better one from Azureus.

http://azureus.sourceforge.net/ (video download)

or

http://www.torrentz.com/369b0ed85c20587d399c1e34d8faccc99df76e39 (pick anyone)


Be patient it's a 240MB download.Enjoy!

Elusive Arctic Wild Wolves Filmed

Namaste' all! The following is amazing . If anyone gets a chance to watch this movie I am SURE you will love it but heres a sneak preview for you below, click on any of the links with the pics to watch a few clips from this spectacular journey in our Canadian Arctic.

Elusive wolves caught on camera
By Rebecca Morelle Science reporter, BBC News

White Falcon, White Wolf is on BBC Two on Friday 1 February at 2000 GMT and Sunday 3 February at 1755 GMT
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/naturalworld/page2.shtml
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7213731.stm



click to watch First footage of wolves hunting waterfowl


Remarkable new footage of Canada's Arctic wolves has been caught on camera by a BBC crew.
The team managed to film the wolves taking to the water to hunt waterfowl - behaviour that has never been seen before, according to an expert.
Arctic wolves live in the Canadian Arctic and northern parts of Greenland; observing them is a difficult task as they rarely interact with humans.
The team followed a pack on Ellesmere Island for several weeks last summer.
This glimpse into the lives of these elusive animals was filmed for the Natural World wildlife programme: White Falcon, White Wolf, which also features other animals, including gyr falcons, Arctic foxes and snowy owls, that live on the remote island.

The wolves were filmed along with other animals on the island
Click to watch Snowy owl attack

Wolf expert David Mech, from the US Geological Survey, said: "I'd never seen wolves try to catch waterfowl before and this was interesting to see."
Usually, he said, wolves eat large hoofed animals, although they will vary their diet as circumstances dictate.
He explained: "They take advantage of whatever food opportunities are available, and in this case, these waterfowl were available, so they took advantage of trying to get them.
"I'm interested in the challenges these animals overcome to hunt their food. I've been intrigued with how the wolf manages to solve problems in so many different ways, with so many different species."

Lucky find
Ellesmere Island sits at the northernmost tip of Canada; it is only during the brief Arctic summer that the snow thaws to reveal the true features of the rugged landscape beneath.
Here, the BBC Natural History Unit tracked down a pack of eight wolves, including a dominant male and three one-year-olds.

The wolves, especially one called Lucy, were bold and playful

click to watch Inquisitive nature

Harry Hoskyns-Abrahall, assistant producer of White Falcon, White Wolf, said the team was lucky to come across the wolves almost as soon as they arrived on the island.
He told the BBC News website: "We went to this particular area because wolves had been spotted there a few years earlier.
"We were immediately encouraged when we found wolf tracks and marking posts on day one; and then the next day, we went out on the same route and we saw a wolf, which was absolutely unbelievable and very exciting."
By following the wolf and its tracks, the team was eventually able to track down a den.
"We were incredibly lucky," said Mr Hoskyns-Abrahall. "Once you've got the den, you have somewhere where the wolves are going to focus their behaviour."

THE ARCTIC'S WHITE WOLF
The Arctic wolf is actually a subspecies of the grey wolf
In comparison it has a shorter stature but a bulkier build
Scientific name for the Arctic wolf is Canis lupus arctos
It ranges across the Canadian Arctic and north Greenland
Packs will prey on caribou, musk oxen, hares, lemmings
The crew was able to film the animals going about their daily business.
"The most incredible part was when we saw the young wolf swim out to the middle of a lake and go after the geese, we just couldn't believe that it could seriously consider getting a goose in that way," he added.
Inquisitive nature
The team was also amazed by the wolves' boldness.
"The younger wolves in the pack would come right up to us, and they would come up to our camp and empty our rucksacks - you would wake up and find your clothing spread all over the place. They were very inquisitive," explained Mr Hoskyns-Abrahall.

click to watch Arctic Wolf Diary (1)
click to watch Arctic Wolf Diary (2)

Arctic explorer Jim McNeill, who worked with the crew and kept a diary of his experiences for the BBC News website, was particularly taken with one young wolf who he nicknamed Lucy.
He said: "The highlight for me was one afternoon when the crew was off filming.
"Lucy came near the camp and I spent the best part of an afternoon with her in spectacular sunshine. We just shared a space - it felt extremely special."
He added: "I've been exploring this area for 25 years and to spend this time with these animals gave me another perspective on Arctic life.

Luck played a factor when tracking down the Arctic wolves

"To be part of the process of finding them and then capturing that footage was a fantastic feeling."
Fergus Beeley, producer of the programme, said making the film was something of an accomplishment.
He said: "Arctic wolves have been an aspiration [to film] of mine for about 15 years.
"I have a bit of a reputation for going for animals that are a tricky: filming the wolves posed the ultimate challenge.
"We didn't know where they would be 'denning', what their movements would be, so we had to do a lot of planning based on 'guestimates' - and luckily they worked out to be right."