The Death of Two Legends

Two good stories:

The passing of a Yellowstone Cinderella, High Country News

She was one of the orig­inal 31 Canadian wolves trans­planted to Yellowstone to kick off the wolf restora­tion effort in the Northern Rockies. Much of the park’s spec­tac­ular wolf recovery can be attrib­uted to her breeding suc­cess: At least three of her daugh­ters have gone on to form their own packs. And not only was she the alpha female of the largest wolf pack ever recorded — the Druid pack num­bered 37 wolves in 2000 — but she also con­tributed mightily to our knowl­edge of wolf behavior and pack dynamics.
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Doug Smith, the Wolf Project biol­o­gist for Yellowstone, says, “None of the other wolves liked 40 so they would hang out with 42 instead. In fact, the only wolf to visit 40’s den was 21.” When the aggres­sive 40 threat­ened her sister again, Smith said, “This time 42 said, ‘forget it’ and attacked 40, defending her pups. At least two other wolves joined in and left 40 a bloody mess.“
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The next day 42 moved her pups clear across the Lamar Valley, took over 40’s den and raised her sister’s pups along with her own. She quickly assumed the alpha role, which she held until her untimely death this winter.”

Jump the Shark, New York Times, about the demise of pro­fes­sional pool sharking.

“But that’s just gam­bling,” Mr. Bell says wist­fully. “Real hus­tling — dri­ving to a pool room in another state, walking in, set­ting the trap, busting the local guy and then heading to a new town — is dif­ferent. That’s what ain’t there any more.”

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