Roger Peters, while a doctoral candidate in psychology, spent three winter's observing these highly intelligent and sociable animals in the wild. Noting a striking similarity between the living habits of wolves and those of our own primitive ancestors, Peters set out to investigate whether wolves, like people, use cognitive maps to find their way through unmarked terrain.Recalling his impressions while on this theoretical trail and more literally on the wooded paths of his subjects, Peters offers an appealing and intimate look at wolves in their natural habitat - how they mate, raise families, hunt, play, communicate, establish and maintain territories. And all this despite harsh winters, a declining deer population, and the ever-present threat of their only enemy: man.Dance of the Wolves is also a firsthand account of an animal researcher's experiences. Peters overcomes obstacles that range from humorous to life-threatening - from the behaviorists on his dissertation to persecution by local wolf-haters, to. A perilous brush with frostbite and hypothermia, - as he tracks the wolves from the air and through the snow, as he watches them give birth and die, and as he gradually comes to understand these enigmatic yet enthralling creatures.

    This book shows just how exaggerated the wolf's reputation really is. Drawing on the latest scientific research, this fascinating portrait of wolves in the wild describes the social lives of wolves and the strong family ties that bind together the members of a pack as they share the work of hunting, maintaining territory, and raising young.