“If a man aspires towards a righteous life, his first act of abstinence is from injury to animals.”– Albert Einstein
The 06 Legacy, a group of people dedicated to the protection of gray wolves in the US, collar, track and videotape (from a far distance) the lives of the ancestors from which all dogs descend. While the wolves in Yellowstone National Park are protected today under federal law, regulated wolf hunting and trapping seasons are again taking place throughout Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, and incredibly in areas directly adjacent to Yellowstone…as if those we entrust to govern us are certain wolves will somehow detect the invisible boundary line in the wilderness between a protected forest and a killing field.
Below is the story of wolf 1109F, whose troubled existence and unwavering determination paralleled so many of life’s human struggles before succumbing to the fate only a human’s misconstrued sense of superiority could espouse. We can learn much from animals if we open ourselves to compassion and empathy, and not a path of blind devotion to self, to be our guides. Please find it in yourself to do what you can for those who can’t do for themselves.
The following comes from the staff and volunteers at The 06 Legacy and was brought to our attention by animal rights advocate and writer Esther Berlanga.
“It has been reported that 1109F of the Junction Butte pack was killed in the Montana wolf hunt.
In our own lives, we know of people who are picked on, excluded, sometimes even become loners trying to find their way. We know how that feels. For reasons unknown, 1109F wasn’t always welcomed in her pack and sometimes even got bullied by other members. As a result, 1109F tried to stay close to her pack and yet keep her distance.
When 1109F gave birth to pups, she bravely chose to den away from the other Junctions, not knowing if she would have food brought to her. She raised her pups on her own until later integrating them with the pack. 1109F was strong inside. No matter what came her way, she always carried on and lived life her own way.
1109F was also known to wander at times, possibly looking for a mate. We always hoped Prince Charming would come into her life and she would have a pack of her own. Surely, 1109F deserved an opportunity to be an alpha. Now, we’ll never know if her story includes Prince Charming and whether alpha female is her destiny.
Instead, 1109F is another wolf to take her last breaths with her killer standing over her. After all the hardships 1109F faced, she didn’t get to finish her own story. The hunter bought the ending with the purchase of a $12 wolf license. In our world today, her life was worth less than a Starbucks coffee.”
