April 2, 2010

In the Company of Wolves

By J.R. Dunn
The killing of Candice Berner by wolves in Alaska last month is one of those stories that we read through and shudder at before moving on. But it's also one of those stories that carries a lot more freight than appears at first glance.Ms. Berner, a schoolteacher, was out jogging down a lonesome stretch of highway (does any other kind of highway exist in Alaska?) when she was attacked by at least two wolves. The details are horrific. The attack continued for some time -- Ms. Berner apparently broke away and continued running only to be brought down once again. This may have occurred several times. After she was killed, the wolves devoured her before making off into the woods. The Berner attack was not an isolated event. This marks the second such attack in a matter of months. Last October, Taylor Mitchell, an up-and-coming Canadian folksinger, was attacked by two coyotes while hiking in a Cape Breton national park. Canadian rangers intervened, but Ms. Mitchell was so badly injured that...(Read Full Article)