As the vehicle rolled across the “high bridge” east of Mammoth Hot Springs, an odd thought registered with a sideways glance–“that’s awfully low down on the mountain to see a goat…” A second look revealed it to be ‘her’ – the beautiful, white, alpha female of Yellowstone’s Canyon Wolf Pack. She stood on that snowy bluff in the company her pack, poised, embodying a sense of dignity and fortitude against all that the world has thrown at her during the years I have come to know her.
As the pack filtered around her and moved ahead, she stood alone in place on a small hill, elevated above the others. How was she going to feed all of those hungry mouths? Was an enemy pack still just over that mountain pass? Would she and her pack be in danger of being killed in the wolf hunt if they crossed the northern ridge and out of the Park into the National Forest lands? Watching animals – like this wolf – for much of their lives, one gets a sense for the way they experience and engage with the world around them. Seeing her that morning, I couldn’t help but feel that with her aged wisdom (she lived to be 12 years old when most gray wolves die before the age of 4), and despite the weight of the world upon her shoulders, she would find a way to carry on, to persevere through all that might come her way – with all the grace of a dignified lady.
Following that experience, I created a small wax model of her from memory when I returned to the studio. The study sat in a cabinet with so many other small wax studies – most of which are ultimately deemed ‘unworthy’ and melted down – but this idea of the white wolf, her life, her inner landscape, her challenges and triumphs, continued to resonate with me. Taking a year and a half to compose the final sculpture, I time and again compared its virtues against those of that original wax sketch. At one point the larger version of the sculpture was torn from the base in order to elevate her head and shoulders 2.75 degrees – a tiny sum to be sure, but this, along with a few other minute adjustments added greatly to the emotional gravity of this sculpture in honor of this amazing wild animal.
As of this writing, “The Canyon Female” is still alive in Yellowstone and one of only 2 white wolves in a population of ~100 animals.
Update August 2017: The “Canyon Female” was found near death by hikers at the northern edge of the Park, near Gardiner, Montana in April of 2017. She was soon euthanized by Park officials to alleviate her suffering as a result of a gunshot wound. An unknown poacher likely shot her in the early hours of the morning, leaving her to die inside the Park boundary. At this current time, a $25,000 reward has been posted for information leading to the prosecution of the offender: the investigation is still ongoing. I was one of the last and lucky few, aside from the shooter, to see her alive. From the front porch, I was able to watch the Canyon Female just 2 nights
before the fatal incident. She was bedded with a limping gray pack member on the foothills of Sepulcher Peak about 1/2 mile south of the Park’s northern boundary. As I cooked dinner on the stove, I watched her through my spotting scope as the light of day fell to blackness.
“The White Lady” – Gray Wolf measures 23″L x 5.5″ W x 18.25″H, and is an edition of 22. This edition is ALMOST SOLD OUT. “The White Lady – miniature” – Gray Wolf measures 5.25″L x 1.25″ W x 3.75″H, and is an edition of 45. To purchase one of these sculptures, please contact us. To view George’s other sculptures, visit his gallery.