Living in a country where the Dingo (the most maligned of all native animals) is the apex predator and where habituation and familiarisation (caused by humans) has resulted in problems, particularly in tourist destinations such as Fraser Island and Uluru, I was keen to read Romeo’s story.

As surprising as it may seem this is a true story spanning several years.

Romeo was a lone wolf living on the outskirts of Juneau, Alaska and exhibited unusual behaviour for a non-domesticated animal demonstrating he was a sentient being with a need for company.

Walking their dogs on the frozen lake in the winter of 1993, Jans and his wife were one of the first people to see the lone black wolf. He appeared young and healthy. To their surprise all the wolf wanted was to interact with their dogs in a playful encounter.

Over the next six years Romeo became a part of the landscape interreacting with many other residents and their dogs at his instigation and even initiated the games.

It is important to note no-one tried to domesticate or tame Romeo. No-one even habituated him by feeding him or providing any shelter. He came and went of his own accord.

But some residents were not happy with the situation believing he was dangerous or simply just shouldn’t be allowed to exist on their territory.

Although Romeo developed many friendships and others, who developed strong bonds with the wolf, also others feature in the story.

Nick Jans had been a hunter a one time and a wilderness guide but is now a professional wildlife photographer and author with a respect and love for his natural surrounds.

Jans not only tells the story of Romeo, he also introduces facts about wolves throughout the book giving insight into how we, as humans, need to learn about and respect all wild animals.

It is a beautiful, yet heart-rending story told honestly and without prejudice but the emotions of the author and his love and respect for Romeo are still clear.

Romeo’s demise came at the hands of two particularly heartless and wicked hunters – the type that kill for sick fun. They enjoyed taunting those who loved the wolf and bragged about both their plans and the final deed. Fortunately, this part of the story is not dragged out unnecessarily.

Readers should be warned Romeo’s demise is upsetting for any animal lover and cause for anger at the simpleminded and ignorant men who brought it about. The red tape and attitude of the law makers is equally enraging.

Today a memorial to Romeo stands in Juneau as reminder of the life of this incredible animal. It reads:

ROMEO
2003-2009
THE SPIRIT OF JUNEAU'S FRIENDLY BLACK WOLF LIVES ON IN THIS WILD PLACE.

After reading the book, you will never forget this magnificent wolf called Romeo. ( )

A Wolf Called Romeo is nature photographer and author, Nick Jans, reflections on the six years that Juneau, Alaska residents were visited by an unusually friendly male black wolf. The wolf seemed particularly interested in dogs and befriended many. Jans introduction to the wolf was when he was throwing a tennis ball out on the frozen lake and, much to his astonishment, a black wolf ran out and absconded with the ball. The wolf did return and made friends with the author’s golden retriever.

Nicknamed Romeo, the wolf became a regular feature for the residents of Juneau. He located himself by the Mendenhall Glacier and was often to be seen on and around the lake. He appeared to be a solitary but healthy wolf and would tolerate audiences getting within feet of himself, especially if there were dogs. Unfortunately this fearless attitude was dangerous for him, for as much as he had admirers, there were some who thought he should be killed or removed from the area. For six years he was a regular visitor, but then in September 2009, he vanished. Slowly the facts came out, he had been shot by two poachers who were looking for an easy kill. Unable to keep the deed a secret they bragged about killing the beloved wolf. They were also known to have been involved in the illegal luring and killing of young bears as well. Although both were charged with illegal game killing, they were simply given minor fines that were not followed up on when they failed to pay.

A Wolf Called Romeo tells an amazing story and the author is very careful to point out that Romeo’s visits were shared by many. It wasn’t just his life that was affected by this creature, Romeo was shared by the community and was grieved by many. The author also includes many facts about wolves, and discusses the boundaries between wilderness and civilization, and the responsibility that humans have to the untamed creatures they encounter. ( )

Un libro referencial de la narrativa sobre naturaleza. El extraordinario relato de una amistad en la improbable frontera entre la naturaleza salvaje y la civilización.

Durante muchos años, Nick Jans llevó una vida de aventurero y cazador, recorriendo zonas árticas en el seno de una naturaleza extrema, viviendo en las pequeñas aldeas iñupiaq que aún quedan diseminadas por el Gran Norte y compartiendo con estos hombres y mujeres su ancestral modo de vida. Sin embargo, poco a poco comenzó a albergar dudas sobre una estrategia de supervivencia que le obligaba a matar aquello que adoraba: el rito nigiluk, que concilia al cazador con el animal, había perdido su fuerza. Entonces decidió cambiar definitivamente el rifle por una cámara con teleobjetivo e irse a vivir a un barrio residencial a las afueras de Juneau, capital de Alaska. Después de pasar tanto tiempo rodeado de animales salvajes, especialmente de lobos, de los que había realizado más de cien avistamientos, pensó que tardaría bastante en volver a ver otro. Pero la vida puede ser muy extraña. Al poco de mudarse, un lobo negro apareció a las puertas de su nueva casa, algo insólito, incluso en Alaska. Desde los primeros días, Nick se dio cuenta de que el animal no buscaba ni aceptaba comida, cuidados o refugio, aparentemente sólo estaba interesado en jugar y disfrutar de la compañía de perros y humanos. Aquello era inaudito, pero sólo era el comienzo: el animal decidió quedarse, permanecer durante siete años franqueando a diario la frontera entre lo salvaje y la civilización, arriesgando cada día su vida para pasar un rato con Nick, sus vecinos y sus perros. Nadie había registrado nunca un comportamiento parecido en un animal ajeno a toda domesticación, los biólogos y los etólogos no tenían respuestas… Ésta es, por tanto, la historia que vivió Nick durante aquellos siete años, el relato de una amistad increíble y maravillosa, así como la biografía de uno de los animales salvajes más extraordinarios de los que jamás hemos tenido noticia: es el lobo que puedes ver en la portada de este libro.

Nick Jans is a writer and wildlife photographer who had lived in Alaska for over 30 years before this close-up encounter with a wolf. He had heard of sightings of this black beauty from some of the people who frequented his backyard in Juneau, Alaska, in the shadow of Mendenhall Glacier. When Mendenhall Lake froze over in the winter, it became a popular winter playground for the residents of the small city. This area also attracted the attention of a single wolf who seemed lonely and sought the attention of the many dogs that accompanied their masters as they hiked and skied the many trails in the area. This well-wrriten book is a combination of outdoor memoir, a history of Canis lupus, and a cautionary tale of wild animals interacting with humans and their pets.

The wolf became known as Romeo because of the way he flirted with the female dogs he befriended. He also had male friends and even accepted their humans. He returned to the Mendenhall recreation area winter after winter and enjoyed many hours of play with his canine friends while the townspeople looked on in awe. Of course, there are all kinds of people in Alaska as there are all over the world. Some are animal lovers and some are afraid of them. Author Jans respects the wolf and keeps his distance, but others aren't as cautious. As Romeo's fame grows so does Jans' fear that something bad could happen.

Nick Jans loves Alaska and the natural world and has a calm and informative way of writing about what he loves. His accompanying photographs are pretty wonderful, too. I was attracted to this book by the cover picture taken by him of Romeo and his Yellow Lab, Dahkota, who is a dead ringer for my dog Lucky. I soon became enamored by the author's way with words and will be on the lookout for some of his earlier books. ( )

This promising book is a bit marred by the loose narration, coupled with run-on sentences and frequent near-martyrdom statements from the author. Jans at times assumes a "holier than thou" attitude that distracts from what could otherwise be an informative read. Occasionally he reiterates how he stayed out of certain issues, and made better judgments, than the other people involved in Romeo's fate. Ignoring such posturing may become taxing to some readers and make it difficult for them to draw their own conclusions regarding Romeo's case, and the wolf debate in general, for Alaska. ( )